ard
that the exiles had crossed over, and coming too late to save Eresus,
went on and anchored before the town. Here they were joined also by two
vessels on their way home from the Hellespont, and by the ships of the
Methymnians, making a grand total of sixty-seven vessels; and the forces
on board now made ready with engines and every other means available to
do their utmost to storm Eresus.

In the meantime Mindarus and the Peloponnesian fleet at Chios, after
taking provisions for two days and receiving three Chian pieces of money
for each man from the Chians, on the third day put out in haste from the
island; in order to avoid falling in with the ships at Eresus, they did
not make for the open sea, but keeping Lesbos on their left, sailed for
the continent. After touching at the port of Carteria, in the Phocaeid,
and dining, they went on along the Cumaean coast and supped at
Arginusae, on the continent over against Mitylene. From thence they
continued their voyage along the coast, although it was late in the
night, and arriving at Harmatus on the continent opposite Methymna,
dined there; and swiftly passing Lectum, Larisa, Hamaxitus, and the
neighbouring towns, arrived a little before midnight at Rhoeteum. Here
they were now in the Hellespont. Some of the ships also put in at Sigeum
and at other places in the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile the warnings of the fire signals and the sudden increase in
the number of fires on the enemy's shore informed the eighteen Athenian
ships at Sestos of the approach of the Peloponnesian fleet. That very
night they set sail in haste just as they were, and, hugging the shore
of the Chersonese, coasted along to Elaeus, in order to sail out into
the open sea away from the fleet of the enemy.

After passing unobserved the sixteen ships at Abydos, which had
nevertheless been warned by their approaching friends to be on the
alert to prevent their sailing out, at dawn they sighted the fleet of
Mindarus, which immediately gave chase. All had not time to get away;
the greater number however escaped to Imbros and Lemnos, while four
of the hindmost were overtaken off Elaeus. One of these was stranded
opposite to the temple of Protesilaus and taken with its crew, two
others without their crews; the fourth was abandoned on the shore of
Imbros and burned by the enemy.

After this the Peloponnesians were joined by the squadron from Abydos,
which made up their fleet to a grand total of eighty-six vess