362 THE LACEDAEMONIANS ASSIST PHARNABAZUS [vill course of affairs in Chios. The main fleet, which they had left at Samos, from time to time made threatening move- ments against the enemy at Miletus, but as they would never come out, the Athenians at length retired to Samos and there remained. 39 During the same winter, about the solstice, twenty-seven ^, r , ships which Calligitus of Megara and The Laccdaeiiiomaiis ' 00 nsolvc to assist Phania- Timagoras of Cyzicus, the agents ot bazus at the Hellespont. Pharnabazus, had persuaded the Lacc- Theyse,td eleven asses- ^aemonians to fit out in his Interest % sors to control Asty- .,,... ^^^^^^ sailed for Ionia: they were placed under the command of Antisthenes, a Spartan. The Lacedaemonians sent at the same time eleven Spartans to act as advisers '^ to Astyochus, one of whom was Lichas the son of Arcesilaus^'. Besides re- ceiving a general commission to assist in the direction of affairs to the best of their judgment, they were empowered on their arrival at Miletus to send on, if they saw fit, these ships, or a larger or smaller number, to Pharnabazus at the Hellespont under the command of Clearchus ^i the son of Rhamphias, who sailed with them. The eleven might also, if they thought good, deprive Astyochus of his com- mand and appoint Antisthenes in his place, for the despatch of Pedaritus had excited suspicion against him. So the ships sailed from Malea over the open sea until they came to Melos. There they lighted on ten Athenian ships ; of these they took three without their crews and burned them. But then, fearing that the remainder which had escaped would, as in fact they did, give information of their approach to the fleet at Samos, they took the precaution of going by a longer route. And sailing round by Crete they put in at Caunus in Asia. They thought that they were now safe, and sent a messenger to the fleet at Miletus requesting a convoy. " Cp. viii. 6 init. ^ Cp. ii. 85 init. ; iii. 69 mcd ; v. 63 fin. •= Cp. V. 50 mcd. Cp viii. 8 mcd.
