Book 1
6.29
The Athenians stood out to meet him, extending their left wing out to sea and arranged in the following order: Aristocrates, in command of the406 B.C. left wing, led the way with fifteen ships, and next in order Diomedon with fifteen more; and Pericles was stationed behind Aristocrates and Erasinides behind Diomedon; and beside Diomedon were the Samians with ten ships, drawn up in single line; and their commander was a Samian named Hippeus; and next to them were the ten ships of the taxiarchs,Ten taxiarchs, one for each Athenian tribe, commanded the contingents (τάξεις) furnished by their several tribes. also in single line; and behind these the three ships of the nauarchsManifestly subordinate officers, but the precise meaning of the title in the Athenian navy is unknown. and also some ships from the allies;
6.30
and the right wing was under the command of Protomachus, with fifteen ships; and beside him was Thrasyllus with fifteen more; and Lysias, with the same number of ships, was stationed behind Protomachus, and Aristogenes behind Thrasyllus.
6.31
The ships were arranged in this way so as not to give the enemy a chance of breaking throughThe διέκπλους consisted in driving at full speed between two ships of the enemy’s line,—breaking oars and inflicting any other possible damage on the way,—and then turning to attack the sterns or sides of the hostile ships. In the περίπλους the same object was accomplished by rowing around the end of the enemy’s line. the line; for the Athenians were inferior in seamanship. But all the vessels of the Lacedaemonians were arranged in single line, with a view to breaking through the enemy and circling round him, inasmuch as they had superior seamen. And Callicratidas was on the right wing.
