29-32] RETURN OF ALCIDAS 203 down among the houses of the city. If we were to fall upon them suddenly by night, with the help of our friends inside, should there be any left, I have no doubt that Mytilene would be ours. The danger should not deter us ; for we should consider that the execution of a military surprise is always dangerous, and that the general who is never taken off his guard himself, and never loses an opportunity of striking at an unguarded foe, will be most likely to succeed in war.' His words failed to convince Alcidas; whereupon some 31 Ionian exiles and the Lesbians who it is also proposed io were on board the fleet » recommended occupy some town, and , . ~ . . , . J , raise a revolt in Ionia. that, if this enterprise appeared too ^,,,^;,,-^«,„y,,/, i,,/, hazardous, he should occupy one of propositions. He Imr- the Ionian towns or the Aeolian Cyme : "'" home. having thus established their head-quarters in a city, the Peloponnesians might raise the standard of revolt in Ionia. There was a good chance of success, for every one was glad of his arrival ; they might cut off a main source of Athenian revenue; and although they themselves would incur expense, for the Athenians would blockade them 1j, the attempt was worth making. Pissuthnes might very likely be persuaded to co-operate. But Alcidas objected to this proposal equally with the last ; his only idea was, now that he had failed in saving Mytilene, to get back as fast as he could to Peloponnesus. Accordingly he sailed from Embatum along the coast, 32 touching at Myonnesus in the terri- ^^^^ ^^^^^^.^^^ ^^.^^^ tory of Teos ; he there slew most of remonstrate with him the captives whom he had taken on his /or his impolicy in slay- it . ...,, „. insr the captives whom voyage. He then put into harbour at ,^^i^^jj^,,, Ephesus, where a deputation from the Samians of Anaea^ came to him. They told him that it was an ill manner of liberating Hellas, to have put to death
- i.e. the envoys who had been sent to Sparta. Cp. 111. 4 fin., 5 fin.
b Adopting with Bekker the conjecture i(popixovaiv. " Cp. iii. 19 fin. ; iv. 75 med.
