as accordingly
denounced at Lacedaemon by Pedaritus as a traitor. Such was the state of
the Athenian affairs at Chios; while their fleet at Samos kept sailing
out against the enemy in Miletus, until they found that he would not
accept their challenge, and then retired again to Samos and remained
quiet.

In the same winter the twenty-seven ships equipped by the Lacedaemonians
for Pharnabazus through the agency of the Megarian Calligeitus, and the
Cyzicene Timagoras, put out from Peloponnese and sailed for Ionia about
the time of the solstice, under the command of Antisthenes, a Spartan.
With them the Lacedaemonians also sent eleven Spartans as advisers to
Astyochus; Lichas, son of Arcesilaus, being among the number. Arrived at
Miletus, their orders were to aid in generally superintending the good
conduct of the war; to send off the above ships or a greater or less
number to the Hellespont to Pharnabazus, if they thought proper,
appointing Clearchus, son of Ramphias, who sailed with them, to the
command; and further, if they thought proper, to make Antisthenes
admiral, dismissing Astyochus, whom the letters of Pedaritus had caused
to be regarded with suspicion. Sailing accordingly from Malea across
the open sea, the squadron touched at Melos and there fell in with ten
Athenian ships, three of which they took empty and burned. After this,
being afraid that the Athenian vessels escaped from Melos might, as
they in fact did, give information of their approach to the Athenians at
Samos, they sailed to Crete, and having lengthened their voyage by
way of precaution made land at Caunus in Asia, from whence considering
themselves in safety they sent a message to the fleet at Miletus for a
convoy along the coast.

Meanwhile the Chians and Pedaritus, undeterred by the backwardness of
Astyochus, went on sending messengers pressing him to come with all
the fleet to assist them against their besiegers, and not to leave the
greatest of the allied states in Ionia to be shut up by sea and overrun
and pillaged by land. There were more slaves at Chios than in any one
other city except Lacedaemon, and being also by reason of their numbers
punished more rigorously when they offended, most of them, when they saw
the Athenian armament firmly established in the island with a fortified
position, immediately deserted to the enemy, and through their knowledge
of the country did the greatest mischief. The Chians therefore urged
upon Astyochus tha