and
killed Chalcideus the Lacedaemonian commander, who had come with a
few men against them, and the third day after sailed over and set up
a trophy, which, as they were not masters of the country, was however
pulled down by the Milesians. Meanwhile Leon and Diomedon with the
Athenian fleet from Lesbos issuing from the Oenussae, the isles off
Chios, and from their forts of Sidussa and Pteleum in the Erythraeid,
and from Lesbos, carried on the war against the Chians from the ships,
having on board heavy infantry from the rolls pressed to serve as
marines. Landing in Cardamyle and in Bolissus they defeated with heavy
loss the Chians that took the field against them and, laying desolate
the places in that neighbourhood, defeated the Chians again in another
battle at Phanae, and in a third at Leuconium. After this the Chians
ceased to meet them in the field, while the Athenians devastated the
country, which was beautifully stocked and had remained uninjured ever
since the Median wars. Indeed, after the Lacedaemonians, the Chians are
the only people that I have known who knew how to be wise in prosperity,
and who ordered their city the more securely the greater it grew. Nor
was this revolt, in which they might seem to have erred on the side of
rashness, ventured upon until they had numerous and gallant allies to
share the danger with them, and until they perceived the Athenians
after the Sicilian disaster themselves no longer denying the thoroughly
desperate state of their affairs. And if they were thrown out by one
of the surprises which upset human calculations, they found out their
mistake in company with many others who believed, like them, in the
speedy collapse of the Athenian power. While they were thus blockaded
from the sea and plundered by land, some of the citizens undertook to
bring the city over to the Athenians. Apprised of this the authorities
took no action themselves, but brought Astyochus, the admiral, from
Erythrae, with four ships that he had with him, and considered how they
could most quietly, either by taking hostages or by some other means,
put an end to the conspiracy.

While the Chians were thus engaged, a thousand Athenian heavy infantry
and fifteen hundred Argives (five hundred of whom were light troops
furnished with armour by the Athenians), and one thousand of the allies,
towards the close of the same summer sailed from Athens in forty-eight
ships, some of which were transports, under the comma