nicias-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


put　the　Leontines　in　possession　of　their　city；　at　last；　with　much　ado；
Nicias　resolved　to　sail　against　Syracuse。　And　wishing　to　form　his　camp
safely　and　without　molestation；　he　procured　a　man　to　carry　from　Catana
intelligence　to　the　Syracusans　that　they　might　seize　the　camp　of　the
Athenians　unprotected；　and　all　their　arms；　if　on　such　a　day　they
should　march　with　all　their　forces　to　Catana；　and　that；　the
Athenians　living　mostly　in　the　town；　the　friends　of　the　Syracusans　had
concerted；　as　soon　as　they　should　perceive　them　coming；　to　possess
themselves　of　one　of　the　gates；　and　to　fire　the　arsenal；　that　many　now
were　in　the　conspiracy　and　awaited　their　arrival。　This　was　the
ablest　thing　Nicias　did　in　the　whole　of　his　conduct　of　the　expedition。
For　having　drawn　out　all　the　strength　of　the　enemy；　and　made　the
city　destitute　of　men；　he　set　out　from　Catana；　entered　the　harbour；
and　chose　a　fit　place　for　his　camp；　where　the　enemy　could　least
incommode　him　with　the　means　in　which　they　were　superior　to　him；　while
with　the　means　in　which　he　was　superior　to　them　he　might　expect　to
carry　on　the　war　without　impediment。
　　When　the　Syracusans　returned　from　Catana；　and　stood　in　battle
array　before　the　city　gates；　he　rapidly　led　up　the　Athenians　and
fell　on　them　and　defeated　them；　but　did　not　kill　many；　their　horse
hindering　the　pursuit。　And　his　cutting　and　breaking　down　the　bridges
that　lay　over　the　river　gave　Hermocrates；　when　cheering　up　the
Syracusans；　occasion　to　say　that　Nicias　was　ridiculous；　whose　great
aim　seemed　to　be　to　avoid　fighting；　as　if　fighting　were　not　the
thing　he　came　for。　However；　he　put　the　Syracusans　into　a　very　great
alarm　and　consternation；　so　that　instead　of　fifteen　generals　then　in
service；　they　chose　three　others；　to　whom　the　people　engaged　by　oath
to　allow　absolute　authority。
　　There　stood　near　them　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Olympius；　which　the
Athenians　（there　being　in　it　many　consecrated　things　of　gold　and
silver）　were　eager　to　take；　but　were　purposely　withheld　from　it　by
Nicias；　who　let　the　opportunity　slip；　and　allowed　a　garrison　of　the
Syracusans　to　enter　it；　judging　that　if　the　soldiers　should　make　booty
of　that　wealth　it　would　be　no　advantage　to　the　public；　and　he　should
bear　the　guilt　of　the　impiety。　Not　improving　in　the　least　this
success；　which　was　everywhere　famous；　after　a　few　days'　stay；　away
he　goes　to　Naxos；　and　there　winters；　spending　largely　for　the
maintenance　of　so　great　an　army；　and　not　doing　anything　except　some
matters　of　little　consequence　with　some　native　Sicilians　that　revolted
to　him。　Insomuch　that　the　Syracusans　took　heart　again；　made　excursions
to　Catana；　wasted　the　country；　and　fired　the　camp　of　the　Athenians。
For　which　everybody　blamed　Nicias；　who；　with　his　long　reflection；
his　deliberateness；　and　his　caution；　had　let　slip　the　time　for　action。
None　ever　found　fault　with　the　man　when　once　at　work；　for　in　the　brunt
he　showed　vigour　and　activity　enough；　but　was　slow　and　wanted
assurance　to　engage。
　　When；　therefore；　he　brought　again　the　army　to　Syracuse；　such　was　his
conduct；　and　with　such　celerity；　and　at　the　same　time　security；　he
came　upon　them；　that　nobody　knew　of　his　approach；　when　already　he；　had
come　to　shore　with　his　galleys　at　Thapsus；　and　had　landed　his　men；　and
before　any　could　help　it；　he　had　surprised　Epipolae；　had　defeated
the　body　of　picked　men　that　came　to　its　succour；　took　three　hundred
prisoners；　and　routed　the　cavalry　of　the　enemy；　which　had　been　thought
invincible。　But　what　chiefly　astonished　the　Syracusans；　and　seemed
incredible　to　the　Greeks；　was　in　so　short　a　space　of　time　the
walling　about　of　Syracuse；　a　town　not　less　than　Athens；　and　far　more
difficult；　by　the　unevenness　of　the　ground；　and　the　nearness　of　the
sea　and　the　marshes　adjacent；　to　have　such　a　wall　drawn　in　a　circle
round　it；　yet　this；　all　within　a　very　little；　finished　by　a　man　that
had　not　even　his　health　for　such　weighty　cares；　but　lay　ill　of　the
stone；　which　may　justly　bear　the　blame　for　what　was　left　undone。　I
admire　the　industry　of　the　general；　and　the　bravery　of　the　soldiers
for　what　they　succeeded　in。　Euripides；　after　their　ruin　and
disaster；　writing　their　funeral　elegy；　said　that…

