Kitap 1
5.4
The ambassadors thanked him, and urged him to make the wage of each sailor an Attic drachmaThe Attic drachma = about 9 d. or 18 cents; it was the average wage of an ordinary day-labourer. a day, explaining that if this were made the rate, the sailors of the Athenian fleet would desert their ships, and hence he would spend less money.Since the war would be brought to a speedy conclusion, the Athenian sailors going over to the Lacedaemonian fleet for the sake of the higher wage.
5.5
He replied that their plan was a good one, but that it was not possible for him to act contrary to the King’s instructions; besides, the original compact ran in this way, that the King should give thirty minaeA mina=100 drachmae=600 obols. A ship’s crew normally numbered 200 men; hence 30 minae per month per ship=3 obols per day per man. per month to each ship, whatever number of ships the Lacedaemonians407 B.C. might wish to maintain.
5.6
Lysander accordingly dropped the matter for the moment; but after dinner, when Cyrus drank his health and asked him by what act he could gratify him most, Lysander replied: By adding an obol to the pay of each sailor.
5.7
And from this time forth the wage was four obols, whereas it had previously been three. Cyrus also settled the arrears of pay and gave them a month’s wage in advance besides, so that the men of the fleet were much more zealous.
5.8
Now when the Athenians heard of this, they were despondent, and sent ambassadors to Cyrus through Tissaphernes.
