n their previous
incursions; so that this invasion was more severely felt by the
Athenians than any except the second; the enemy staying on and on until
they had overrun most of the country, in the expectation of hearing
from Lesbos of something having been achieved by their fleet, which they
thought must now have got over. However, as they did not obtain any
of the results expected, and their provisions began to run short, they
retreated and dispersed to their different cities.

In the meantime the Mitylenians, finding their provisions failing, while
the fleet from Peloponnese was loitering on the way instead of appearing
at Mitylene, were compelled to come to terms with the Athenians in the
following manner. Salaethus having himself ceased to expect the fleet
to arrive, now armed the commons with heavy armour, which they had not
before possessed, with the intention of making a sortie against the
Athenians. The commons, however, no sooner found themselves possessed of
arms than they refused any longer to obey their officers; and forming
in knots together, told the authorities to bring out in public the
provisions and divide them amongst them all, or they would themselves
come to terms with the Athenians and deliver up the city.

The government, aware of their inability to prevent this, and of the
danger they would be in, if left out of the capitulation, publicly
agreed with Paches and the army to surrender Mitylene at discretion
and to admit the troops into the town; upon the understanding that the
Mitylenians should be allowed to send an embassy to Athens to plead
their cause, and that Paches should not imprison, make slaves of, or put
to death any of the citizens until its return. Such were the terms of
the capitulation; in spite of which the chief authors of the negotiation
with Lacedaemon were so completely overcome by terror when the army
entered that they went and seated themselves by the altars, from which
they were raised up by Paches under promise that he would do them no
wrong, and lodged by him in Tenedos, until he should learn the pleasure
of the Athenians concerning them. Paches also sent some galleys and
seized Antissa, and took such other military measures as he thought
advisable.

Meanwhile the Peloponnesians in the forty ships, who ought to have made
all haste to relieve Mitylene, lost time in coming round Peloponnese
itself, and proceeding leisurely on the remainder of the voyage, made
Delos withou