A History of My Times by Xenophon

Author:Xenophon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2007-06-21T04:00:00+00:00

BOOK FIVE

CHAPTER 1

Naval operations round Aegina. Teleutias’ raid on the Piraeus. Antalcidas and the King’s Peace (389–386 B.C.)

1 WHILE the Athenians and Spartans were conducting these

operations in the area of the Hellespont, Eteonicus was again

at Aegina. Up to now there had been normal commercial relations

between Aegina and Athens, but now, with war

being openly carried on by sea, Eteonicus, with the approval

of the ephors, encouraged all who wanted to do so to carry

2 out raids on Attica. The Athenians, under pressure from these

raids, sent out to Aegina a force of hoplites under the general

Pamphilus. They built blockading walls round the city on the

land side and blockaded it from the sea with the triremes. It

happened, however, that Teleutias had arrived in the islands

on a mission to collect money. Hearing of the blockade he

came to the help of the Aeginetans and drove off the Athenian

fleet. Pamphilus, however, succeeded in holding on to

the fortifications on the land.

3 After this Hierax arrived from Sparta as admiral and took

over the fleet.* Teleutias sailed home, but what a glorious

occasion this was for him! When he was going down to the

sea on his way back, there was not a single one of the

soldiers who did not grasp his hand; one put a wreath on

his head, another crowned him with ribands; and those who

came late, when his ship was already under way, nevertheless

threw garlands into the sea and prayed that he would have

4 every kind of good fortune. In describing this scene I know

that I am not telling of anything which cost money or involved

danger or showed any particular skill. But, by Zeus,

I think it is very well worth a man’s while to consider this

question – how had Teleutias conducted himself so as to

make the men under his command feel like this about him?

For this is the achievement of one who is a man indeed, and

this by itself is worth more than the expense of quantities of

money or the facing of all sorts of dangers.*

5 Hierax now sailed back to Rhodes with the fleet, except for

twelve triremes which he left in Aegina, with his vice

-admiral Gorgopas as governor of the place. And now it was

not so much the Aeginetans in the city as the Athenians in

their fortifications who were under siege. In fact, after passing

a decree the Athenians in Athens manned a large number

of ships and, in the fifth month, brought back from Aegina

their men from the fortifications. After this they were once

again troubled by raiders and by the activities of Gorgopas.

They manned thirteen triremes against him and chose Eunomus

as admiral to command them.

6 After Hierax had arrived at Rhodes the Spartans sent out

Antalcidas as admiral. This was a step which, in their view,

would have the additional advantage of giving very great

pleasure to Tiribazus. When he arrived at Aegina Antalcidas

took with him the fleet of Gorgopas and sailed to Ephesus.

He then sent Gorgopas and his twelve ships back to Aegina,

and put Nicolochus, his vice-admiral, in command of the

rest. Nicolochus set out for Abydus, wishing to help the

people there, but turned aside to Tenedos where he laid the

country waste and raised money.

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