　　　　　　　　　〃Eight　victories　over　Syracuse　they　gained；
　　　　　　　　　　While　equal　yet　to　both　the　gods　remained。〃

And　in　truth　one　shall　not　find　eight；　but　many　more　victories；　won　by
these　men　against　the　Syracusans；　till　the　gods；　in　real　truth；　or
fortune　intervened　to　check　the　Athenians　in　this　advance　to　the
height　of　power　and　greatness。
　　Nicias；　therefore；　doing　violence　to　his　body；　was　present　in　most
actions。　But　once；　when　his　disease　was　the　sharpest　upon　him；　he
lay　in　the　camp　with　some　few　servants　to　attend　him。　And　Lamachus
having　the　command　fought　the　Syracusans；　who　were　bringing　a
cross…wall　from　the　city　along　to　that　of　the　Athenians；　to　hinder
them　from　carrying　it　round；　and　in　the　victory；　the　Athenians
hurrying　in　some　disorder　to　the　pursuit；　Lamachus　getting　separated
from　his　men；　had　to　resist　the　Syracusan　horse　that　came　upon　him。
Before　the　rest　advanced　Callicrates；　a　man　of　good　courage　and
skill　in　war。　Lamachus；　upon　a　challenge；　engaged　with　him　in　single
combat；　and　receiving　the　first　wound；　returned　it　so　home　to
Callicrates；　that　they　both　fell　and　died　together。　The　Syracusans
took　away　his　body　and　arms；　and　at　full　speed　advanced　to　the　wall　of
the　Athenians；　where　Nicias　lay　without　any　troops　to　oppose　to
them；　yet　roused　by　this　necessity；　and　seeing　the　danger；　he　bade
those　about　him　go　and　set　on　fire　all　the　wood　and　materials　that　lay
provided　before　the　wall　for　the　engines；　and　the　engines
themselves；　this　put　a　stop　to　the　Syracusans；　saved　Nicias；　saved　the
walls　and　all　the　money　of　the　Athenians。　For　when　the　Syracusans
saw　such　a　fire　blazing　up　between　them　and　the　wall；　they　retired。
　　Nicias　now　remained　sole　general；　and　with　great　prospects；　for
cities　began　to　come　over　to　alliance　with　him；　and　ships　laden　with
corn　from　every　coast　came　to　the　camp；　every　one　favouring　when
matters　went　well。　And　some　proposals　from　among　the　Syracusans
despairing　to　defend　the　city；　about　a　capitulation；　were　already
conveyed　to　him。　And　in　fact　Gylippus；　who　was　on　his　way　with　a
squadron　to　their　aid　from　Lacedaemon；　hearing　on　his　voyage　of　the
wall　surrounding　them；　and　of　their　distress；　only　continued　his
enterprise　thenceforth；　that；　giving　Sicily　up　for　lost；　he　might；
if　even　that　should　be　possible；　secure　the　Italians　their　cities。　For
a　strong　report　was　everywhere　spread　about　that　the　Athenians　carried
all　before　them；　and　had　a　general　alike　for　conduct　and　for　fortune
invincible。
　　And　Nicias　himself；　too；　now　against　his　nature　grown　bold　in　his
present　strength　and　success；　especially　from　the　intelligence　he
received　underhand　of　the　Syracusans；　believing　they　would　almost
immediately　surrender　the　town　upon　terms；　paid　no　manner　of　regard　to
Gylippus　coming　to　their　assistance；　nor　kept　any　watch　of　his
approach；　so　that；　neglected　altogether　and　despised；　Gylippus　went　in
a　long…boat　ashore　without　the　knowledge　of　Nicias；　and；　having　landed
in　the　remotest　parts　from　Syracuse；　mustered　up　a　considerable　force；
the　Syracusans　not　so　much　as　knowing　of　his　arrival　nor　expecting
him；　so　that　an　assembly　was　summoned　to　consider　the　terms　to　be
arranged　with　Nicias；　and　some　were　actually　on　the　way；　thinking　it
essential　to　have　all　despatched　before　the　town　should　be　quite
walled　round；　for　now　there　remained　very　little　to　be　done；　and　the
materials　for　the　building　lay　all　ready　along　the　line。
　　In　this　very　nick　of　time　and　danger　arrived　Gongylus　in　one
galley　from　Corinth；　and　every　one；　as　may　be　imagined；　flocking　about
him；　he　told　them　that　Gylippus　would　be　with　them　speedily；　and
that　other　ships　were　coming　to　relieve　them。　And；　ere　yet　they
could　perfectly　believe　Gongylus；　an　express　was　brought　from
Gylippus；　to　bid　them　go　forth　to　meet　him。　So　now　taking　good
heart；　they　armed　themselves；　and　Gylippus　at　once　led　on　his　men　from
their　march　in　battle　array　against　the　Athenians；　as　Nicias　also
embattled　these。　And　Gylip