confusion; and if the wind should blow from the gulf (in expectation
of which he kept sailing round them, and which usually rose towards
morning), they would not, he felt sure, remain steady an instant. He
also thought that it rested with him to attack when he pleased, as his
ships were better sailers, and that an attack timed by the coming of the
wind would tell best. When the wind came down, the enemy's ships were
now in a narrow space, and what with the wind and the small craft
dashing against them, at once fell into confusion: ship fell foul of
ship, while the crews were pushing them off with poles, and by their
shouting, swearing, and struggling with one another, made captains'
orders and boatswains' cries alike inaudible, and through being unable
for want of practice to clear their oars in the rough water, prevented
the vessels from obeying their helmsmen properly. At this moment Phormio
gave the signal, and the Athenians attacked. Sinking first one of
the admirals, they then disabled all they came across, so that no one
thought of resistance for the confusion, but fled for Patrae and Dyme in
Achaea. The Athenians gave chase and captured twelve ships, and taking
most of the men out of them sailed to Molycrium, and after setting up
a trophy on the promontory of Rhium and dedicating a ship to Poseidon,
returned to Naupactus. As for the Peloponnesians, they at once sailed
with their remaining ships along the coast from Dyme and Patrae to
Cyllene, the Eleian arsenal; where Cnemus, and the ships from Leucas
that were to have joined them, also arrived after the battle at Stratus.

The Lacedaemonians now sent to the fleet to Cnemus three
commissioners--Timocrates, Bradidas, and Lycophron--with orders to
prepare to engage again with better fortune, and not to be driven from
the sea by a few vessels; for they could not at all account for their
discomfiture, the less so as it was their first attempt at sea; and
they fancied that it was not that their marine was so inferior, but that
there had been misconduct somewhere, not considering the long experience
of the Athenians as compared with the little practice which they had had
themselves. The commissioners were accordingly sent in anger. As soon
as they arrived they set to work with Cnemus to order ships from the
different states, and to put those which they already had in fighting
order. Meanwhile Phormio sent word to Athens of their preparations and
his own victory, and de