Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/385

DIPHR1DAS SENT TO SUCCEED THIMBRON, 3g3 as well as ill-prepared for a battle, made but an ineffective resist- ance. They were broken, warmly pursued, and the greater number slain. A few who contrived to escape the active Persian cavalry, found shelter in the neighboring cities. 1 This victory of Struthas, gained by the Persian cavalry, displays a degree of vigor and ability which, fortunately for the Greeks, was rarely seen in Persian operations. Our scanty information does not enable us to trace its consequences. We find Diphridas sent out soon after by the Lacedaemonians, along with the admiral Ekdikus, as successor of Thimbron to bring together the remnant of the defeated army, and to protect those cities which had con- tributed to form it. Diphridas, a man with all the popular qualities of his predecessor, but a better and more careful officer, is said to have succeeded to some extent in this difficult mission. Being fortunate enough to take captive the son-in-law of Struthas, with his wife, (as Xenophon had captured Asidates,) he obtained a sufficiently large ransom to enable him to pay his troops for some time. 2 But it is evident that his achievements were not considera- ble, and that the Ionian Greeks on the continent are now left to make good their position, as they can, against the satrap at Sardis. The forces of Sparta were much required at Rhodes ; which island (as has been mentioned already) had revolted from Sparta about five years before (a few months anterior to the battle of Kni- dus), dispossessed the Lysandrian oligarchy, and established a democratical government. But since that period, an opposition- party in the island had gradually risen up, acquired strength, and come into correspondence with the oligarchical exiles ; who on their side warmly solicited aid from Sparta, representing that Rhodes would otherwise become thoroughly dependent on Athens. Accordingly, the Lacedaemonians sent eight triremes across the JE- gean under the command of Ekdikus ; the first of their ships of war which had crossed since the defeat of Knidus. 3 Though the Perso- Athenian naval force in the ^gean had been either dismissed or paralyzed since the seizure of Koncn, yet the Rhodian government possessed a fleet of about twenty triremes, beside? considerable force of other kinds ; so that Ekdikus could not even land on the 1 Xen. Hellen. iv, 8, 18, 19. * Xen. Hcllen. iv, 8, 21, 22, 1 Sen. lie-lien, iv, 8, 21.