Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/417

 95-96] PANIC AT ATHENS 409 ships, fancying that their crews were close at hand ; but it had been so contrived that they were getting their pro- visions from houses at the end of the town, and not in the market, for the Eretrians intentionally sold nothing there that the men might lose time in embarking; the enemy would then come upon them before they were ready, and they would be compelled to put out as best they could. A signal was also raised at Eretria telling the fleet at Oropus when to attack. The Athenians putting out in this hurried manner, and fighting off the harbour of Eretria, nevertheless resisted for a little while, but before long they fled and were pursued to the shore. Those of them who took refuge in the city of Eretria, relying on the friendship of the inhabitants, fared worst, for they were butchered by them ; but such as gained the fortified position which the Athenians held in the Eretrian territory escaped, and also the crews of the vessels which reached Chalcis. The Peloponnesians, who had taken twenty-two Athenian ships and had killed or made prisoners of the men, erected a trophy. Not long afterwards they induced all Euboea to revolt, except Oreus of which the Athenians still maintained possession. They then set in order the affairs of the island. When the news of the battle and of the defection of 96 Euboea was brought to Athens, the .^, .„. , ° . . The Al/ientnits have Athenians were panic-Stricken. Nothing y^ason to despair; for which had happened before, not even they see the army re- the ruin of the Sicilian expedition, how- molting, Euboea lost, no '■ more ships, the citciity ever overwhelming at the time, had so „// ^^^ ,„ the Piraeus. terrified them. The army at Samos But they are saved by was in insurrection ; they had no ships f supineuess of the •^ '■ Lacedaeniomans. in reserve or crews to man them ; there was revolution at home— civil war might break out at any moment : and by this new and terrible misfortune they had lost, not only their ships, but what was worse, Euboea, on which they were more dependent for supplies than on Attica itself. Had they not reason to despair ? But what E e 2