History of the Peloponnesian War

For it served them as a port of call for merchant ships from Egypt and Libya, and, moreover, pirates would be less likely to annoy Laconia from the sea,[*](ie. if Cythera were well guarded.) on which side alone it could be harmed; for the whole coast runs out towards the Sicilian and the Cretan seas.[*](Others take πᾶσα of the island, which forms as it were a bastion “running out into the Sicilian and Cretan seas.”)

So then the Athenians, putting in at Cythera with their armament, consisting of ten ships and two thousand Milesian hoplites,[*](An incredibly large number. In 8.25.2, where they are in their own land, the Milesians can oppose to the enemy only 800 hoplites. Nor would ten ships suffice for so many epibatae. Perhaps there is a confusion in the numerical sign, due to a copyist.) took the city by the sea called Scandeia[*](The heaven of Cythera, some ten stadia distant from that city.); then, with the rest of their forces landing on the part of the island which looks toward Malea, they advanced against the city of Cythera which is away from the sea,[*](It seems necessary to adopt Stahl's conjecture ἀπὸ θαλάσσης, or deleted ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ. “One division of the Athenian force landed at Scandeia, another, disembarking on the N.E coast, marched on the capital. The second force found the Cytherians prepared to meet them; in the battle which ensued the Cytherians were routed, and fled to the upper city, ie. the capital. This explanation is borne out by existing remains. See Frazer's Pausanias, iii. 385, 386; also Weil in Mittheil. d. Arch. Inst. in Athen. v. 224-243.” (Spratt.)) where they found that all the inhabitants had immediately established themselves in camp.

A fight ensued, in which the Cytherians stood their ground for some little time, then turned and fled to the upper town, but afterwards capitulated to Nicias and his colleagues, agreeing to leave the question of their own fate, except as to a penalty of death, to the arbitration of the Athenians.