Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/205

DEFENCE OF THE GENERALS. 183 does not directly bring forward, that though the generals affirmed the storm, there were others present who denied it, thus putting in controversy the matter of fact which formed their solitary justification. Moreover, we come in following the answer made by the generals in the public assembly to Theramenes and Thrasybulus to a new point in the case, which Xenophon lets out as it were indirectly, in that confused manner which pervades his whole narrative of the transaction. It is, however, a new point of extreme moment. The generals replied that if any one was to blame for not having picked up the drowning men, it was Theramenes and Thrasybulus themselves ; for it was they two to whom, together with various other trierarchs and with forty- eight triremes, the generals had expressly confided the perform- ance of this duty ; it was they two who were responsible for its omission, not the generals. Nevertheless they, the generals, made no charge against Theramenes and Thrasybulus, well know- ing that the storm had rendered the performance of the duty absolutely impossible, and that it was therefore a complete justi- fication for one as well as for the other. They, the generals, at least could do no more than direct competent men like these two trierarchs to perform the task, and assign to them an adequate squadron for the purpose ; while they themselves with the main fleet went to attack Eteonikus, and relieve Mitylene. Diomedon, one of their number, had wished after the battle to employ all the ships in the fleet for the preservation of the drowning men, without thinking of anything else until that was done. Erasinides, )n the contrary, wished that all the fleet should move across at once against Mitylene ; Thrasyllus said that they had ships enough to do both at once. Accordingly, it was agreed that each general should set apart three ships from his division, to make a squadron of forty-eight ships under Thrasybulus and Theram- enes. In making these statements, the generals produced pilots and others, men actually in the battle as witnesses in general con firm at ion. Here, then, in this debate before the assembly, were two new and important points publicly raised. First, Theramenes and Thrasybulus denounced the generals as guilty of the death of these neglected men ; next, the generals affirmed that they hai delegated the iuty to Theramenes and Thrasybulus themselves.