spicion of his presence. In
place of the usual cry the boatswains timed the rowers by a clink of
stones, and silently the oars slid, feathering through the waves (5);
and just when the squadron of Eunomus was touching the coast, off Cape
Zoster (6) in Attica, the Spartan sounded the bugle-note for the charge.
Some of Eunomus's vessels were in the act of discharging their crews,
others were still getting to their moorings, whilst others were as yet
only bearing down to land. The engagement was fought by the light of the
moon, and Gorgopas captured four triremes, which he tied astern, and so
set sail with his prizes in tow towards Aegina. The rest of the Athenian
squadron made their escape into the harbour of Piraeus.

(5) Lit. "the boatswains employing a clink of stones and a sliding
motion of the oars."

(6) I.e. "Cape Girdle," mod. Cape Karvura. See Tozer, "Geog. of
Greece," pp. 78, 372.

It was after these events that Chabrias (7) commenced his voyage to
Cyprus, bringing relief to Evagoras. His force consisted at first of
eight hundred light troops and ten triremes, but was further increased
by other vessels from Athens and a body of heavy infantry. Thus
reinforced, the admiral chose a night and landed in Aegina; and secreted
himself in ambuscade with his light troops in hollow ground some way
beyond the temple of Heracles. At break of day, as prearranged, the
Athenian hoplites made their appearance under command of Demaenetus, and
began mounting up between two and three miles (8) beyond the Kerakleion
at Tripurgia, as it is called. The news soon reached Gorgopas, who
sallied out to the rescue with the Aeginetans and the marines of his
vessels, being further accompanied by eight Spartans who happened to be
with him. Not content with these he issued orders inviting any of the
ships' crews, who were free men, to join the relief party. A large
number of these sailors responded. They armed themselves as best they
could, and the advance commenced. When the vanguard were well past the
ambuscade, Chabrias and his men sprang up from their hiding-place,
and poured a volley of javelins and stones upon the enemy. At the same
moment the hoplites, who had disembarked, (9) were advancing, so that
the Spartan vanguard, in the absence of anything like collective
action, were speedily cut down, and among them fell Gorgopas with the
Lacedaemonians. At their fall the rest of course turned and fled. One
hundred and fifty Aeg