History of the Peloponnesian War

And Gylippus bade the Corinthians send to him at once at Asine[*](Probably the harbour in Messenia (4.13.1).) two ships, and to equip all the rest they intended to send, and to be ready to sail whenever opportunity offered.

Having made these arrangements the envoys left Lacedaemon and set out for home. At this time also there arrived at Athens from Sicily the trireme that had been sent by the generals for money and cavalry. And the Athenians, hearing their request, voted to send to the army both the supplies and the cavalry. And the winter ended, and with it the seventeenth year of this war of which Thucydides wrote the history.

At the very beginning of the following[*](414 B.C.) spring, the Athenians in Sicily set out from Catana and proceeded along the coast toward Megara, from which, as has been stated before,[*](cf. 6.4.2.) the Syracusans in the time of the tyrant Gelon had expelled the inhabitants, holding their territory themselves. Here they landed and ravaged

the fields; then, attacking a stronghold of the Syracusans without success, they went back again along the coast with both land-force and fleet to the river Terias, and going inland ravaged the plain and set fire to the grain. Meeting with a small force of Syracusans, they killed some of them and after setting up a trophy withdrew to their ships. Having sailed back then to Catana and supplied themselves with provisions from there, they advanced with their whole army to Centoripa,[*](Now Centorbi, twenty-seven miles north-west from Catana and near Mt. Aetna.) a

Sicel town; and when they had brought it over by capitulation they returned, burning at the same time the grain of the Inessians[*](The site of Inessa is doubtful (cf. 3.103.1).)

and Hyblaeans.[*](Hybla Gelcatis (6.62.5).) On their arrival at Catana they found that the horsemen had come from Athens, two hundred and fifty in number—with accoutrements but without the horses, for it was expected that horses would be procured in Sicily—as well as thirty mounted archers and three hundred talents[*](£60,000, $291,600.) of silver.

During the same summer the Lacedaemonians, making an expedition to Argos, got as far as Cleonae, but when an earthquake occurred they retired. After this the Argives invaded the Thyreatis, which lies on their borders, and took much booty from the Lacedaemonians, which was sold for not less than twenty-five talents.[*](£5,000, $24,300.)