st but one of the whole number was left;
and he returned alone to Phaleron.

86. Thus the Athenians report that it came to pass: but the Eginetans
say that it was not with a single ship that the Athenians came; for
a single ship, and even a few more than one, they could have easily
repelled, even if they had not happened to have ships of their own: but
they say that the Athenians sailed upon their country with a large fleet
of ships, and they gave way before them and did not fight a sea-battle.
They cannot however declare with certainty whether they gave way thus
because they admitted that they were not strong enough to fight the
battle by sea, or because they intended to do something of the kind
which they actually did. The Athenians then, they say, as no one met
them in fight, landed from their ships and made for the images; but
not being able to tear them up from their pedestals, at last they threw
ropes round them and began to pull, until the images, as they were being
pulled, did both the same thing (and here they report something which
I cannot believe, but some other man may), for they say that the images
fell upon their knees to them and that they continue to be in that
position ever since this time. The Athenians, they say, were doing thus;
and meanwhile they themselves (say the Eginetans), being informed that
the Athenians were about to make an expedition against them, got the
Argives to help them; and just when the Athenians had disembarked upon
the Eginetan land, the Argives had come to their rescue, and not having
been perceived when they passed over from Epidauros to the island, they
fell upon the Athenians before these had heard anything of the matter,
cutting them off secretly from the way to their ships; and at this
moment it was that the thunder and the earthquake came upon them.

87. This is the report which is given by the Argives and Eginetans both,
and it is admitted by the Athenians also that but one alone of them
survived and came back to Attica: only the Argives say that this one
remained alive from destruction wrought by them upon the army of
Athens, while the Athenians say that the divine power was the destroyer.
However, even this one man did not remain alive, but perished, they say,
in the following manner:--when he returned to Athens he reported the
calamity which had happened; and the wives of the men who had gone on
the expedition to Egina, hearing it and being very indignant that he
alo