History of the Peloponnesian War

for there was only one spring, high up on the acropolis of Pylos, and a small one at that, and the soldiers for the most part scraped away the shingle upon the beach and drank water such as one might expect to find there.

And there was scant room for them, encamping as they did in a small space, and since there was no anchorage for the ships,[*](The reference is to the ships which kept up a patrol round the island. There was no anchorage near the shore on the seaward side (4.8.8), so at meal-times the crews of one part of the fleet would make a landing somewhere and eat, while the other part would be out at sea on guard.) the crews would take their food on land by turns, while the rest of the fleet lay at anchor out at sea.

Very great discouragement, too, was caused by the surprisingly long duration of the siege, whereas they had expected to reduce the enemy in a few days, since they were on a desert island and had only brackish water to drink.

But the cause of their holding out was that the Lacedaemonians had called for volunteers to convey to the island ground corn and wine and cheese and other food such as might be serviceable in a siege, fixing a high price and also promising freedom to any Helot who should get food in. Many took the risk, especially the Helots, and actually brought it in, putting out from any and every point in the Peloponnesus and coming to shore during the night on the side of the island facing the sea.

If possible they waited for a wind to bear them to the shore;