a smaller history of greece-第32章

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ng　the　Greek　cities　in　Sicily；　and；　having　thus　ascertained　what　assistance　they　could　rely　upon；　to　attack　Syracuse　and　Selinus。

Naxos　joined　the　Athenians；　and　shortly　afterwards　they　obtained　possession　by　surprise　of　the　important　city　of　Catana；　which　was　now　made　the　head…quarters　of　the　armament。　　Here　an　unwelcome　message　greeted　Alcibiades。　　after　his　departure　from　Athens；　Thessalus；　the　son　of　Cimon；　preferred　an　indictment　against　him　in　consequence　of　his　profanation　of　the　Eleusinian　mysteries。　The　Salaminian；　or　state；　trireme　was　despatched　to　Sicily；　carrying　the　decree　of　the　assembly　for　Alcibiades　to　come　home　and　take　his　trial。　　The　commander　of　the　Salaminia　was；　however；　instructed　not　to　seize　his　person；　but　to　allow　him　to　sail　in　his　own　trireme。　　Alcibiades　availed　himself　of　this　privilege　to　effect　his　escape。　　When　the　ships　arrived　at　Thurii　in　Italy；　he　absconded；　and　contrived　to　elude　the　search　that　was　made　after　him；　Nevertheless；　though　absent；　he　was　arraigned　at　Athens；　and　condemned　to　death；　his　property　was　confiscated；　and　the　Eumolpidae；　who　presided　ever　the　celebration　of　the　Eleusinian　mysteries；　pronounced　upon　him　the　curses　of　the　gods。　　On　hearing　of　his　sentence　Alcibiades　is　said　to　have　exclaimed；　〃I　will　show　them　that　I　am　still　alive。〃

Three　months　had　now　been　frittered　away　in　Sicily；　during　which　the　Athenians　had　done　little　or　nothing；　if　we　except　the　acquisition　of　Naxos　and　Catana。　　Nicias　now　resolved　to　make　an　attempt　upon　Syracuse。　　By　a　false　message　that　the　Catanaeans　were　ready　to　assist　in　expelling　the　Athenians；　he　induced　the　Syracusans　to　proceed　thither　in　great　force；　and　he　availed　himself　of　their　absence　to　sail　with　his　whole　fleet　into　the　Great　Harbour　of　Syracuse；　where　he　landed　near　the　mouth　of　the　Anapus。　　The　Syracusans；　when　they　found　that　they　had　been　deceived　at　Catana；　marched　back　and　offered　Nicias　battle　in　his　new　position。　　The　latter　accepted　it；　and　gained　the　victory；　after　which　he　retired　to　Catana；　and　subsequently　to　Naxos　into　winter　quarters。

The　Syracusans　employed　the　winter　in　preparations　for　defence。　They　also　despatched　envoys　to　Corinth　and　Sparta　to　solicit　assistance；　in　the　latter　of　which　towns　they　found　an　unexpected　advocate。　　Alcibiades；　having　crossed　from　Thurii　to　Cyllene　in　Peloponnesus；　received　a　special　invitation　to　proceed　to　Sparta。　Here　he　revealed　all　the　plans　of　Athens；　and　exhorted　the　Lacedaemonians　to　frustrate　them。　　For　this　purpose　he　advised　them　to　send　an　army　into　Sicily；　under　the　command　of　a　Spartan　general；　and；　by　way　of　causing　a　diversion；　to　establish　a　fortified　post　at　Decelea　in　the　Attic　territory。　　The　Spartans　fell　in　with　these　views；　and　resolved　to　send　a　force　to　the　assistance　of　Syracuse　in　the　spring；　under　the　command　of　Gylippus。

Nicias；　having　received　reinforcements　from　Athens；　recommenced　hostilities　as　soon　as　the　season　allowed　of　it；　and　resolved　on　besieging　Syracuse。　　That　town　consisted　of　two　partsthe　inner　and　the　outer　city。　　The　former　of　thesethe　original　settlement　was　comprised　in　the　island　of　Ortygia；　the　latter　afterwards　known　by　the　name　of　Achradina；　covered　the　high　ground　of　the　peninsula　north　of　Ortygia；　and　was　completely　separate　from　the　inner　city。　　The　island　of　Ortygia；　to　which　the　modern　city　is　now　confined；　is　of　an　oblong　shape；　about　two　miles　in　circumference；　lying　between　the　Great　Harbour　on　the　west；　and　the　Little　Harbour　on　the　east；　and　separated　from　the　mainland　by　a　narrow　channel。　　The　Great　Harbour　is　a　splendid　bay；　about　five　miles　in　circumference；　and　the　Little　Harbour　was　spacious　enough　to　receive　a　large　fleet　of　ships　of　war。　　The　outer　city　was　surrounded　on　the　north　and　east　by　the　sea　and　by　sea…walls　which　rendered　an　assault　on　that　side　almost　impracticable。　　On　the　land　side　it　was　defended　by　a　wall；　and　partly　also　by　the　nature　of　the　ground；　which　in　some　part　was　very　steep。　　West　and　north…west　of　the　wall　of　the　outer　city　stood　two　unfortified　suburbs；　which　were　at　a　later　time　included　within　the　walls　of　Syracuse　under　the　names　of　Tyche　and　Neapolis。　Between　these　two　suburbs　the　ground　rose　in　a　gentle　acclivity　to　the　summit　of　the　ranges　of　hills　called　Epipolae。

