Not long afterwards the fleet returned to Athens.

Towards the autumn of this year the Athenians invaded the Megarid with their whole levy, resident aliens included, under the command of Pericles, son of Xanthippus.

The Athenians in the hundred ships round Peloponnese on their journey home had just reached Aegina, and hearing that the citizens at home were in full force at Megara, now sailed over and joined them.

This was without doubt the largest army of Athenians ever assembled, the state being still in the flower of her strength and yet unvisited by the plague.

Full ten thousand heavy infantry were in the field, all Athenian citizens, besides the three thousand before Potidaea.