nicias-第3章

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But　he　turned　all　the　blame　upon　Nicias；　charging　it　on　his　softness
and　cowardice；　that　the　besieged　were　not　yet　taken。　〃Were　I　general；〃
said　he；　〃they　should　not　hold　out　so　long。〃　The　Athenians　not
unnaturally　asked　the　question；　〃Why；　then；　as　it　is；　do　not　you　go
with　a　squadron　against　them？〃　And　Nicias　standing　up　resigned　his
command　at　Pylos　to　him；　and　bade　him　take　what　forces　he　pleased
along　with　him；　and　not　be　bold　in　words；　out　of　harm's　way；　but　go
forth　and　perform　some　real　service　for　the　commonwealth。　Cleon；　at
the　first；　tried　to　draw　back；　disconcerted　at　the　proposal；　which
he　had　never　expected；　but　the　Athenians　insisting；　and　Nicias
loudly　upbraiding　him；　he　thus　provoked；　and　fired　with　ambition；　took
upon　him　the　charge；　and　said　further；　that　within　twenty　days　after
he　embarked；　he　would　either　kill　the　enemy；　upon　the　place；　or
bring　them　alive　to　Athens。　This　the　Athenians　were　readier　to
launch　at　than　to　believe；　as　on　other　occasions；　also；　his　bold
assertions　and　extravagances　used　to　make　them　sport；　and　were
pleasant　enough。　As；　for　instance；　it　is　reported　that　once　when　the
people　were　assembled；　and　had　waited　his　coming　a　long　time；　at
last　he　appeared　with　a　garland　on　his　head；　and　prayed　them　to
adjourn　to　the　next　day。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　not　at　leisure
to…day；　I　have　sacrificed　to　the　gods；　and　am　to　entertain　some
strangers。〃　Whereupon　the　Athenians；　laughing；　rose　up；　and
dissolved　the　assembly。　However；　at　this　time　he　had　good…fortune；　and
in　conjunction　with　Demosthenes；　conducted　the　enterprise　so　well
that；　within　the　time　he　had　limited；　he　carried　captive　to　Athens　all
the　Spartans　that　had　not　fallen　in　battle。
　　This　brought　great　disgrace　on　Nicias；　for　this　was　not　to　throw
away　his　shield；　but　something　yet　more　shameful　and　ignominious；　to
quit　his　charge　voluntarily　out　of　cowardice；　and　voting　himself；　as
it　were；　out　of　his　command　of　his　own　accord；　to　put　into　his　enemy's
hand　the　opportunity　of　achieving　so　brave　an　action。　Aristophanes　has
a　jest　against　him　on　this　occasion　in　the　Birds：…

　　　　　　　　　　〃Indeed；　not　now　the　word　that　must　be　said
　　　　　　　　　　　Is；　do　like　Nicias；　or　retire　to　bed。〃

And；　again；　in　his　Husbandmen：…

　　　　　　　　　〃I　wish　to　stay　at　home　and　farm；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　then？
　　　　　　　　　　Who　should　prevent　you？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　You；　my　countrymen；
　　　　　　　　　　Whom　I　would　pay　a　thousand　drachmas　down；
　　　　　　　　　　To　let　me　give　up　office　and　leave　town。
　　　　　　　　　　Enough；　content；　the　sum　two　thousand　is；
　　　　　　　　　　With　those　that　Nicias　paid　to　give　up　his。〃

　　Besides　all　this；　he　did　great　mischief　to　the　city　by　suffering　the
accession　of　so　much　reputation　and　power　to　Cleon；　who　now　assumed
such　lofty　airs；　and　allowed　himself　in　such　intolerable　audacity；
as　led　to　many　unfortunate　results；　a　sufficient　part　of　which　fell　to
his　own　share。　Amongst　other　things；　he　destroyed　all　the　decorum　of
public　speaking；　he　was　the　first　who　ever　broke　out　into
exclamations；　flung　open　his　dress；　smote　his　thigh；　and　ran　up　and
down　whilst　he　was　speaking；　things　which　soon　after　introduced；
amongst　those　who　managed　the　affairs　of　state；　such　licence　and
contempt　of　decency　as　brought　all　into　confusion。
　　Already；　too；　Alcibiades　was　beginning　to　show　his　strength　at
Athens；　a　popular　leader；　not；　indeed；　as　utterly　violent　as　Cleon；
but　as　the　land　of　Egypt；　through　the　richness　of　its　soil；　is　said…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃…great　plenty　to　produce；
　　　　　　　　　Both　wholesome　herbs；　and　drugs　of　deadly　juice；〃

