or Tissaphernes
showed any signs of appearing, and Philip, who had been sent with him,
and another Spartan, Hippocrates, who was at Phaselis, wrote word to
Mindarus, the admiral, that the ships were not coming at all, and that
they were being grossly abused by Tissaphernes. Meanwhile Pharnabazus
was inviting them to come, and making every effort to get the fleet and,
like Tissaphernes, to cause the revolt of the cities in his government
still subject to Athens, founding great hopes on his success; until at
length, at about the period of the summer which we have now reached,
Mindarus yielded to his importunities, and, with great order and at a
moment's notice, in order to elude the enemy at Samos, weighed anchor
with seventy-three ships from Miletus and set sail for the Hellespont.
Thither sixteen vessels had already preceded him in the same summer, and
had overrun part of the Chersonese. Being caught in a storm, Mindarus
was compelled to run in to Icarus and, after being detained five or six
days there by stress of weather, arrived at Chios.

Meanwhile Thrasyllus had heard of his having put out from Miletus,
and immediately set sail with fifty-five ships from Samos, in haste to
arrive before him in the Hellespont. But learning that he was at Chios,
and expecting that he would stay there, he posted scouts in Lesbos
and on the continent opposite to prevent the fleet moving without his
knowing it, and himself coasted along to Methymna, and gave orders to
prepare meal and other necessaries, in order to attack them from
Lesbos in the event of their remaining for any length of time at Chios.
Meanwhile he resolved to sail against Eresus, a town in Lesbos which
had revolted, and, if he could, to take it. For some of the principal
Methymnian exiles had carried over about fifty heavy infantry, their
sworn associates, from Cuma, and hiring others from the continent, so as
to make up three hundred in all, chose Anaxander, a Theban, to command
them, on account of the community of blood existing between the Thebans
and the Lesbians, and first attacked Methymna. Balked in this attempt by
the advance of the Athenian guards from Mitylene, and repulsed a second
time in a battle outside the city, they then crossed the mountain and
effected the revolt of Eresus. Thrasyllus accordingly determined to go
there with all his ships and to attack the place. Meanwhile Thrasybulus
had preceded him thither with five ships from Samos, as soon as he he