320 HISTORY OF GREECE. The neighbor!* g coast on the mainland of Peloponnesus was both harborless and hostile, so that there was no other spot niar, whore they could take station. And the Lacedaemonian com- manders reckoned upon being able to stop up, as it were mechan- 'cally, both the two entrances into the harbor, by triremes lashed together, from the island to the mainland, with their prows pointing outwards ; so that they would be able at any rate, occu- pying the island as well as the two channels, to keep oft' the Athenian fleet, and to hold Demosthenes closely blocked up 1 on the rock of Pylus, where his provisions would quickly fail him. With these views, they drafted off by lot some hoplites from each of the Spartan lochi, accompanied as usual by Helots, and sent them across to Sphakteria ; while their land-force and their fleet approached at once to attack the fortification. Of the assault on the land-side, we hear little : the Lacedae- monians were proverbially unskilful in the attack of anything like a foi'tified place, and they appear now to have made little impression. But the chief stress and vigor of the attack came on the sea-side, as Demosthenes had foreseen. The landing- place, even where practicable, was still rocky and difficult, and so narrow in dimensions, that the Lacedaemonian ships could only approach by small squadrons at a time ; while the Athenians maintained their ground firmly to prevent a single man from set- ting foot on land. The assailing triremes rowed up with loud shouts and exhortations to each other, striving to get so placed as that the hoplites in the bow could effect a landing : but such were the difficulties arising partly from the rocks and partly from the defence, that squadron after squadron tried this in vain. Nor did even the gallant example of Brasidas procure for them any better success. That officer, commanding a trireme, and observ- ing that some of the pilots near him were cautious in driving their ships close in shore for fear of breaking them against the rocks, indignantly called to them not to spare the planks of their vessels, when the enemy had insulted them by erecting a fort in the country : Lacedemonians, he exclaimed, ought to carry the landing by force, even though their ships should be dashed
1 Thucyd. iv, 8. TOV( ph ovv Icrrr/lot'f ralf vavalv uvrnrpLpots
