Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/296

 288 SEA-FIGHT OFF THE COAST OF ACHAIA [vil and engaged with them. The battle was long and obstinate. Three Corinthian ships were destroyed. The Athenians had no ships absolutely sunk, but about seven of them were rendered useless ; for they were struck full in front by the beaks of the Corinthian vessels, which had the projecting beams of their prows designedly built thicker, and their bows were stoven in. The engagement was undecided and both sides claimed the victory ; but the Athenians gained possession of the wrecks because the wind blew them towards the open sea and the Corinthians did not put out again. So the two fleets parted. There was no pursuit, nor were any prisoners taken on either side. For the Corinthians and Peloponnesians were fighting close to the land and thus their crews escaped, while on the Athenian side no ship was sunk. As soon as the Athenians had returned to Naupactus the Corinthians set up a trophy, insisting that they were the victors, because they had disabled more of the enemy's ships than the enemy of theirs. They refused to acknowledge defeat on the same ground which made the Athenians unwilling to claim the victory. For the Corinthians considered themselves conquerors, if they were not severely defeated ; but the Athenians thought that they were defeated because they had not gained a signal victory. When however the Peloponnesians had sailed away and the land-army was dispersed, the Athenians raised another trophy in Achaia, at a distance of about two miles and a quarter from the Corinthian station at Erineus. Such was the result of the engagement. 35 Demosthenes and Eurymedon, when the Thurians had been prevailed upon to help them, and T/ie T/iiinaits join ,,. •,, iijui-»^ //,. At/u',„a„s. The had furnished seven hundred hophtes Athenian fleet aiidamiy and three hundred javelin-men, com- pass along the Italian ^n^^^^^.^x the ships to sail towards the coasts to lihf^nini. . - ^, . , territory of Crotona, and themselves, after holding a review of all their infantry at the river Sybaris, kd them through the territory of Thurii. On