they now fought with
less vigour, became more confident. They could see with their own eyes
that they were many times more numerous than the enemy; they were now
more familiar with his aspect and found him less terrible, the result
not having justified the apprehensions which they had suffered,
when they first landed in slavish dismay at the idea of attacking
Lacedaemonians; and accordingly their fear changing to disdain, they
now rushed all together with loud shouts upon them, and pelted them with
stones, darts, and arrows, whichever came first to hand. The shouting
accompanying their onset confounded the Lacedaemonians, unaccustomed to
this mode of fighting; dust rose from the newly burnt wood, and it was
impossible to see in front of one with the arrows and stones flying
through clouds of dust from the hands of numerous assailants. The
Lacedaemonians had now to sustain a rude conflict; their caps would not
keep out the arrows, darts had broken off in the armour of the wounded,
while they themselves were helpless for offence, being prevented from
using their eyes to see what was before them, and unable to hear the
words of command for the hubbub raised by the enemy; danger encompassed
them on every side, and there was no hope of any means of defence or
safety.

At last, after many had been already wounded in the confined space in
which they were fighting, they formed in close order and retired on
the fort at the end of the island, which was not far off, and to their
friends who held it. The moment they gave way, the light troops became
bolder and pressed upon them, shouting louder than ever, and killed
as many as they came up with in their retreat, but most of the
Lacedaemonians made good their escape to the fort, and with the garrison
in it ranged themselves all along its whole extent to repulse the enemy
wherever it was assailable. The Athenians pursuing, unable to surround
and hem them in, owing to the strength of the ground, attacked them in
front and tried to storm the position. For a long time, indeed for most
of the day, both sides held out against all the torments of the battle,
thirst, and sun, the one endeavouring to drive the enemy from the high
ground, the other to maintain himself upon it, it being now more easy
for the Lacedaemonians to defend themselves than before, as they could
not be surrounded on the flanks.

The struggle began to seem endless, when the commander of the Messenians
came to Cleon an