he retired to the Chersonese. Lysander, at the same time, was superseded
in the command of the Lacedaemonians by Callicratidas, in accordance with
Spartan custom, his term being expired.

(M565) Callicratidas was not welcomed by Cyrus, and he was also left
without funds by Lysander, who returned to the Persians the sums he had
received. This conduct so much enraged the Spartan admiral that he sailed
with his whole fleet--the largest which had been assembled during the war,
one hundred and forty triremes, of which only ten were Lacedaemonian--the
rest being furnished by allies--to Lesbos, and liberated the Athenian
captives and garrison at Methymna, and seemed animated by that old
Panhellenic patriotism which had united the Greeks half a century before
against the Persian invaders, declaring that not a single Greek should be
reduced to slavery if he could help it. But while he was thus actuated by
these noble sentiments, he also prosecuted the war of his country, which
had been intrusted to him to conduct. He blocked up the Athenian fleet at
Mitylene, which had no provisions to sustain a siege. The Athenians now
made prodigious efforts to relieve Conon, and one hundred and ten triremes
were sent from the Piraeus, and sailed to Samos. Callicratidas, apprised of
the approach of the large fleet, went out to meet it. At Arginusae was
fought a great battle, in which the Spartan admiral was killed, and his
forces completely defeated. Sixty-nine Lacedaemonian ships were destroyed;
the Athenians lost twenty-five, a severe loss to Greece, since, if
Callicratidas had gained the victory, he would, according to Grote, have
closed the Peloponnesian war, and united the Greeks once more against
Persia.

The battle of Arginusae now gave the Athenians the control of the Asiatic
seas, and so discouraged were the Lacedaemonians, that they were induced to
make proposals of peace. This is doubted, indeed, by Grote, since no
positive results accrued to Athens.

(M566) The Chians and other allies of Sparta, in conjunction with Cyrus,
now sent envoys to the ephors, to request the restoration of Lysander to
the command of the fleet. They acceded to the request substantially, and
Lysander reached Ephesus, B.C. 405, to renovate the Lacedaemonian power and
turn the fortunes of war.

(M567) The victorious Athenian fleet was now at AEgospotami, in the
Hellespont, opposite Lampsacus, having been inactive for nearly a year.
There the fleet was exp