Alexander’s training started immediately. Straton told him that although the Samians had stockaded them in a small area next to the sea, they had made no move to press their advantage. The Athenians were blockaded by sea and by land and were no threat to the Samians right now. He had overhead the men talking and the general consensus was that, although they were at war, slaughter of an army with overwhelming odds may affect their alliances with other states who may not want outright war with Athens. 

This allowed the Athenians to move around unfettered and allowed the more disciplined dimœrites to spend time training their enomotia. As Alexander had learned from his observations at the port in this ill-fated adventure, Methiodos was the most disciplined of the dimœrites and only one day after the...

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