t an offensive alliance. It did not involve a breach of the
treaty with Peloponnese: Athens could not be required to join Corcyra in
any attack upon Corinth. But each of the contracting parties had a right
to the other's assistance against invasion, whether of his own territory
or that of an ally. For it began now to be felt that the coming of the
Peloponnesian war was only a question of time, and no one was willing
to see a naval power of such magnitude as Corcyra sacrificed to Corinth;
though if they could let them weaken each other by mutual conflict, it
would be no bad preparation for the struggle which Athens might one day
have to wage with Corinth and the other naval powers. At the same time
the island seemed to lie conveniently on the coasting passage to Italy
and Sicily. With these views, Athens received Corcyra into alliance and,
on the departure of the Corinthians not long afterwards, sent ten ships
to their assistance. They were commanded by Lacedaemonius, the son
of Cimon, Diotimus, the son of Strombichus, and Proteas, the son of
Epicles. Their instructions were to avoid collision with the Corinthian
fleet except under certain circumstances. If it sailed to Corcyra and
threatened a landing on her coast, or in any of her possessions, they
were to do their utmost to prevent it. These instructions were prompted
by an anxiety to avoid a breach of the treaty.

Meanwhile the Corinthians completed their preparations, and sailed for
Corcyra with a hundred and fifty ships. Of these Elis furnished ten,
Megara twelve, Leucas ten, Ambracia twenty-seven, Anactorium one, and
Corinth herself ninety. Each of these contingents had its own admiral,
the Corinthian being under the command of Xenoclides, son of Euthycles,
with four colleagues. Sailing from Leucas, they made land at the part
of the continent opposite Corcyra. They anchored in the harbour of
Chimerium, in the territory of Thesprotis, above which, at some distance
from the sea, lies the city of Ephyre, in the Elean district. By this
city the Acherusian lake pours its waters into the sea. It gets its name
from the river Acheron, which flows through Thesprotis and falls into
the lake. There also the river Thyamis flows, forming the boundary
between Thesprotis and Kestrine; and between these rivers rises the
point of Chimerium. In this part of the continent the Corinthians now
came to anchor, and formed an encampment. When the Corcyraeans saw them
coming, they manned a