The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilian/Book XIII/Chapter XI

Chapter XI

 * The acts of Callicratides, the Lacedæmonian general. The fight at sea, in the harbour at Mitylene, between Conon and Callicratides.

THUS things passed for this year, at the close of which Antigenes was chosen magistrate of Athens; and Manius Æmilius and Caius Valerius Roman consuls. About this time Conon, the Athenian admiral, made up a fleet of ships that lay at Samos, and sent for others from the confederates; and having now got together a considerable navy, he hastened away to fight the enemy.

The Lacedæmonians appointed Callicrates admiral, Lysander having been discharged of that command for some time. This Callicratides was a very young man, of a plain and honest mind, and an innocent conversation, not as yet tainted with the vices and ill manners of other nations, and was highly esteemed among the Spartans, for his justice and integrity; and every man owned, that he never swerved from the rules of justice, either in public or private affairs; but on the contrary, if at any time any offered to corrupt him with bribes, he highly resented it, and punished them accordingly. Having now received his commission, he sails to Ephesus, and there had the fleet delivered up to him by Lysander; which with the rest that he got together from other parts, made up a navy of a hundred and forty sail. The Athenians then lay anchor at Delphinium in Chios, against whom he made with his whole fleet, and in his way besieged a fort of the Athenians; the garrison there being about five hundred, were terrified at the greatness of the navy, and surrendered the place upon articles of safe conduct. Then Callicratides demolished the fort, and sailed against Teios; and, surprising the place in the night, got within the walls, and sacked the city. Passing then to Lesbos, he lay with his army before Methymna, wherein was an Athenian garrison. At first he prevailed little, though he pressed hard upon it with daily assaults: but not long after, being let in by the treachery of some within, he sacked the city, but put none to the sword, and restored the place to the Methymnians. Things thus prosperously succeeding, he hastened to Mitylene, and committing the heavy-armed men to Thorax the Lacedæmonian, commanded him to march with all speed with the land-army, whilst he himself made with the fleet to the shore. In the meantime Conon, the Athenian admiral, so prepared his fleet (which consisted of seventy sail) for a sea-fight, that he excelled all the admirals that were ever before him. With these he came to the aid of Methymna, but when he found it was taken, he lay with his fleet at an island, one of those called the hundred islands. About break of day next morning, when he discerned the enemy's fleet making up to him, conceiving it not advisable to fight with a fleet that was more than double his number, he resolved to sail off; and having snapped up some of the enemy's gallies by the way, determined rather to fight at Mitylene, concluding, that if he were conqueror, he could there pursue them with greater advantage, and if he were conquered, he had the port near at hand, wherein to shelter himself. Upon this he embarks all his soldiers, and commands the rowers to row but gently and slowly, that the enemy might come up nearer to him. The Lacedæmonians, the nearer they came, were more eager to press on, in confidence that they should overtake and destroy those that were behind in the rear. But Conon, by degrees falling down behind the rest, the commanders of the best of the Peloponnesian ships pursued with all eagerness. By this means the rowers now waxed faint, and were drawn away from the rest of the fleet; which advantage being observed by Conon, and that they now approached near to Mitylene, he set up the purple flag from his own ship, which was a sign to the officers to join battle. Upon which the Athenians all at one time tacked suddenly about, and made upon the enemy; and the whole fleet reiterated the Pæan, and the trumpets sounded a charge.

Upon this sudden change, the Peloponnesians were amazed, and made what haste they could in this extremity, to put themselves into a line of battle; but having so little time to tack about, they were in great confusion; especially in regard the ships, where their proper place was, which they had deserted, were so far behind. Conon, therefore, improving the opportunity put into his hands, makes strait upon them, and before they could put themselves in order of battle, pierces some of their ships through, and brushes off the oars of others. But not one of those ships that engaged on that wing against Conon stirred; but with their oars reversed, bravely kept still in one place, till their whole fleet came up. But the left wing of the Athenian fleet put them with whom they were engaged to flight, and hotly pursued them a long time. But when all of the Peloponnesian fleet came up together, Conon, considering the multitude of his enemies, drew off, and with forty ships returned to Mitylene. In the meantime the whole Peloponnesian fleet, which had spread themselves every way, greatly amazed the Athenians, (who had before pursued them that fled), and lying in their way to prevent their return to the city, forced them on shore; whither being closely pursued by the Peloponnesians, the Athenians (seeing no other remedy) forsook their ships, and got to land, and so fled to Mitylene.

Callicratides having thus possessed himself of thirty ships, and seeing that the enemy's fleet was now broken, concluded that for the future he was to fight upon land; and therefore sailed straight to the city. Upon which Conon expecting the city would be besieged, made what preparations he could to block up the mouth of the haven. For in that part where it was shallow, he sunk small vessels, laden with stones; where it was deep, he filled great ships of burden with stones, and fixed them with anchors. The Athenians, and a great number of Mityleneans out of the country, flocked into the city through fear of the war, and forthwith prepared all things necessary for their defence in the siege.

And now Callicratides commanded his men to land, and encamped near the city, and there erects a trophy for his naval victory. The next day, with some of his best ships, he made towards the city, with a design both to enter the port, and to break the enemy's boom; giving strict orders that none of them should be far from his own ship. Conon on the other hand mans the smaller galleys with some of his soldiers, and places them in the mouth of the haven in front, against the enemy, and puts on board the longer vessels the other part of his army. Some likewise were ordered to guard the shallows, that so the port might be defended on every side, both by sea and land: and he himself with his own squadron fought in that part which was open into the harbour. They that were in the great ships pelted the enemies with stones from the main-yard: those that were placed near the shore opposed them that endeavoured to land. The Peloponnesians all this while were nothing inferior to their enemies in courage and resolution; for charging with their ships in a full body, and with the best of their men upon the decks, it resembled both a fight at sea and land together: and they fell on with such fury, that, they even dared to hurl themselves upon the fore-castles of the Athenian ships, judging that they whom they had so lately beaten, were not able to stand the shock. On the other hand the Athenians and Mityleneans concluding that there was no other hopes for safety left but in victory, resolved to die rather than to desert their posts. This obstinacy on both sides continued the fight a long time; whilst every one, without the smallest fear, exposed himself to all manner of dangers: many upon the decks were sorely galled by showers of darts on every hand; some mortally wounded, fell from the decks into the sea; those that were yet untouched, or at least insensible of their wounds, were resolved, notwithstanding, to stand it out to the last. Many were killed by stones cast down upon them from the main-yards, which being both very big, and thrown from a high place, fell with the greater force and violence. At length, after the fight had continued a long time, and many fell on both sides, Callicratides commanded a retreat to be sounded, in order to refresh his men: but not long after, he puts them on board again, and renews the fight. And after a long conflict, by the multitude of his ships, (which overpowered the Athenians), and valour of those upon the decks, he so far prevailed, that he drove the Athenians from their post; upon which they fled into the inner part of the harbour; and now the passage being open, Callicratides casts anchor close to Mitylene: for, gaining the place about which the contest was, he was possessed of the whole harbour which was yet out of the walls of the city. For the old city is a little island, but that which is added of later times lies straight beyond into the land: between those two runs a certain Euripus, or current of the sea, by which the city is more strong and defensible. Callicratides therefore, having landed his men, besieged the city, and begirt it on every side. And this was the condition of Mitylene at this time.