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85. The Lacedaemonians at home now sent to the fleet three commissioners, Timocrates, Brasidas,1 and Lycophron, to advise Cnemus. He was told that he must contrive to fight again and be more successful; he should not allow a few ships to keep him off the sea. [2] The recent sea-fight had been the first attempt of the Lacedaemonians, and they were quite amazed and could not imagine that their own fleet was so inferior to that of the enemy. They suspected that there had been cowardice, not considering that the Athenians were old sailors and that they were only beginners2 So they despatched the commissioners in a rage. [3] On their arrival they and Cnemus sent round to the allied cities for ships, and equipped for action those which were on the spot. [4] Phormio likewise sent home messengers to announce the victory,3 and at the same time to inform the Athenians of the preparations which the enemy were making. He told them to send him immediately as large a reinforcement as possible, for he might have to fight any day. [5] They sent him twenty ships, but ordered the commander of them to go to Crete first; for Nicias of Gortys in Crete, who was the proxenus of the Athenians, had induced them to send a fleet against Cydonia, a hostile town which he promised to reduce. But he really invited them to please the Polichnitae, who are neighbours of the Cydoniatae. [6] So the Athenian commander took the ships, went to Crete, and joined the Polichnitae in ravaging the lands of the Cydoniatae; there, owing to contrary winds and bad weather, a considerable time was wasted.

1 The Lacedaemonians send Brasidas and two others to advise Cnemus.

2 Cp. 1.142.

3 The Athenians send reinforcements to Phormio, but order them to go to Crete first.

Thucydides translated into English; with introduction, marginal analysis, notes, and indices. Volume 1. Thucydides. Benjamin Jowett. translator. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1881.

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  • Commentary references to this page (30):
    • W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 3.59
    • W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 6.26
    • W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 7.170
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2, 2.34
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2, 2.92
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.52
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 7, 7.18
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 7, 7.3
    • T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8, 8.14
    • T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8, 8.39
    • T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8, 8.5
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER CVIII
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER XCV
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.17
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.63
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.63
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.70
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.107
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.124
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.126
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.141
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.26
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.58
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.77
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.17
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.18
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.19
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.39
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.42
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.66
  • Cross-references to this page (10):
    • The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, KYDONIA (Khania) Crete.
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 1.3.1
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 1.3.2
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 1.4.2
    • A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), HOSPI´TIUM
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), GORTYN
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), POLICHNA
    • Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, The Article
    • Smith's Bio, Ni'cias
    • Smith's Bio, Timo'crates
  • Cross-references in notes to this page (3):
    • Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thuc. 2.92
    • Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thuc. 5.63
    • Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thuc. 8.39
  • Cross-references in notes from this page (1):
    • Thucydides, Histories, 1.142
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (11):
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