ted from Athens, all except the Leucadians sailed
into the Crissaean Gulf for Corinth. Not long after their retreat, the
twenty Athenian ships, which were to have joined Phormio before the
battle, arrived at Naupactus.

Thus the summer ended. Winter was now at hand; but dispersing the fleet,
which had retired to Corinth and the Crissaean Gulf, Cnemus, Brasidas,
and the other Peloponnesian captains allowed themselves to be persuaded
by the Megarians to make an attempt upon Piraeus, the port of Athens,
which from her decided superiority at sea had been naturally left
unguarded and open. Their plan was as follows: The men were each to take
their oar, cushion, and rowlock thong, and, going overland from Corinth
to the sea on the Athenian side, to get to Megara as quickly as they
could, and launching forty vessels, which happened to be in the docks at
Nisaea, to sail at once to Piraeus. There was no fleet on the look-out
in the harbour, and no one had the least idea of the enemy attempting
a surprise; while an open attack would, it was thought, never be
deliberately ventured on, or, if in contemplation, would be speedily
known at Athens. Their plan formed, the next step was to put it in
execution. Arriving by night and launching the vessels from Nisaea, they
sailed, not to Piraeus as they had originally intended, being afraid
of the risk, besides which there was some talk of a wind having stopped
them, but to the point of Salamis that looks towards Megara; where there
was a fort and a squadron of three ships to prevent anything sailing in
or out of Megara. This fort they assaulted, and towed off the galleys
empty, and surprising the inhabitants began to lay waste the rest of the
island.

Meanwhile fire signals were raised to alarm Athens, and a panic ensued
there as serious as any that occurred during the war. The idea in the
city was that the enemy had already sailed into Piraeus: in Piraeus it
was thought that they had taken Salamis and might at any moment arrive
in the port; as indeed might easily have been done if their hearts had
been a little firmer: certainly no wind would have prevented them. As
soon as day broke, the Athenians assembled in full force, launched their
ships, and embarking in haste and uproar went with the fleet to Salamis,
while their soldiery mounted guard in Piraeus. The Peloponnesians, on
becoming aware of the coming relief, after they had overrun most of
Salamis, hastily sailed off with their plu