gh the former were chiefly famous at the
time as an inland people and superior by land, the latter as a maritime
people with a navy that had no equal.

After continuing their attacks during that day and most of the next, the
Peloponnesians desisted, and the day after sent some of their ships to
Asine for timber to make engines, hoping to take by their aid, in spite
of its height, the wall opposite the harbour, where the landing was
easiest. At this moment the Athenian fleet from Zacynthus arrived, now
numbering fifty sail, having been reinforced by some of the ships on
guard at Naupactus and by four Chian vessels. Seeing the coast and
the island both crowded with heavy infantry, and the hostile ships in
harbour showing no signs of sailing out, at a loss where to anchor, they
sailed for the moment to the desert island of Prote, not far off, where
they passed the night. The next day they got under way in readiness to
engage in the open sea if the enemy chose to put out to meet them, being
determined in the event of his not doing so to sail in and attack him.
The Lacedaemonians did not put out to sea, and having omitted to close
the inlets as they had intended, remained quiet on shore, engaged in
manning their ships and getting ready, in the case of any one sailing
in, to fight in the harbour, which is a fairly large one.

Perceiving this, the Athenians advanced against them by each inlet, and
falling on the enemy's fleet, most of which was by this time afloat and
in line, at once put it to flight, and giving chase as far as the short
distance allowed, disabled a good many vessels and took five, one with
its crew on board; dashing in at the rest that had taken refuge on
shore, and battering some that were still being manned, before they
could put out, and lashing on to their own ships and towing off empty
others whose crews had fled. At this sight the Lacedaemonians, maddened
by a disaster which cut off their men on the island, rushed to the
rescue, and going into the sea with their heavy armour, laid hold of
the ships and tried to drag them back, each man thinking that success
depended on his individual exertions. Great was the melee, and quite
in contradiction to the naval tactics usual to the two combatants; the
Lacedaemonians in their excitement and dismay being actually engaged in
a sea-fight on land, while the victorious Athenians, in their eagerness
to push their success as far as possible, were carrying on a land-f