lose to the mouth of the Eurymedon, and, as at Mycale,
they landed and dispersed the force destined to act in concert with
the squadron. Sailing from thence to Cyprus, they destroyed a second
Phoenician fleet of eighty vessels, and returned to the Piraeus laden
with booty. Such exploits were not devoid of glory and profit for
the time being, but they had no permanent results. All these naval
expeditions were indeed successful, and the islands and towns of the
AEgean, and even those of the Black Sea and the southern coasts of Asia
Minor, succeeded without difficulty in freeing themselves from the
Persian yoke under the protection of the Athenian triremes; but their
influence did not penetrate further inland than a few miles from the
shore, beyond which distance they ran the risk of being cut off from
their vessels, and the barbarians of the interior--Lydians, Phrygians,
Mysians, Pamphylians, and even most of the Lycians and Carians--remained
subject to the rule of the satraps. The territory thus liberated formed
but a narrow border along the coast of the peninsula; a border rent and
interrupted at intervals, constantly in peril of seizure by the enemy,
and demanding considerable efforts every year for its defence. Athens
was in danger of exhausting her resources in the performance of this
ungrateful task, unless she could succeed in fomenting some revolution
in the vast possessions of her adversary which should endanger the
existence of his empire, or which, at any rate, should occupy the
Persian soldiery in constantly recurring hostilities against the
rebellious provinces. If none of the countries in the centre of Asia
Minor would respond to their call, and if the interests of their
commercial rivals, the Phoenicians, were so far opposed to their own as
to compel them to maintain the conflict to the very end, Egypt, at any
rate, always proud of her past glory and impatient of servitude,
was ever seeking to rid herself of the foreign yoke and recover her
independent existence under, the authority of her Pharaohs. It was not
easy to come to terms with her and give her efficient help from Athens
itself; but Cyprus, with its semi-Greek population hostile to the
Achaemenids, could, if they were to take possession of it, form an
admirable base of operations in that corner of the Mediterranean. The
Athenians were aware of this from the outset, and, after their victory
at the mouth of the Eurymedon, a year never elapsed without t