As the weather was now favourable, the fleet proceeded
on its voyage, leaving Demosthenes with five ships to garrison the
fort.
The news of the occupation of Pylos soon reached the Spartans, but at
first they paid little heed, thinking that they could expel the
audacious intruders whenever they chose to exert themselves. Moreover,
they were just then engaged in keeping one of those religious
festivals of which the Spartan calendar was so full, and a good part
of their army was absent in Attica. Agis, however, the Spartan king,
and those under him who were commanding in Attica, took a wiser view
of the situation, and cutting short their operations they led their
forces with all speed back to Sparta. They were the more inclined to
do this as the season was yet early, the weather inclement, and, the
corn being still green, they wanted means to nourish their troops.
Thus the inventive genius of Demosthenes had already proved of signal
service to his country; for this was the shortest of all the
Peloponnesian invasions, lasting only fifteen days.
On the return of their troops from Attica the Spartans sent a small
force to commence the attack on Pylos, and ordered the main body of
their army to follow. There was some discontent among those who had
already been serving abroad at this second levy, and the full muster
of the troops was consequently delayed.
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