Shortly after the Battle of Notium, the Spartan Callicratidas took over command of the Peloponnesian fleet from Lysander.
Conon sent two ships to run the Peloponnesian blockade, with one setting course for the Hellespont and the other for the open sea.
The Peloponnesians captured the later ship, but the former escaped and notified Athens of Conon's plight.
In the meantime Callicratidas also captured an additional ten Athenian ships that had appeared in the Straits of Mytilene to attempt to aid Conon.
Callicratidas sailed with one hundred and twenty of his own ships to intercept the Athenians; this led to the major Battle of Arginusae.