352 PARTIAL ATHENIAN VICTORY AT MILETUS [VIII common to many who, like them, beheved that the Athen- ian power would speedily be overthrown. But now that they were driven off the sea and saw their lands ravaged, some of their citizens undertook to bring back the city to the Athenians. The magistrates perceived their design, but instead of acting themselves, they sent to Erythrae for Astyochus the admiral. He came with four ships which he had on the spot, and they considered together by what means the conspiracy might be suppressed with the least violence, whether by taking hostages or in some other way. 25 The Lacedaemonians were thus engaged in Chios when ^,, . . f towards the end of the summer there Ailtentan reinforce- ments arrive. A battle Came from Athens a thousand Athen- takes place before the Jan hoplites and fifteen hundred Ar- walls of Miletus, in . r 1 i^ 1 j j zvh.ch the Athenians de. g'^'^S' ^f whom five hundred Were feat the Peioponnesians Originally light-armed, but the Athen- and the Argives are de- j^ns gave them heavy arms; also a feated by the Milesians. ,, , r ^l 11 • t^u Alcibiades is fighting m thousand of the allies. They were the Milesian army, conveyed in forty-cight ships, of which Attempt to invest Mile- some were transports, under the com- mand of Phrynichus, Onomacles, and Scironides. Sailing first to Samos they crossed over to Miletus, and there took up a position. The Milesians with a force of eight hundred heavy-armed of their own, the Peloponnesianswho came with Chalcideus, and certain foreign mercenaries of Tissaphernes, who was there in person with his cavalry, went out and engaged the Athen- ians and their allies. The Argives on their own wing dashed forward, and made a disorderly attack upon the troops opposed to them, whom they despised ; they thought that, being lonians, they would be sure to run away". But they were defeated by the Milesians, and nearly three hundred of them perished. The Athenians first overcame the Peloponnesians, and then forced back the barbarians and the inferior troops. But they never engaged the " Cp. i. 124 init. ; v. 9 init. ; vi. 77 med. : vii. 5 fin.
