Thucydides Daily Reader

When Teutiaplus's words failed to persuade Alcidas, some of the Ionian exiles and the Lesbians who were with the expedition began pressing him with an alternative plan. Since his original proposal seemed too risky, they suggested he should capture one of the Ionian cities or the Aeolic town of Cyme, and use it as a base of operations to spark a general revolt throughout Ionia. This plan was far from impossible, since their arrival would be welcomed everywhere. Their goal would be to cut off Athens from her primary source of revenue while simultaneously forcing her to spend heavily if she attempted to blockade them. They also believed they could likely persuade Pissuthnes to join their cause. But Alcidas rejected this suggestion just as firmly as the previous one. Having arrived too late to save Mytilene, he was determined to return to the Peloponnese as quickly as possible.

So he set sail from Embatum and proceeded along the coast. When he stopped at Myonnesus, a town belonging to Teos, he executed most of the prisoners he had captured during his voyage. After anchoring at Ephesus, he was approached by envoys from the Samian exiles at Anaia, who criticized his methods. They told him he was going about liberating Greece the wrong way by slaughtering men who had never fought against him—men who weren't his enemies but were forced to be Athens' allies against their will. If he continued this way, they warned, he would transform many more friends into enemies than enemies into friends. Alcidas accepted their criticism and released all the Chians he still held captive, along with some other prisoners. The local inhabitants, rather than fleeing at the sight of his ships, had actually approached them, mistaking them for Athenian vessels, since they never imagined that Peloponnesian ships would dare venture into Ionia while Athens controlled the seas.

From Ephesus, Alcidas hurriedly set sail and fled. The Salaminian and Paralian ships, which were sailing from Athens on state business, had spotted him while he was still anchored near Clarus. Fearing pursuit, he now sailed straight across the open sea, determined to avoid any landfall until he reached the Peloponnese. Meanwhile, Paches received reports about Alcidas from Erythrae and numerous other sources. Since the Ionian cities were unfortified, there was widespread fear that the Peloponnesians might raid and plunder the coastal towns as they passed, even if they didn't intend to occupy them. The Paralian and Salaminian ships, having spotted him at Clarus, brought direct confirmation of his presence. Paches immediately gave chase, pursuing him as far as the island of Patmos before concluding that Alcidas had too great a lead to be caught and turning back. On reflection, he considered himself fortunate that he hadn't encountered them on the open sea or caught up with them somewhere they would have been forced to make camp, which would have required him to establish a blockade.