The young navarch Callicratidas had 140 triremes with Conan only having 70 triremes but Athens were building reinforcements to better their strength. Although Conan had used his time wisely between clashes to get his fleet into top condition, having “prepared them for battle as no previous general had done”, he was still badly outnumbered. Callicratidas came after Conan, with 170 ships, Conan fled towards Mytilene but the Peloponnesians caught him at the harbour and took 30 Athenian triremes. Callicratidas trapped Conan with the threat of starvation however Conan was able to sneak one of the ships out of the harbour to go to Athens. In mid June 406 BC Conan’s message ship arrived to Athens and within months Athens ship fleet counted up to 110 …show more content…
The Athenians best crews were already posted at Mytilene. Athens therefore lacked rowers and has to use inexperienced rowers like farmers, slaves and wealthy men who could afford to serve in the Calvary to fill the boats and offered freedom and citizenship as a reward. The fleet also contained 8 generals. Callicratidas left 50 triremes to guard Conan at Mytilene, sailed with 120 to cut off enemies wanting to use the same surprise strategy that worked on Conan’s fleet and attack at night, but was prevented from doing so by a storm. At dawn the Spartans stacked the Athenian line abreast, 120 ships side by side, covering around twenty four hundred yards. The Athenians, no less than aware of their tactics, arranged their order accordingly. They aligned their ships into three divisions, two wings and one centre, the wings consisted of 60 vessels that were arrayed in two lines with back vessels filling gaps of front