Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/354

 238 THE CORCYRAEAN SEDITION [in effect a reconciliation between the two parties, and on .. , his suggestion they agreed to bring to Arrival of twelve. , -, -i , Athenian ships under trial ten of the most guilty persons, who Nicostraius, ivho vainly immediately fled. The rest were to live tries to reconcile the together, and to make peace with one contending parties. , 1 • 1 a 1 1 1 • another, and with Athens an alliance offensive and defensive. Having accomplished his pur- pose he was about to sail away, when the leaders of the people induced him to leave five of his own vessels, that the enemy might be less inclined to stir, promising to man five ships of their own and send them with him. He agreed, and they selected the crews of the ships out of the opposite faction. But the men were afraid of being sent to Athens, and sat as suppliants in the temple of the Dioscuri. Nicostratus sought to raise them up and re- assure them, but they would not trust him ; whereupon the people armed themselves, arguing that their mistrust and unwillingness to sail was a proofof their evil designs. They took their enemies' arms out of their houses, and some of them whom they chanced to meet would have been slain if Nicostratus had not interfered. The rest, to the number of about four hundred, when they saw what was going on, took refuge afresh in the temple of Here. But the people, fearing that they would resort to violence, persuaded them to rise and conveyed them at once to the island that lies in front of the temple of Here, whither provisions were regularly sent to them. 76 At this stage of the revolution, on the fourth or fifth Appearance of the day after the suppliants had been con- Pchponnesian Jleet. veyed to the island, the Peloponnesian ships from Cyllene, which since the expedition to Ionia had been in harbour there % arrived on the scene, fifty-three in number, still under the command of Alcidas. Brasidas his adviser was on board. They anchored for the night at Sybota, a harbour on the mainland, and when the morning broke they sailed upon Corcyra. " Cp. iv. 69.