so　the　nature　of　Alcibiades　was　strong　and　luxuriant　in　both　kinds；
and　made　way　for　many　serious　innovations。　Thus　it　fell　out　that　after
Nicias　had　got　his　hands　clear　of　Cleon；　he　had　not　opportunity　to
settle　the　city　perfectly　into　quietness。　For　having　brought　matters
to　a　pretty　hopeful　condition；　he　found　everything　carried　away　and
plunged　again　into　confusion　by　Alcibiades；　through　the　wildness　and
vehemence　of　his　ambition；　and　all　embroiled　again　in　war　worse　than
ever。　Which　fell　out　thus。　The　persons　who　had　principally　hindered
the　peace　were　Cleon　and　Brasidas。　War　setting　off　the　virtue　of　the
one　and　hiding　the　villainy　of　the　other；　gave　to　the　one　occasions　of
achieving　brave　actions；　to　the　other　opportunity　of　committing
equal　dishonesties。　Now　when　these　two　were　in　one　battle　both　slain
near　Amphipolis；　Nicias　was　aware　that　the　Spartans　had　long　been
desirous　of　a　peace；　and　that　the　Athenians　had　no　longer　the　same
confidence　in　the　war。　Both　being　alike　tired；　and；　as　it　were　by
consent；　letting　fall　their　hands；　he；　therefore；　in　this　nick　of
time；　employed　his　efforts　to　make　a　friendship　betwixt　the　two
cities；　and　to　deliver　the　other　states　of　Greece　from　the　evils　and
calamities　they　laboured　under；　and　so　establish　his　own　good　name　for
success　as　a　statesman　for　all　future　time。　He　found　the　men　of
substance；　the　elder　men；　and　the　land…owners　and　farmers　pretty
generally　all　inclined　to　peace。　And　when；　in　addition　to　these；　by
conversing　and　reasoning；　he　had　cooled　the　wishes　of　a　good　many
others　for　war；　he　now　encouraged　the　hopes　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　and
counselled　them　to　seek　peace。　They　confided　in　him；　as　on　account
of　his　general　character　for　moderation　and　equity；　so；　also；
because　of　the　kindness　and　care　he　had　shown　to　the　prisoners　taken
at　Pylos　and　kept　in　confinement；　making　their　misfortune　the　more
easy　to　them。
　　The　Athenians　and　the　Spartans　had　before　this　concluded　a　truce　for
a　year；　and　during　this；　by　associating　with　one　another；　they　had
tasted　again　the　sweets　of　peace　and　security　and　unimpeded
intercourse　with　friends　and　connections；　and　thus　longed　for　an　end
of　that　fighting　and　bloodshed；　and　heard　with　delight　the　chorus　sing
such　verses　as…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃my　lance　I'll　leave
　　　　　　　　　Laid　by；　for　spiders　to　o'erweave；〃

and　remembered　with　joy　the　saying；　In　peace；　they　who　sleep　are
awaked　by　the　cock…crow；　not　by　the　trumpet。　So　shutting　their　ears；
with　loud　reproaches；　to　the　forebodings　of　those　who　said　that　the
Fates　decreed　this　to　be　a　war　of　thrice　nine　years；　the　whole
question　having　been　debated；　they　made　a　peace。　And　most　people
thought；　now；　indeed；　they　had　got　an　end　of　all　their　evils。　And
Nicias　was　in　every　man's　mouth；　as　one　especially　beloved　of　the
gods；　who；　for　his　piety　and　devotion；　had　been　appointed　to　give　a
name　to　the　fairest　and　greatest　of　all　blessings。　For　in　fact　they
considered　the　peace　Nicias's　work；　as　the　war　the　work　of　Pericles；
because　he；　on　light　occasions；　seemed　to　have　plunged　the　Greeks　into
great　calamities；　while　Nicias　had　induced　them　to　forget　all　the
evils　they　had　done　each　other　and　to　be　friends　again；　and　so　to　this
day　it　is　called　the　Peace　of　Nicias。
　　The　articles　being；　that　the　garrisons　and　towns　taken　or；　either
side　and　the　prisoners　should　be　restored；　and　they　to　restore　the
first　to　whom　it　should　fall　by　lot。　Nicias；　as　Theophrastus　tells　us；
by　a　sum　of　money　procured　that　the　lot　should　fall　for　the
Lacedaemonians　to　deliver　the　first。　Afterwards；　when　the
Corinthians　and　the　Boeotians　showed　their　dislike　of　what　was　done；
and　by　their　complaints　and　accusations　were　well…nigh　bringing　the
war　back　again；　Nicias　persuaded　the　Athenians　and　the　Lacedaemonians；
besides　the　peace；　to　make　a　treaty　of　alliance；　offensive　and
defensive；　as　a　tie　and　confirmation　of　the　peace；　which　would　make
them　more　terrible　to　those　that　held　out；　and　the　firmer　to　each
other。　Whilst　these　matters　were　on　foot；　Alcibiades；　who　was　no　lover
of　tranquillity；　and　who　was　offended　with　the　Lacedaemonians
because　of　their　applications　and　attentions　to　Nicias；　while　they
overlooked　and　despised　himself；　from　first　to　last；　indeed；　had
opposed　the　peace；　though　all　in　vain；　but　now　finding　that　the
Lacedaemonians　did　not　altogether　continue　to　please　the　Athenians；
but　were　thought　to　have　acted　unfairly　in　having　made　a　league　with
the　Boeotians；　and　had　not　given　up　Panactum；　as　they　should　have
done；　with　its　fortifications　unrazed；　nor　yet　Amphipolis；　he　laid