Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/94

72 rês, the admiral, conducted them round Cape Sunium to Erciiia in Euboea, where he found a few other triremes, which made up his whole fleet to thirty-six sail.

He had scarcely reached the harbor and disembarked, when, without allowing time for his men to procure refreshment, he found himself compelled to fight a battle with the forty-two ships of Agesandridas, who had just sailed across from Oropus, and was already approaching the harbor. This surprise had been brought about by the anti- Athenian party in Eretria, who took care, on the arrival of Thymochares, that no provisions should be found in the market-place, so that his men were compelled to disperse and obtain them from houses at the extremity of the town; while at the same time a signal was hoisted, visible at Oropus on the opposite side of the strait, less than seven miles broad, indicating to Agesandridas the precise moment for bringing his fleet across to the attack, with their crews fresh after the morning meal. Thymochares, on seeing the approach of the enemy, ordered his men aboard ; but, to his disappointment, many of them were found to be so far off that they could not be brought back in time, so that he was compelled to sail out and meet the Peloponnesians with ships very inadequately manned. In a battle immediately outside of the Eretrian harbor, he was, after a short contest, completely defeated, and his fleet driven back upon the shore. Some of his ships escaped to Chalkis, others to a fortified post garrisoned by the Athenians themselves, not far from Ere- tria; yet not less than twenty-two triremes, out of the whole thirty-six, fell into the hands of Agesandridas, and a large pro- portion of the crews were slain or made prisoners. Of those seamen who escaped, too, many found their death from the hands of the Eretrians, into whose city they fled for shelter. On the news of this battle, not merely Eretria, but also all Euboea, except Oreus in the north of the island, which was settled by Athenian kleruchs, declared its revolt from Athens, which had been intended more than a year before, and took measures for defending itself in concert with Agesandridas and the Boeo- tians. 1 ships under Thymochares, almost the only point which we learn from his meagre notice of this interesting period. 1 Thueytl. viii. 5 ; viii, 95.