History of the Peloponnesian War

And the weightiest testimony to the truth of what we say was afforded by the enemy himself; for when his fleet was defeated, as if aware that his power was no longer a match for that of the Hellenes, he hastily withdrew with the greater part of his army.

"Such, then, was the issue of that battle, and clear proof was given thereby that the salvation of the Hellenes depended upon their ships. To that issue we contributed the three most serviceable elements, namely, the largest number of ships, the shrewdest general, and the most unfaltering zeal. Of the four hundred[*](Probably a round number for 378 given by Hdt. 8.48, of which the Athenian contingent (200, i.e. 180 + 20 lent to the Chalcidians, 8.1) could be spokean of as πλείους τῶν ἡμισέων or with slight exaggeration as ἐλάσσους τῶν δύο μοιρῶν.) ships our quota was a little less than two-thirds. The commander was Themistocles, who more than any other was responsible for our fighting the battle in the strait, which most surely was our salvation; and on this account you yourselves honoured him above any stranger who ever visited you.[*](See Hdt. 8.124; Plut. Them. 17.3)