Athenians were intent on the Bœotians, they sailed against them to
Attica with ships of war, and they devastated Phaleron and also many
demes in the remainder of the coast region, and so doing they deeply
stirred the resentment of the Athenians.[69]

82. Now the grudge which was due beforehand from the Eginetans to the
Athenians came about from a beginning which was as follows:--The land
of the Epidaurians yielded to its inhabitants no fruit; and
accordingly with reference to this calamity the Epidaurians went to
inquire at Delphi, and the Pythian prophetess bade them set up images
of Damia and Auxesia, and said that when they had set up these, they
would meet with better fortune. The Epidaurians then asked further
whether they should make images of bronze or of stone; and the
prophetess bade them not use either of these, but make them of the
wood of a cultivated olive-tree. The Epidaurians therefore asked the
Athenians to allow them to cut for themselves an olive-tree, since
they thought that their olives were the most sacred; nay some say that
at that time there were no olives in any part of the earth except at
Athens. The Athenians said that they would allow them on condition
that they should every year bring due offerings to Athene Polias[70]
and to Erechtheus. The Epidaurians, then, having agreed to these
terms, obtained that which they asked, and they made images out of
these olive-trees and set them up: and their land bore fruit and they
continued to fulfil towards the Athenians that which they had agreed
to do. 83. Now during this time and also before this the Eginetans
were subject to the Epidaurians, and besides other things they were
wont to pass over to Epidauros to have their disputes with one another
settled by law:[71] but after this time they built for themselves
ships and made revolt from the Epidaurians, moved thereto by
wilfulness. So as they were at variance with them, they continued to