inst Cythera, under the command of Nicias, son of Niceratus,
Nicostratus, son of Diotrephes, and Autocles, son of Tolmaeus. Cythera
is an island lying off Laconia, opposite Malea; the inhabitants are
Lacedaemonians of the class of the Perioeci; and an officer called the
judge of Cythera went over to the place annually from Sparta. A garrison
of heavy infantry was also regularly sent there, and great attention
paid to the island, as it was the landing-place for the merchantmen from
Egypt and Libya, and at the same time secured Laconia from the attacks
of privateers from the sea, at the only point where it is assailable, as
the whole coast rises abruptly towards the Sicilian and Cretan seas.

Coming to land here with their armament, the Athenians with ten ships
and two thousand Milesian heavy infantry took the town of Scandea, on
the sea; and with the rest of their forces landing on the side of the
island looking towards Malea, went against the lower town of Cythera,
where they found all the inhabitants encamped. A battle ensuing, the
Cytherians held their ground for some little while, and then turned
and fled into the upper town, where they soon afterwards capitulated to
Nicias and his colleagues, agreeing to leave their fate to the decision
of the Athenians, their lives only being safe. A correspondence had
previously been going on between Nicias and certain of the inhabitants,
which caused the surrender to be effected more speedily, and upon terms
more advantageous, present and future, for the Cytherians; who would
otherwise have been expelled by the Athenians on account of their being
Lacedaemonians and their island being so near to Laconia. After the
capitulation, the Athenians occupied the town of Scandea near the
harbour, and appointing a garrison for Cythera, sailed to Asine, Helus,
and most of the places on the sea, and making descents and passing the
night on shore at such spots as were convenient, continued ravaging the
country for about seven days.

The Lacedaemonians seeing the Athenians masters of Cythera, and
expecting descents of the kind upon their coasts, nowhere opposed
them in force, but sent garrisons here and there through the country,
consisting of as many heavy infantry as the points menaced seemed to
require, and generally stood very much upon the defensive. After the
severe and unexpected blow that had befallen them in the island, the
occupation of Pylos and Cythera, and the apparition on every s