Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/301

REVOLT OF LESBOS 185 were proxeni of Athens, turned informers and told tlui Athenians that the Mytilenaeans were foi-cibly making Mytilene the centre of government for the whole island ; that the preparations which they were pressing forward had been throughout undertaken by them in concert with the Lacedaemonians and with their Boeotian kinsmen, and meant revolt; and that if something were not immediately done, Lesbos would be lost to Athens. The Athenians, who were suffering severely from the 3 plague and from the war, of which they ThcAthanansddcr- had begun to feel the full effects, re- »"'" /" surprise Myti- Hected that it was a serious matter to ^^^'<^t(^ fesUvcxl and . send Lleippides thillier bnng upon themselves a second war j^,,//, j-^yf^, s/nps. The with a naval power like Lesbos, whose inhabiiants are fore- resources were unimpaired; and so, *'"'"^'- mainly because they wished that the charges might not be true, they at first refused to listen to them. But, when they had sent envoys to Mytilene and found that the Mytilenaeans, in spite of remonstrances, continued their preparations and persisted in the attempt to concentrate the government in M3'tilene, they took alarm and determined to be beforehand with them. Without losing a moment, they sent to Lesbos, under the command of Cleippides the son of Deinias, and two others, forty ships which had been intended to cruise about Peloponnesus. They had heard that there was a festival of Apollo Maloeis held outside the walls in which the whole population took part, and that if they made haste they might hope to surprise them. The attempt would very likely succeed ; but, if not, they might bid the Mytilenaeans give up their fleet and dismantle their walls, and in case they refused they might go to war with them. So the ships sailed ; and as there happened to be at Athens ten Mytilenaean triremes, serving in accord- ance with the terms of the alliance, the Athenians seized them and threw their crews into prison. But the Myti- lenaeans were warned by a messenger from Athens, who crossed to Euboea and went on foot to Geraestus ; there