It　was　from　the　high　ground　of　Epipolae　that　Syracuse　was　most　exposed　to　attack。　　Nicias　landed　at　Leon；　a　place　upon　the　bay　of　Thapsus；　at　the　distance　of　only　six　or　seven　stadia　from　Epipolae；　took　possession　of　Epipolae；　and　erected　on　the　summit　a　fort　called　Labdalum。　　Then　coming　farther　down　the　hill　towards　Syracuse；　he　built　another　fort　of　a　circular　form　and　of　considerable　size　at　a　place　called　Syke。　　From　the　latter　point　he　commenced　his　line　of　circumvallation；　one　wall　extending　southwards　from　Syke　to　the　Great　Harbour；　and　the　other　wall　running　northwards　to　the　outer　sea。　　The　Athenians　succeeded　in　completing　the　circumvallation　towards　the　south；　but　in　one　of　their　many　engagements　with　the　Syracusans　they　lost　the　gallant　Lamachus。　　At　the　same　time；　the　Athenian　fleet　entered　the　Great　Harbour；　where　it　was　henceforth　permanently　established。　　The　northern　wall　was　never　completed；　and　through　the　passage　thus　left　open　the　besieged　continued　to　obtain　provisions。　　Nicias；　who；　by　the　death　of　Lamachus；　had　become　sole　commander；　seemed　now　on　the　point　of　succeeding。　　The　Syracusans　were　so　sensible　of　their　inferiority　in　the　field　that　they　no　longer　ventured　to　show　themselves　outside　the　walls。　　They　began　to　contemplate　surrender；　and　even　sent　messages　to　Nicias　to　treat　of　the　terms。　　This　caused　the　Athenian　commander　to　indulge　in　a　false　confidence　of　success；　and　consequent　apathy；　and　the　army　having　lost　the　active　and　energetic　Lamachus；　operations　were　no　longer　carried　on　with　the　requisite　activity。

It　was　in　this　state　of　affairs　that　the　Spartan　commander；　Gylippus；　passed　over　into　Italy　with　a　little　squadron　of　four　ships；　with　the　view　merely　of　preserving　the　Greek　cities　in　that　country；　supposing　that　Syracuse；　and；　with　her；　the　other　Greek　cities　in　Sicily；　were　irretrievably　lost。　　At　Tarentum　he　learned　to　his　great　surprise　and　satisfaction　that　the　Athenian　wall　of　circumvallation　at　Syracuse　had　not　yet　been　completed　on　the　northern　side。　　He　now　sailed　through　the　straits　of　Messana；　which　were　left　completely　unguarded；　and　arrived　safely　at　Himera　on　the　north　coast　of　Sicily。　　Here　he　announced　himself　as　the　forerunner　of　larger　succours；　and　began　to　levy　an　army　which　the　magic　of　the　Spartan　name　soon　enabled　him　to　effect；　and　in　a　few　days　he　was　in　a　condition　to　march　towards　Syracuse　with　about　3000　men。　　The　Syracusans　now　dismissed　all　thoughts　of　surrender；　and　went　out　boldly　to　meet　Gylippus；　who　marched　into　Syracuse　over　the　heights　of　Epipolae；　which　the　supineness　of　Nicias　had　left　unguarded。　　Upon　arriving　in　the　city；　Gylippus　sent　a　message　to　the　Athenians　allowing　them　a　five　days'　truce　to　collect　their　effects　and　evacuate　the　island。　Nicias　returned　no　answer　to　this　insulting　proposal；　but　the　operations　of　Gylippus　soon　showed　that　the　tide　of　affairs　was　really　turned。　　His　first　exploit　was　to　capture　the　Athenian　fort　at　Labdalum；　which　made　him　master　of　Epipolae。　　He　next　commenced　constructing　a　counter…wall　to　intersect　the　Athenian　lines　on　the　northern　side。　　This　turn　of　affairs　induced　those　Sicilian　cities　which　had　hitherto　hesitated　to　embrace　the　side　of　Syracuse。　　Gylippus　was　also　reinforced　by　the　arrival　of　thirty　triremes　from　Corinth；　Leucas；　and　Ambracia。　　Nicias　now　felt　that　the　attempt　to　blockade　Syracuse　with　his　present　force　was　hopeless。　　He　therefore　resolved　to　occupy　the　headland　of　Plemmyrium；　the　southernmost　point　of　the　entrance　to　the　Great　Harbour；　which　would　be　a　convenient　station　for　watching　the　enemy；　as　well　as　for　facilitating　the　introduction　of　supplies。　Here　he　accordingly　erected　three　forts　and　formed　a　naval　station。　　Some　slight　affairs　occurred　in　which　the　balance　of　advantage　was　in　favour　of　the　Syracusans。　　By　their　change　of　station　the　Athenians　were　now　a　besieged　rather　than　a　besieging　force。　　Their　triremes　were　becoming　leaky；　and　their　soldi