Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/359

 23, 24] THE DOWNFALL OF CHIOS 35I the Milesian territory. Chalcideus the Lacedaemonian general with a few followers came out ^^^^„ ^./^,,^^ ^^^^j^ to meet them, but was killed. Three ddais is slain. The days later they again sailed across and Athenians at Lesbos . . 1 I • I ii nT'i • canyon thcu'ara£;ai)ist set up a trophy, which the Milesians ,, •'^., •, ^ r J » fji^ i liians, who are pulled down, because the Athenians dr/iaicd in three battles were not really masters of the ground «"^ tmdergo great at the time when they erected it. Leon ff ;'"*--- ^^^ ^/":v •^ had been very nch, ana and Diomedon, who were at Lesbos their govermncnt was with the rest of the Athenian fleet, sta- ^^^« ""^ moderate. tioned their ships at the islands called f ' .^""^ !7 """ '"/; ' prudence tn their revolt. Oenussae which lie in front of Chios, Owingtothcirhssesare- at Sidussa and Pteleum, which were action now sets in, which forts held by them in the Erythraean "^ io be suppressed. territory, and at Lesbos itself, and carried on the war by sea against the Chians. The marines whom they had on board were hoplites taken from the roll and compelled to serve. They made descents upon Cardamyle and Bolissus, and having defeated with heavy loss the Chians who came out to meet them, they devastated all that region. In another battle at Phanae they defeated them again, and in a third at Leuconium. Henceforward the Chians re- mained within their walls. The Athenians ravaged their country, which was well stocked, and from the Persian War until that time had never been touched by an invader. No people as far as I know, except the Chians and Lacedaemonians (but the Chians not equally with the Lacedaemonians), have preserved moderation in prosperity, and in proportion as their city has gained in power have gained also in the stability of their adminis- tration. In this revolt they may seem to have shown a want of prudence, yet they did not venture upon it until many brave allies were ready to share the peril with them, and until the Athenians themselves seemed to confess that after their calamity in Sicily the state of their affairs was hopelessly bad. And, if they were deceived through the uncertainty of human things, this error of judgment was