BOOK.    IV.
 

IV. I.       In the following summer, about the time when the B.C. 425.

•        01  88  A.

The Syra-   corn comcs Into   ear, ten  Syracusan and   ten   Locrlan    '   '

cusans and        ^                                   ^                                    ...

Locrians     shIps took posscssIon of Mcsscue In Sicily, whither they
Messenfe     had gone by the Invitation of the inhabitants.    And so
from^he     Messene revolted from the Athenians.    The Syracusans
Athenians,  took part In thIs affair chiefly because they saw that
crians at     Messcne was the key to Sicily.    They were afraid that
time invade the Athenians would one day establish themselves there
ofRSgfS ^^^ come and attack them with a  larger force.    The
Locrians took part  because  the   Rheglans  were  their
enemies, and they wanted to crush them by sea as well
as by land.    They had already Invaded the territory of
Rhegium with their whole army, In order to hinder the
Rheglans from assisting the Messenians ; they were also
partly  instigated  by certain Rhegian exiles who  had
taken refuge with them.    For the Rheglans had been
for a long time torn by revolution, and In their present
condition could   not resist  the Locrians, who  for this
very reason were the   more  disposed   to   attack them.
After wasting the country, the Locrlans withdrew their
land forces ; but the ships remained to protect Messene.
Another fleet which  the  allies were manning was in¬
tended to lie in the harbour of Messene, and to carry on
the war from thence.
2.          During  the spring and about the same time, before

the corn was In full ear, the Peloponnesians and their
 

Fifth in
vasion of
 

Attica.       allies Invaded Attica, under the command of Agis the