Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/240

 US HISTORY OF GREECE. day, Lysander ordered the scout-ships, which he sent forth !<i watch the Athenians on their return, to hoist a bright shield as a signal, as soon as they should see the ships at their anchorage and the crews ashore in quest of their meal. The moment he beheld this welcome signal, he gave orders to his entire fleet to row across as swiftly as possible from Lampsakus to JEgospotami, while Thorax marched along the strand with the land-force in case of need. Nothing could be more complete or decisive than the surprise of the Athenian fleet. All the triremes were caught at their moorings ashore, some entirely deserted, others with one or at most two of the three tiers of rowers which formed their complement. Out of all the total of one hundred and eighty, only twelve were found in tolerable order and preparation ; l the trireme of Konon himself, together with a squadron of seven under his immediate orders, and the consecrated ship called paralus, always manned by the elite of the Athenian seamen, being among them. It was in vain that Konon, on seeing the fleet of Lysander approaching, employed his utmost efforts to get his fleet manned and in some condition for resistance. The attempt was desperate, and the utmost which he could do was to escape himself with the small squadron of twelve, including the paralus. All the remaining triremes, nearly one hundred and seventy in number, were captured by Lysander on the shore, defenceless, and seemingly without the least attempt on the part of any one to resist. He landed, and made prisoners most of the crews ashore, though some of them fled and found shelter in the neighboring forts. This prodigious and unparalleled victory was obtained, not merely without the loss of a single ship, but almost without that of a single man. 9 Of the number of prisoners taken by Lysander, which must have been very great, since the total crews of one hundred and eighty triremes were not less than thirty-six thousand men, 3 we 1 Xenoph. Hellen, ii, 1, 29; Lysias, Orat. xxi, ('ATroA. AupocJ.) s. 12. c. 36 ; Cornel. Nepos, Lysand. c. 8 ; Polysen. i, 45, 2. Diodorus (xiii, 106) gives a different representation of this important military operation ; far less clear and trustworthy than that of Xenophon. 3 Xenoph. Hellen. ii, 1, 28. rdf 6' uAAaf ndaas (vavf) Avaav6po lAa.fli
 * Xenoph. Hellen. ii, 1, 28 ; Plutarch, Lysand. c. 11 ; Plutarch, Alkibiad.