y with the suppliants and their friends,
in order to save the town; and prevailed upon some of them to go on
board the ships, of which they still manned thirty, against the expected
attack. But the Peloponnesians after ravaging the country until midday
sailed away, and towards nightfall were informed by beacon signals of
the approach of sixty Athenian vessels from Leucas, under the command of
Eurymedon, son of Thucles; which had been sent off by the Athenians upon
the news of the revolution and of the fleet with Alcidas being about to
sail for Corcyra.

The Peloponnesians accordingly at once set off in haste by night for
home, coasting along shore; and hauling their ships across the Isthmus
of Leucas, in order not to be seen doubling it, so departed. The
Corcyraeans, made aware of the approach of the Athenian fleet and of the
departure of the enemy, brought the Messenians from outside the walls
into the town, and ordered the fleet which they had manned to sail round
into the Hyllaic harbour; and while it was so doing, slew such of their
enemies as they laid hands on, dispatching afterwards, as they landed
them, those whom they had persuaded to go on board the ships. Next they
went to the sanctuary of Hera and persuaded about fifty men to take
their trial, and condemned them all to death. The mass of the suppliants
who had refused to do so, on seeing what was taking place, slew each
other there in the consecrated ground; while some hanged themselves upon
the trees, and others destroyed themselves as they were severally
able. During seven days that Eurymedon stayed with his sixty ships, the
Corcyraeans were engaged in butchering those of their fellow citizens
whom they regarded as their enemies: and although the crime imputed was
that of attempting to put down the democracy, some were slain also for
private hatred, others by their debtors because of the moneys owed to
them. Death thus raged in every shape; and, as usually happens at such
times, there was no length to which violence did not go; sons were
killed by their fathers, and suppliants dragged from the altar or slain
upon it; while some were even walled up in the temple of Dionysus and
died there.

So bloody was the march of the revolution, and the impression which it
made was the greater as it was one of the first to occur. Later on, one
may say, the whole Hellenic world was convulsed; struggles being every,
where made by the popular chiefs to bring in the Atheni