their rest simultaneously, or if they depended on oars he gave his
mariners repose by turns. During the voyage in daytime he would at
one time signal to "sail in column," and at another signal "abreast in
line." So that whilst they prosecuted the voyage they at the same time
became (both as to theory and practice) well versed in all the details
of an engagement before they reached the open sea--a sea, as they
imagined, occupied by their foes. For the most part they breakfasted
and dined on hostile territory; but as he confined himself to bare
necessaries he was always too quick for the enemy. Before the hostile
reinforcement would come up he had finished his business and was out to
sea again.

At the date of Mnasippus's death he chanced to be off Sphagiae in
Laconian territory. Reaching Elis, and coasting past the mouth of the
Alpheus, he came to moorings under Cape Ichthus, (15) as it is called.
The next day he put out from that port for Cephallenia, so drawing up
his line and conducting the voyage that he might be prepared in every
detail to engage if necessary. The tale about Mnasippus and his demise
had reached him, but he had not heard it from an eye-witness, and
suspected that it might have been invented to deceive him and throw him
off his guard. He was therefore on the look-out. It was, in fact, only
on arrival in Cephallenia that he learned the news in an explicit form,
and gave his troops rest.

(15) Cape Fish, mod. Cape Katakolon, protecting harbour of Pyrgos in
Elis.

I am well aware that all these details of practice and manouvring are
customary in anticipation of a sea-fight, but what I single out for
praise in the case before us is the skill with which the Athenian
admiral attained a twofold object. Bearing in mind that it was his duty
to reach a certain point at which he expected to fight a naval battle
without delay, it was a happy discovery on his part not to allow
tactical skill, on the one hand, to be sacrificed to the pace of
sailing, (16) nor, on the other, the need of training to interfere with
the date of arrival.

(16) Lit. "the voyage."

After reducing the towns of Cephallenia, Iphicrates sailed to Corcyra.
There the first news he heard was that the triremes sent by Dionysius
were expected to relieve the Lacedaemonians. On receipt of this
information he set off in person and surveyed the country, in order
to find a spot from which it would be possible to see the vessels
approachin