Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/295

 33,341 SEA-FIGHT OFF THE COAST OF ACHAIA 287 at the lapygian islands called Choerades, and took on board a hundred and fifty lapygian javelin-men of the Messapian tribe. After renewing an ancient friendship with Artas, a native prince who had furnished the javelin- men, they went on to Metapontium in Italy. They persuaded the Metapontians, who were their allies, to let them have two triremes and three hundred javelin-men ; these they took with them and sailed to Thurii. At Thurii they found that the party opposed to the Athenians had just been driven out by a revolution. Wishing to hold another muster and inspection of their whole army, and to be sure that no one was missing, they remained there for some time. They also did their best to gain the hearty co-operation of the Thurians, and to effect an offensive and defensive alliance with them, now that they had succeeded in expelling the anti-Athenian party. About the same time the Peloponnesians in their fleet of 34 twenty-five ships, which was stationed 7,,^,„„.„ „„,,^/ „,. opposite the Athenian fleet at Nau- Hou in the Corinthian pactus to protect the passage of the g"lfl><hwcn the Corin-, , , •,(-•• •! J ihians and the Athen- merchant-vessels gomg to bicily, made . ^, , 00 -'' lans. The former ready for action. They manned some greatly assisted by an additional ships, which raised their improvement in the number nearly to that of the Athenians, '^ '"' "'^ '^ and anchored at Erineus off Achaia, which is in the territory of Rhypae. The bay, off the shore of which they were stationed, has the form of a crescent, and the infantry of the Corinthians and of the allies, which had come from the country on both sides to co-operate with the fleet, was disposed on the projecting promontories. The ships, which were under the command of Polyanthes the Corin- thian, formed a close line between the two points. The Athenians sailed out against them from Naupactus with thirty-three ships, under the command of Diphilus. For a while the Corinthians remained motionless; in due time the signal was raised and they rushed upon the Athenians