The Athenians and the Spartans

The Spartan recapture of Pilos, which the Athenians had held for 15 years, was even more serious of a loss than that of course Saira the previous year. The Messenians and Pilos managed to hold out against the Spartans, successive assaults for quite some time while awaiting for the Athenian aid that would not arrive. Furthermore, in the summer of 409 BC, the Magarian seized control of their port of Nissiai,. In response, the Athenians dispatched 1,000 infantry and 400 cavalry under Leotrifides and Tamarkis. This incident is only reported by Diadoras and the Oxyrhenchus historian. Despite being greatly outnumbered