Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/277

 79, 8o] THE PELOPONNESIANS INVADE ACARNANIA l6l cavalry too rode up, and wherever they pleased charged the Athenians, who now fled utterly disconcerted and were pursued to a considerable distance. At length they escaped to Potidaea, and having recovered their dead under a flag of truce, returned to Athens with the survivors of their army, out of which they had lost four hundred and thirty men and all their generals. The Chalcidians and Botti- aeans, having set up a trophy and carried off their dead, disbanded and dispersed to their several cities. In the same summer, not long afterwards, the Ambra- 80 ciots and Chaonians, designing to sub- jugate the whole of Acarnania and ie m $actos per- •> o _ suade the Lacedatfno- detach it from the Athenian alliance, nians to smd a land persuaded the Lacedaemonians to equip ""<i ^ca force under a fleet out of the confederate forces, "^";"*^ "^"'"^ I"'' ' nania. Dtsembarktng and to send into that region a thousand /„.,- troops, he is joined hoplites. They said that if the Lace- by a number 0/ barbar- j • u • • "i-U J.U J ens tribes and marches daemonians would 10m with them and, j c, , •' towards Jbtraius. attack the enemy both by sea and land, the Acarnanians on the sea-coast would be unable to assist the inland tribes, and they might easily conquer Acarnania. Zacynthus and Cephallenia would then fall into their hands, and the Athenian fleet would not so easily sail round Peloponnesus. They might even hope to take Naupactus. The Lacedaemonians agreed, and at once despatched Cnemus, who was still admiral % with the thousand hoplites in a few ships ; they ordered the rest of the allied navy to get ready and at once sail to Leucas. The interests of the Ambraciots were zealously supported by Corinth, their mother city. The fleet which was to come from Corinth, Sicyon, and the adjacent places was long in preparation ; but the contingent from Leucas, Anactorium, and Ambracia was soon equipped, and waited at Leucas. Undiscovered by Phormio, the commander of the twenty Athenian ships which were keeping guard at VOL. I. M
 * Cp. ii. 66.