y were to cross to Sicily. The ship he destroyed, but the men
escaped, and subsequently got another in which they pursued their
voyage. After this, arriving at Zacynthus and Cephallenia, he took a
body of heavy infantry on board, and sending for some of the Messenians
from Naupactus, crossed over to the opposite coast of Acarnania, to
Alyzia, and to Anactorium which was held by the Athenians. While he was
in these parts he was met by Eurymedon returning from Sicily, where he
had been sent, as has been mentioned, during the winter, with the money
for the army, who told him the news, and also that he had heard, while
at sea, that the Syracusans had taken Plemmyrium. Here, also, Conon
came to them, the commander at Naupactus, with news that the twenty-five
Corinthian ships stationed opposite to him, far from giving over the
war, were meditating an engagement; and he therefore begged them to send
him some ships, as his own eighteen were not a match for the enemy's
twenty-five. Demosthenes and Eurymedon, accordingly, sent ten of their
best sailers with Conon to reinforce the squadron at Naupactus, and
meanwhile prepared for the muster of their forces; Eurymedon, who was
now the colleague of Demosthenes, and had turned back in consequence of
his appointment, sailing to Corcyra to tell them to man fifteen ships
and to enlist heavy infantry; while Demosthenes raised slingers and
darters from the parts about Acarnania.

Meanwhile the envoys, already mentioned, who had gone from Syracuse
to the cities after the capture of Plemmyrium, had succeeded in their
mission, and were about to bring the army that they had collected, when
Nicias got scent of it, and sent to the Centoripae and Alicyaeans and
other of the friendly Sicels, who held the passes, not to let the enemy
through, but to combine to prevent their passing, there being no other
way by which they could even attempt it, as the Agrigentines would not
give them a passage through their country. Agreeably to this request the
Sicels laid a triple ambuscade for the Siceliots upon their march,
and attacking them suddenly, while off their guard, killed about eight
hundred of them and all the envoys, the Corinthian only excepted, by
whom fifteen hundred who escaped were conducted to Syracuse.

About the same time the Camarinaeans also came to the assistance of
Syracuse with five hundred heavy infantry, three hundred darters, and as
many archers, while the Geloans sent crews for five