same time with the thunder; and the crew of the trireme who were
pulling were made beside themselves by these, and being brought to
this condition they killed one another as if they were enemies, until
at last but one of the whole number was left; and he returned alone to
Phaleron. 86. Thus the Athenians report that it came to pass: but the
Eginetans say that it was not with a single ship that the Athenians
came; for a single ship, and even a few more than one, they could have
easily repelled, even if they had not happened to have ships of their
own: but they say that the Athenians sailed upon their country with a
large fleet of ships, and they gave way before them and did not fight
a sea-battle. They cannot however declare with certainty whether they
gave way thus because they admitted that they were not strong enough
to fight the battle by sea, or because they intended to do something
of the kind which they actually did. The Athenians then, they say, as
no one met them in fight, landed from their ships and made for the
images; but not being able to tear them up from their pedestals, at
last they threw ropes round them and began to pull, until the images,
as they were being pulled, did both the same thing (and here they
report something which I cannot believe, but some other man may), for
they say that the images fell upon their knees to them and that they
continue to be in that position ever since this time. The Athenians,
they say, were doing thus; and meanwhile they themselves (say the
Eginetans), being informed that the Athenians were about to make an
expedition against them, got the Argives to help them; and just when
the Athenians had disembarked upon the Eginetan land, the Argives had
come to their rescue, and not having been perceived when they passed
over from Epidauros to the island, they fell upon the Athenians before
these had heard anything of the matter, cutting them off secretly from
the way to their ships; and at this moment it was that the thunder and
the earthquake came upon them. 87. This is the report which is given