The War between Rhodes and Byzantium Begins
At first the Byzantines entered upon the war with
note
energy, in full confidence of receiving the
assistance of Achaeus; and of being able
to cause Prusias as much alarm and danger
by fetching Tiboetes from Macedonia as he had done
to them. For Prusias, entering upon the war with all the
animosity which I have described, had seized the place called
Hieron at the entrance of the channel, which the Byzantines
not long before had purchased for a considerable sum of
money, because of its convenient situation; and because they
did not wish to leave in any one else's hands a point of vantage
to be used against merchants sailing into the Pontus, or one
which commanded the slave trade, or the fishing. Besides
this, Prusias had seized in Asia a district of Mysia, which had
been in the possession of Byzantium for many years past.
Meanwhile the Rhodians manned six ships and received
four from their allies; and, having elected Xenophantus to
command them, they sailed with this squadron of ten ships
to the Hellespont. Nine of them dropped anchor near Sestos,
-- 324 --
and stopped ships sailing into the Pontus; with the tenth the
admiral sailed to Byzantium, to test the spirit of the people, and
see whether they were already sufficiently alarmed to change
their minds about the war. Finding them resolved not to
listen he sailed away, and, taking up his other nine ships,
returned to Rhodes with the whole squadron.
Meanwhile the Byzantines sent a message to Achaeus
asking for aid, and an escort to conduct Tiboetes from
Macedonia. For it was believed that Tiboetes had as good a
claim to the kingdom of Bithynia as Prusias, who was his
nephew.
