Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/137

 27-29] CORINTH MAKES WAR 21 to leave the matter in the hands of the Delphian oracle. But they deprecated war, and declared that, if war there must be, they would be compelled by the Corinthians in self-defence to discard their present friends and seek others whom they would rather not, for help they must have. The Corinthians replied that if the Corcyraeans would withdraw the ships and the barbarian troops they would consider the matter, but that it would not do for them to be litigating while Epidamnus and the colonists were in a state of siege. The Corcyraeans rejoined that they would consent to this proposal if the Corinthians on their part would withdraw their forces from Epidamnus : ^ or again, they were willing that both parties should remain^ on the spot, and that a truce should be made until the decision was given. The Corinthians turned a deaf ear to all these overtures, 29 and, when their vessels were manned The Corinthians re- and their allies had arrived, they sent f'^se^^d declare war. iiaiting towards JLpi- a herald before them to declare war, dammts they are met and set sail for Epidamnus with seventy- and attacked by the five ships and two thousand hoplites, C'^rcyraeans and com- r> pletcly defeated. On the intending to give battle to the Corey- g^,,,^ day Epidamnus raeans. Their fleet was commanded snn-enders. by Aristeus the son of Pellichus, Callicrates the son of Callias, and Timanor the son of Timanthes; the land forces byArchetimus the son of Eurytimus, and Isarchidas the son of Isarchus. When they arrived at Actium in the territory of Anactorium, at the mouth of the Ambracian gulf, where the temple of Apollo stands, the Corcyraeans sent a herald to meet them in a small boat forbidding them to come on. Meanwhile their crews got on board ; they had previously put their fleet in repair, and strengthened the old ships with cross-timbers, so as to make them ser- viceable. The herald brought back no message of peace " Or, 'or again, they would agree to arbitration on the condition that both parties should remain' etc.