History of the Peloponnesian War

Astyochus, therefore, desiring to outgo the report of his coming, went as he was to Syme, hoping to find those galleys out from the shore. But [a shower of] rain, together with the cloudiness of the sky, made his galleys to miss their course in the dark and disordered them.

The next morning, the fleet being scattered, the left wing was manifestly described by the Athenians, whilst the rest wandered yet about the island. And thereupon Charminus and the Athenians put forth against them with twenty galleys, supposing they had been the same galleys they were watching for from Caunus;

and presently charging, sunk three of them and hurt others, and were superior in the fight till such time as, contrary to their expectation, the greater part of the fleet came in sight and enclosed them about.

They then betook themselves to flight; and with the loss of six galleys the rest escaped into the island of Teuglussa, and from thence to Halicarnassus. After this the Peloponnesians, putting in at Cnidus and joining with those seven-and-twenty galleys that came from Caunus, went all together to Syme, and having there erected a trophy, returned again and lay at Cnidus.

The Athenians, when they understood what had passed in this battle, went from Samos with their whole navy to Syme. But neither went they out against the navy in Cnidus, nor the navy there against them. Whereupon they took up the furniture of their galleys at Syme, and assaulted Loryma, a town in the continent, and so returned to Samos. The whole navy of the Peloponnesians, being at Cnidus, was [now] in repairing and refurnishing with such things as it wanted;

and withal those eleven Lacedaemonians conferred with Tissaphernes (for he also was present) touching such things as they disliked in the articles before agreed on, and concerning the war, how it might be carried for the future in the best and most advantageous manner for them both.

But Lichas was he that considered the business more nearly, and said that neither the first league nor yet the later by Theramenes was made as it ought to have been; and that it would be a very hard condition that whatsoever territories the king and his ancestors possessed before he should possess the same now; for so he might bring again into subjection all the islands, and the sea, and the Locrians, and all as far as Boeotia; and the Lacedaemonians, instead of restoring the Grecians into liberty, should put them into subjection to the rule of the Medes.

Therefore he required other and better articles to be drawn, and not to stand to these; as for pay, in the new articles they would require none. But Tissaphernes, chafing at this, went his way in choler, and nothing was done.

The Peloponnesians, solicited by messengers from the great men of Rhodes, resolved to go thither, because they hoped it would not prove impossible with their number of seamen and army of land soldiers to bring that island into their power; and withal supposed themselves able, with their present confederates, to maintain their fleet without asking money any more of Tissaphernes.

Presently therefore, the same winter, they put forth from Cnidus, and arriving in the territory of Rhodes at Cameirus, first frighted the commons out of it, that knew not of the business, and they fled. Then the Lacedaemonians called together both these and the Rhodians of the two cities Lindus and Ielysus and persuaded them to revolt from the Athenians. And Rhodes turned to the Peloponnesians.

The Athenians at the same time, hearing of their design, put forth with their fleet from Samos, desiring to have arrived before them, and were seen in the main sea, too late, though not much. For the present they went away to Chalce, and thence back to Samos; but afterwards they came forth with their galleys divers times, and made war against Rhodes from Chalce, Cos, and Samos.