notwithstanding their change of feeling, now proceeded to a division,
in which the show of hands was almost equal, although the motion of
Diodotus carried the day. Another galley was at once sent off in haste,
for fear that the first might reach Lesbos in the interval, and the
city be found destroyed; the first ship having about a day and a
night's start. Wine and barley-cakes were provided for the vessel by the
Mitylenian ambassadors, and great promises made if they arrived in time;
which caused the men to use such diligence upon the voyage that they
took their meals of barley-cakes kneaded with oil and wine as they
rowed, and only slept by turns while the others were at the oar. Luckily
they met with no contrary wind, and the first ship making no haste
upon so horrid an errand, while the second pressed on in the manner
described, the first arrived so little before them, that Paches had
only just had time to read the decree, and to prepare to execute the
sentence, when the second put into port and prevented the massacre. The
danger of Mitylene had indeed been great.

The other party whom Paches had sent off as the prime movers in the
rebellion, were upon Cleon's motion put to death by the Athenians, the
number being rather more than a thousand. The Athenians also demolished
the walls of the Mitylenians, and took possession of their ships.
Afterwards tribute was not imposed upon the Lesbians; but all their
land, except that of the Methymnians, was divided into three thousand
allotments, three hundred of which were reserved as sacred for the gods,
and the rest assigned by lot to Athenian shareholders, who were sent out
to the island. With these the Lesbians agreed to pay a rent of two
minae a year for each allotment, and cultivated the land themselves. The
Athenians also took possession of the towns on the continent belonging
to the Mitylenians, which thus became for the future subject to Athens.
Such were the events that took place at Lesbos.

CHAPTER X

_Fifth Year of the War--Trial and Execution of the Plataeans--
Corcyraean Revolution_

During the same summer, after the reduction of Lesbos, the Athenians
under Nicias, son of Niceratus, made an expedition against the island
of Minoa, which lies off Megara and was used as a fortified post by the
Megarians, who had built a tower upon it. Nicias wished to enable the
Athenians to maintain their blockade from this nearer station instead
of from Budorum and Salami