pointed than he set about getting
his vessels manned with the utmost activity, putting pressure on the
trierarchs. He further procured from the Athenians for his use not
only any vessels cruising on the coast of Attica, but the Paralus and
Salaminia (9) also, remarking that, if things turned out well yonder,
he would soon send them back plenty of ships. Thus his numbers grew to
something like seventy sail.

(6) The name of the general was Ctesicles, according to Diod. xv. 47.
Read {strategon} for {tagon}, with Breitenbach, Cobet, etc. For
Alcetas, see above, "Hell." VI. i. 7.

(7) I.e. by show of hands, {ekheirotonoun}.

(8) See Jowett, note to Thuc. VIII. xcv. 2, ii. p. 525.

(9) The two sacred galleys. See Thuc. iii. 33; Aristoph. "Birds," 147
foll.

Meanwhile the Corcyraeans were sore beset with famine: desertion became
every day more frequent, so much so that Mnasippus caused proclamation
to be made by herald that all deserters would be sold there and then;
(10) and when that had no effect in lessening the stream of runaways,
he ended by driving them back with the lash. Those within the walls,
however, were not disposed to receive these miserable slaves within
the lines, and numbers died outside. Mnasippus, not blind to what was
happening, soon persuaded himself that he had as good as got the city
into his possession: and he began to try experiments on his mercenaries.
Some of them he had already paid off; (11) others still in his service
had as much as two months' pay owing to them by the general, who, if
report spoke true, had no lack of money, since the majority of the
states, not caring for a campaign across the seas, sent him hard cash
instead of men. But now the beleaguered citizens, who could espy
from their towers that the outposts were less carefully guarded than
formerly, and the men scattered about the rural districts, made a
sortie, capturing some and cutting down others. Mnasippus, perceiving
the attack, donned his armour, and, with all the heavy troops he had,
rushed to the rescue, giving orders to the captains and brigadiers (12)
to lead out the mercenaries. Some of the captains answered that it
was not so easy to command obedience when the necessaries of life were
lacking; whereat the Spartan struck one man with his staff, and another
with the butt of his spear. Without spirit and full of resentment
against their general, the men mustered--a condition very unfavourable
to succes