Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/387

369 BATTLE NEAR PEIREUM. 309 on, and resolved to keep strict watch on the motions of the fleet now assembled at Kenchreze, suspecting that this squadron was intended to second the revolting party in Chios. 1 Shortly after the Isthmian festival, the squadron actually start- ed from Kenchreoe to Chios, under Alkamenes ; but an equal number of Athenian ships watched them as they sailed along the shore, and tried to tempt them farther out to sea, with a view to fight them. Alkamenes, however, desirous of avoiding a battle, thought it best to return back ; upon which the Athenians also returned to Peirasus, mistrusting the fidelity of the seven Chian triremes which formed part of their fleet. Reappearing presently with a larger squadron of thirty-seven triremes, they pursued Alkamenes, who had again begun his voyage along the shore southward, and attacked him near the uninhabited harbor called Peiroeum, on the frontiers of Corinth and Epidaurus. They here gained a victory, captured one of his ships, and damaged or disabled most of the remainder. Alkamenes himself was slain, and the ships were run ashore, where on the morrow the Pelo- 1 Thucyd. viii, 10. 'Ev tie TOUTM ra "lad/iia lyiveTo- Kal ol 'A.$qvaiot (tirrjyyih&riaa.v yup) c&Eupovv tf avrif xat Karud^/la fiu^ov av~oif ra rtii Kiuv tyuvrj. The language of Thucydides in this passage deserves notice. The Athc nians were now at enmity with Corinth : it was therefore remarkable, antj contrary to what would be expected among Greeks, that they should be present with their theory, or solemn sacrifice, at the Isthmian festival. Ac- cordingly Thucydides, when he mentions that they went thither, thinks it right to add the explanation ^TTTJ yyeh #?/ era v yup "for they had been invited ;'' " for the festival truce had been formally signified to them." That the heralds who proclaimed the trace should come and proclaim it to a state in hostility with Corinth, was something unusual, and merited special notice : otherwise, Thucydides would never have thought it worth while to mention the proclamation, it being the uniform practice. "We must recollect that this was the first Isthmian festival which had taken place since the resumption of the war between Athens and the Pel- oponnesian alliance. The habit of leaving out Athens from the Corinthian herald's proclamation had not yet been renewed. In regard to the Isth- mian festival, there was probably greater reluctance to leave- her out, because that festival was in its origin half Athenian ; said to have been established, or revived after interruption, by Theseus ; and the Athenian theory enjoyed a, Kpoed/ua, or privileged place, at the games (Plutarch Theseus, c. 25 ; Argument, ad Pindar. Isthm. Schol.l VOL. vn. 16* 2 foe.