"Straightaway the Athenians sent a second trireme to go as fast as possible [to catch the first one they had already sent], hoping that ... the city would not already have been been destroyed. The first trireme had a head start of one day and one night.

Mytilenean ambassadors gave wine and barley for the crew and promised a large reward if they were able to reach Mytilene in time. The men rowed so hard on their voyage. They kept on rowing as they ate their barley cakes kneaded with wine and oil and they took it in turns to sleep and to row. They were lucky as there was no wind against them and the first trireme was taking its time knowing that they had such terrible orders to carry out. But the second trireme sped on its way.

Although the first got there before the second, Paches [the general of the Athenian army] had only just had time to read out what the Athenians had decided. He was just about to carry out his orders, when the second trireme docked and stopped the city from being destroyed. It was a close run thing!"