THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE 1821 TO 1833 BY W.ALISON PHILLIPS 1897

174 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
Without having read Thucydides, or knowing anything
of the immortal struggle between the Spartans
and Athenians for the possession of the island, he
realised that Sphakteria was the key of Navarino,
and that the possession of this would involve in
the end that of the fortress;
and on his pointing this
out to Ibrahim, the Egyptian commander ordered him
to take possession of the island.
The Greeks, too, had
realised, though late, the extreme importance of this
position, had hastily occupied it with a few hundred
troops, and erected a couple of weak batteries. They
had, however, forgotten, what the Spartans had learned
to their cost two thousand years before, that Sphakteria
could only be held by the Power commanding
the sea.
The Greek fleet had, as usual, been delayed
by the selfishness and insubordination of the Hydriot
seamen, and in the harbour were only five brigs; and
when, therefore, on the 8th of May, the Egyptian
fleet of ninety sail entered the bay, all hope was lost
of holding Sphakteria or saving Navarino.
Under cover of a heavy cannonade from the Egyptian
ships, Hussein landed, with a regiment of Arab
regulars and Moreot Mussulmans, on the southern
point of the island, and at once advanced to the assault
of the Greek entrenchments.
Again the Greeks fled,
almost without striking a blow, before the Arab bay-