Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/47

 OLIGARCHS AT ATHENS. 2i> treaties no other satrap except Tissaphernes had been concerned. "We must recollect that the Peloponnesian fleet included those twenty-seven triremes, which had been brought across by Kalli- geitus expressly for the aid of Pharnabazus ; and therefore that the latter now naturally became a party to the general operations. Thirdly, we here find, for the first time, formal announcement of a Persian fleet about to be brought up as auxiliary to the Pelo- ponnesians. This was a promise which the satrap now set forth more plainly than before, to amuse them, and to abate the mis- trust which they had begun to conceive of his sincerity. It served the temporary purpose of restraining them from any im- mediate act of despair hostile to his interests, which was all that he looked for. While he renewed his payments, therefore, for the moment, he affected to busy himself in orders and preparations for the fleet from Phenicia. 1 The Peloponnesian fleet was now ordered to move from Rhodes. Before it quitted that island, however, envoys came thither from Eretria and from Oropus ; which latter place, a dependency on the northeastern frontier of Attica, though pro- tected by an Athenian garrison, had recently been surprised and captured by the Brcotians. The loss of OrOpus much increased the facilities for the revolt of Eubcea ; and these envoys came to entreat aid from the Peloponnesian fleet, to second that island in that design. The Peloponnesian commanders, however, felt themselves under prior obligation to relieve the sufferers at Chios, towards which island they first bent their course. But they had scarcely passed the Triopian cape, when they saw the Athenian squadron from ChalkS dogging their motions. Though there was no wish on either side for a general battle, yet they saw evidently that the Athenians would not permit them to pass by Samoa, and get to the relief of Chios, without one. Re- nouncing, therefore, the project of relieving Chios, they again concentrated their fbrce at Miletus, while the Athenian fleet was also again united at Samos.- It was about the end of March, 411 B.C., that the two fleets were thus replaced in the stations which they had occupied four months previously. Thucyd. viii, 59. * Tl ucyd. viii. 6A. VOL. VIII. 2