 At the same time as the battle at Stratus, the fleet that was supposed to support Cnemus was drawn into battle at Naupactus by the Athenian admiral Phormio.Not having expected to engage in a sea battle, the Spartan fleet consisted primarily of ships suited only for transporting troops rather than for fighting.This, along with the fact that Phormio’s men were more experienced in naval warfare than the Spartans, gave Phormio the confidence to attack the Spartans’ forty-seven ships with his twenty.