History of the Peloponnesian War

they departed. On their retreat, however, the allies, who were in the rear of the Athenians, were attacked by the Syracusan garrison of the fort, who fell upon them and put to flight part of the army, killing not a few

of them. After this Laches and the Athenians took the fleet and made several descents upon Locris; and at the river Caicinus they defeated in battle about three hundred Locrians who came out against them, under the command of Proxenus son of Capato, took the arms of the fallen, and returned to Rhegium.

During the same winter the Athenians purified Delos in compliance with a certain oracle. It had been purified before by Peisistratus the tyrant,[*](First tyranny 560 B.C.; death 527 B.C.) not indeed the whole of the island but that portion of it which was visible from the temple; but at this time the whole of it was purified, and in the following manner.

All the sepulchres of the dead that were in Delos they removed, and proclaimed that thereafter no one should either die or give birth to a child on the island, but should first be carried over to Rheneia. For Rheneia is so short a distance from Delos that Polycrates the tyrant of Samos, who for some time was powerful on the sea and not only gained control of the other islands[*](The Cyclades.) but also seized Rheneia, dedicated this island to the Delian Apollo, and bound it with a chain to Delos.[*](“As a symbolical expression of indissoluble union” (Curtius).) It was at this time, after the purification, that the Athenians first celebrated their penteteric[*](ie. celebrated every fifth year.) festival in Delos.