Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/408

 386 HISTORY OK GREECK. single effort would gloriously close the war, was far from beicg realized. Athens resisted with unexpected energy ; the Lacedae- monians were so slack and faint-hearted, that they even let slip the golden opportunity presented to them by the usurpation of the Athenian Four Hundred. Tissaphernes was discovered to be studi- ously starving and protracting the war for purposes of his own. which Hermokrates vainly tried to counter-work by a personal visit and protest at Sparta. 1 Accordingly, the war trailed on with fluctuating success, wad even renovated efficiency on the part of Athens ; so that the Syracusans at home, far from hearing an- nounced the accomplishment of those splendid anticipations under which their squadron had departed, received news generally unfa- vorable, and at length positively disastrous. They were informed that their seamen were ill-paid and distressed ; while Athens, far from striking her colors, had found means to assemble a fleet at Samos competent still to dispute the mastery of the JEgean. They heard of two successive naval defeats, which the Pelopon- nesian and Syracusan fleets sustained in the Hellespont 2 (one at Kynossema, 411 B. c., a second between Abydos and Dar- danus, 410s. c.) ; and at length of a third, more decisive and calamitous than the preceding, the battle of Kyzikus (409s. C.), wherein the Lacedaemonian admiral Mindarus was slain, and the whole of his fleet captured or destroyed. In this defeat the Syracusan squadron were joint sufferers. Their seamen were compelled to burn all their triremes without exception, in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy ; and were left destitute, without clothing or subsistence, on the shores of the Propontis amidst the satrapy of Pharnabazus. 3 That satrap, with generous forwardness, took them into his pay, advanced to them clothing and provision for two months, and furnished them with timber from the woods of Mount Ida to build fresh ships. At Antandrus (in the Gulf of Adramyttium, one great place of ex- port for Idaean timber), where the reconstruction took place, the Syracusans made themselves so acceptable and useful to the citi- zens, that a vote of thanks and a grant of citizenship vras passed to all of them who chose to accept it. 4 1 Thucyd. viii, 85. 2 Thucyd. viii, 105 ; Xen. Heller., i, 1, 7 ' Xen. Hellen. i, 1, 19. 4 Xen. Hcllen. i, 1, 23-2C.