Twenty were accordingly sent, but instructions were given to their commander to go first to Crete.

For Nicias, a Cretan of Gortys, who was proxenus of the Athenians, had persuaded them to sail against Cydonia, promising to procure the reduction of that hostile town; his real wish being to oblige the Polichnitans, neighbours of the Cydonians.

He accordingly went with the ships to Crete, and, accompanied by the Polichnitans, laid waste the lands of the Cydonians; and, what with adverse winds and stress of weather wasted no little time there.
While the Athenians were thus detained in Crete, the Peloponnesians in Cyllene got ready for battle, and coasted along to Panormus in Achaea, where their land army had come to support them.

Phormio also coasted along to Molycrian Rhium, and anchored outside it with twenty ships, the same as he had fought with before.

This Rhium was friendly to the Athenians.