Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/18

 lO THE GALLANTRY OF BRASIDAS [iV them ; they must run aground, and somehow or other get to land and take the fort and the men in it.* ,12 While thus upbraiding the others he compelled his own „, , . , , pilot to run his ship aground, and made But he ts wounded » r o ' and loses his shield, for the gangway. But in attempting Paradoxical character to disembark he was struck by the of the battle. Athenians, and, after receiving many wounds, he swooned away and fell into the fore part of the ship ; his shield slipped off his arm into the sea, and, being washed ashore, was taken up by the Athenians and used for the trophy which they raised in commemoration of this attack. The Peloponnesians in the other ships made great efforts to disembark, but were unable on account of the roughness of the ground and the tenacity with which the Athenians held their position. It was a singular turn of fortune which drove the Athenians to repel the Lacedae- monians, who were attacking them by sea, from the Lacedaemonian coast, and the Lacedaemonians to fight for a landing on their own soil, now hostile to them, in the face of the Athenians. For in those days it was the great glory of the Lacedaemonians to be a land power( distinguished for their military prowess, and of the/' Athenians to be a nation of sailors and the first sea power) in Hellas. 13 The Peloponnesians, having continued their efforts For two days the during this day and a part of the next, Peloponnesians con- at length dcsistcd ; on the third day tinuc their efforts. Fifty ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^j^^^jj. ^j^j j^ ^gj,^^ Athenian ships arrive -^. • 1 1 • 1 i and pass the night at for tmibcr With which to make cngnies, Prote. hoping by their help to take the part of the fort looking towards the harbour where the landing was easier, although it was built higher. Meanwhile the Athenian ships arrived from Zacynthus ; they had been increased in number to fifty by the arrival of some guard- ships from Naupactus and of four Chian vessels. Their commanders saw that both the mainland and the island were full of hoplites, and that the ships were in the harbour