y purpose whatever except that of defending the city in the event
of the enemy bringing a fleet to make an attack by sea, it should be a
capital offence. With this sum of money they also set aside a special
fleet of one hundred galleys, the best ships of each year, with their
captains. None of these were to be used except with the money and
against the same peril, should such peril arise.

Meanwhile the Athenians in the hundred ships round Peloponnese,
reinforced by a Corcyraean squadron of fifty vessels and some others
of the allies in those parts, cruised about the coasts and ravaged the
country. Among other places they landed in Laconia and made an assault
upon Methone; there being no garrison in the place, and the wall being
weak. But it so happened that Brasidas, son of Tellis, a Spartan, was
in command of a guard for the defence of the district. Hearing of the
attack, he hurried with a hundred heavy infantry to the assistance of
the besieged, and dashing through the army of the Athenians, which was
scattered over the country and had its attention turned to the wall,
threw himself into Methone. He lost a few men in making good his
entrance, but saved the place and won the thanks of Sparta by his
exploit, being thus the first officer who obtained this notice during
the war. The Athenians at once weighed anchor and continued their
cruise. Touching at Pheia in Elis, they ravaged the country for two days
and defeated a picked force of three hundred men that had come from the
vale of Elis and the immediate neighbourhood to the rescue. But a stiff
squall came down upon them, and, not liking to face it in a place
where there was no harbour, most of them got on board their ships, and
doubling Point Ichthys sailed into the port of Pheia. In the meantime
the Messenians, and some others who could not get on board, marched over
by land and took Pheia. The fleet afterwards sailed round and picked
them up and then put to sea; Pheia being evacuated, as the main army of
the Eleans had now come up. The Athenians continued their cruise, and
ravaged other places on the coast.

About the same time the Athenians sent thirty ships to cruise round
Locris and also to guard Euboea; Cleopompus, son of Clinias, being in
command. Making descents from the fleet he ravaged certain places on
the sea-coast, and captured Thronium and took hostages from it. He also
defeated at Alope the Locrians that had assembled to resist him.

During the summe