History of the Peloponnesian War

Afterwards, however, they prepared a fleet to send to Lesbos, and gave orders to the different states for ships to the number of forty, and appointed Alcidas, [*]( I am far from certain what is the exact force of this clause, but think it may possibly refer to the fact of Alcidas having been fixed upon to command this expedition before the office of high-admiral was conferred upon him; and that his subsequent appointment to that office is also referred to, c. 26. 1, τὰς ... ναῦς ἀπέστειλαν ἄρχοντα ʼαλκίδαν, ὅς ἦν αὐτοῖς ναύαρχος, προστάξαντες: in which case προστάξαντες would be far from being superfluous, as it has generally been supposed. If, however, this interpretation be thought fanciful, the ἔμελλεν must simply mean that he was to conduct the expedition in his capacity as admiral.) who was to conduct the expedition, their high-admiral.

The Athenians, too, returned with their hundred ships, when they saw that the Lacedaemonians had done so.