39-4 1] ASTYOCHUS AND THE CHIANS AGAIN 363 Meanwhile the Chians and Pedaritus continued to send 40 messengers to Astyochus, who con- , , , ,^, . , 1 1 • The C/i III IIS a le block- tinned to delay. They implored him ^^^^^ y/^^-. ^,^,^,^^ to come to their help with his whole deserf. Asiyochus is of fleet, saying that they were blockaded, ^"{ '"'^'"^'^ '" so to and that he should not allow the chief ally of Sparta in Ionia to be cut off from the sea and over- run and devastated by land. Now the Chians had more domestic slaves than any other state with the exception of Lacedaemon, and their offences were always more severely punished because of their number; so that, when the Athenian army appeared to be firmly settled in their fortifications, most of them at once deserted to the enemy ='. And they did the greatest damage, because they knew the country. The Chians pressed upon the Lacedaemonians the necessity of coming to their assistance while there was still hope of interfering to some purpose ; the fortification of Delphinium, though not yet completed, was in progress, and the Athenians were beginning to extend the lines of defence which protected their army and ships. Asty- ochus, seeing that the allies were zealous in the cause, although he had fully meant to carry out his threat, now determined to relieve the Chians. But in the meantime he received a message from Caunus, 41 informing him that the twenty-seven But he hems of ships and his Lacedaemonian advisers ^/"' tiveniy seven ships 11 • 1 T T , 1 1 ^ ^i 4. biiusfiiis: the coinniis- had arrived. He thought that every- ,,,-,„^,,%,„ ^„,,^„,. thing should give way to the importance mon, and coasts south- of convoying so large a reinforcement iwud to meet them. He ... , , 1 T 1 »'^" persuaded by the which would secure to the Lacedae- Cnidianstosailagainst monians greater command of the sea, twenty Athenian ships and that he must first of all provide ^'' are ivatching for for the safe passage of the commis- sioners who were to report on his conduct. So he at once gave up his intended expedition to Chios and sailed for " Cp. vii. 27 fin.
