Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/130

 108 HISTORY OF GKEECE. darus, which had corne the night before to the opposite stations of Sigeium and Ehoeteium. The latter immediately gave chase: posite Athenian squadron at Scstos, which was hardly of superior force to themselves, and was besides an avowed enemy, in sight of their own port, Lastly, the words %v tKirheuai refer to Mindarus and his fleet abcut to start from Chios, as their subject, not to the Athenians at Sestos. The whole sentence would stand thus, if we dismiss the peculiarities of Thucydides, and express the meaning in common Greek : Kal raf fj.lv iv 'A/3vv7(,uffaeiv TOV emTT^ovv TUV yiTiuv, otruf avT&v (TUV i?iuv) uvaKuf 1, i?j> EKnTiEuai. The verb v%.uaaeiv here, and of course the abstract substantive $v"Xaiir] which represents it, signifies to watch for, or vxiit for : like Thucyd. ii, 3. v^.a^avTf ETC vvura, Kal aiiTo TO Ttepiopdpov ; also viii 41, e(j>i>%aaae. If we construe the words in this way, they will appear in perfect harmony with the general scheme and purpose of Mindarus. That admiral is bent upon carrying his fleet to the Hellespont, but to avoid an action with Thrasyllus in doing so. This is difficult to accomplish, and can only be done by great secrecy of proceeding, as well as by an unusual route. He sends orders beforehand from Chios, perhaps even from Miletus, before he quitted that place, to the Peloponnesian squadron guarding the Hellespont at Abydos. He contemplates the possible case that Thrasyllus may detect his plan, intercept him on the passage, and perhaps block him up or compel him to fight in some roadstead or bay on the coast opposite Lesbos, or on the Troad, which would indeed have come to pass, had he been seen by a single hostile fishing-boat in rounding the island of Chios. Now the orders sent forward, direct the Peloponnesian squadron at Abydos what they are to do in this contingency ; since without such orders, the captain of the squadron would not have known what to do, assuming Mindarus to be intercepted by Thrasyllus ; whether to remain on guard at the Hellespont, which was his special duty; or to leave the Hellespont unguarded, keep his attention concentrated on Mindarus, and come forth to help him. " Let your first thought be to insure the safe arrival of the main fleet at the Hel- lespont, and to come out and render help to it, if it be attacked in its route ; even though it be necessary for that purpose to leave the Hellespont for a time unguarded." Mindarus could not tell beforehand the exact moment when he would start from Chios, nor was it, indeed, absolutely certain that he would start at all, if the enemy were watching him : his orders were therefore sent, conditional upon his being able to get off ($ v EKnhEuat). But he was lucky enough, by the well-laid plan of his voyage, to get to the Hellespont without encountering an enemy. The Peloponnesian squadron at Abydos, however, having received his special orders, when the fire-signals acquainted them that he was approaching, thought only of keeping them- iclves in reserve to lend him assistance if he netded it, and neglected tho