Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/290

 174 THE PIRAEUS IN DANGER [ll Corinth, all with the exception of the Leucadians. And not long after their retreat the twenty Athenian ships from Crete, which ought to have come to the assistance of Phormio before the battle, arrived at Naupactus. So the summer ended. 93 Before breaking up the fleet which had returned to The Peloponnesians Corinthand the Crisaean Gulf, Cnemus, determine to make an Brasidas, and the Other Peloponnesian a/umpt on /he Piraeus commanders, it being now the begin- but losing heart, only '. ° '=' sail to Salamis and nmg of wmter. Wished to make an lavage the island. attempt, suggested by some Megarians, on Piraeus, the harbour of Athens. The entrance was un- closed and unguarded ; as was natural, since the Athenians were complete masters of the sea. Each sailor was to carry his cushion and his oar with its thong, and cross on foot with all haste from Corinth to the Athenian side of the Isthmus ; they were to go to Megara and from Nisaea, the harbour of Megara, to launch forty ships which happened to be lying in the docks ; thence they were to sail straight for the Piraeus. No guard ships were stationed there, for no one ever expected » that the enemy would attempt a surprise of this kind. As to an open and deliberate attack, how was he likely to venture on that ? and if he even entertained such a design, would he not have been found out in time ^ ? The plan was immediately carried out. Arriving at night, they launched the ships from Nisaea and sailed away, but not to the Piraeus; the danger seemed too great, and also the wind is said to have been unfavourable. So they gave up their original idea and made for the projecting point of Salamis which looks towards Megara; here there was a fort, and three ships were stationed in order to prevent anything being con- veyed by sea into or out of Megara. This fort they " Or, taking Ivii differently, and Ka6' fjavxiav in the sense of 'without interference:' 'that the enemy would make a sudden attack of this kind. An attempt so bold and open was not likely to be unopposed, or the very design, if entertained, to escape detection.'