nicias-第7章

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their　march　in　battle　array　against　the　Athenians；　as　Nicias　also
embattled　these。　And　Gylippus；　piling　his　arms　in　view　of　the
Athenians；　sent　a　herald　to　tell　them　he　would　give　them　leave　to
depart　from　Sicily　without　molestation。　To　this　Nicias　would　not
vouchsafe　any　answer；　but　some　of　his　soldiers　laughing；　asked　if　with
the　sight　of　one　coarse　coat　and　Laconian　staff　the　Syracusan
prospects　had　become　so　brilliant　that　they　could　despise　the
Athenians；　who　had　released　to　the　Lacedaemonians　three　hundred；
whom　they　held　in　chains；　bigger　men　than　Gylippus；　and　longer…haired？
Timaeus；　also；　writes　that　even　the　Syracusans　made　no　account　of
Gylippus；　at　the　first　sight　mocking　at　his　staff　and　long　hair；　as
afterwards　they　found　reason　to　blame　his　covetousness　and　meanness。
The　same　author；　however；　adds　that　on　Gylippus's　first　appearance；　as
it　might　have　been　at　the　sight　of　an　owl　abroad　in　the　air；　there　was
a　general　flocking　together　of　men　to　serve　in　the　war。　And　this　is
the　truer　saying　of　the　two；　for　in　the　staff　and　the　cloak　they　saw
the　badge　and　authority　of　Sparta；　and　crowded　to　him　accordingly。　And
not　only　Thucydides　affirms　that　the　whole　thing　was　done　by　him
alone；　but　so；　also；　does　Philistus；　who　was　a　Syracusan　and　an　actual
witness　of　what　happened。
　　However；　the　Athenians　had　the　better　in　the　first　encounter；　and
slew　some　few　of　the　Syracusans；　and　amongst　them　Gongylus　of　Corinth。
But　on　the　next　day　Gylippus；　showed　what　it　is　to　be　a　man　of
experience；　for　with　the　same　arms；　the　same　horses；　and　on　the　same
spot　of　ground；　only　employing　them　otherwise；　he　overcame　the
Athenians；　and　they　fleeing　to　their　camp；　he　set　the　Syracusans　to
work；　and　with　the　stone　and　materials　that　had　been　brought
together　for　finishing　the　wall　of　the　Athenians；　he　built　a
cross…wall　to　intercept　theirs　and　break　it　off；　so　that　even　if
they　were　successful　in　the　field；　they　would　not　be　able　to　do
anything。　And　after　this　the　Syracusans　taking　courage　manned　their
galleys；　and　with　their　horse　and　followers　ranging　about　took　a
good　many　prisoners；　and　Gylippus　going　himself　to　the　cities；
called　upon　them　to　join　with　him；　and　was　listened　to　and　supported
vigorously　by　them。　So　that　Nicias　fell　back　again　to　his　old　views；
and；　seeing　the　face　of　affairs　change；　desponded；　and　wrote　to
Athens；　bidding　them　either　send　another　army；　or　recall　this　out　of
Sicily；　and　that　he　might；　in　any　case；　he　wholly　relieved　of　the
command；　because　of　his　disease。
　　Before　this　the　Athenians　had　been　intending　to　send　another　army　to
Sicily；　but　envy　of　Nicias's　early　achievements　and　high　fortune　had
occasioned；　up　to　this　time；　many　delays；　but　now　they　were　all
eager　to　send　off　succours。　Eurymedon　went　before；　in　midwinter；
with　money；　and　to　announce　that　Euthydemus　and　Menander　were　chosen
out　of　those　that　served　there　under　Nicias　to　be　joint　commanders
with　him。　Demosthenes　was　to　go　after　in　the　spring　with　a　great
armament。　In　the　meantime　Nicias　was　briskly　attacked；　both　by　sea　and
land；　in　the　beginning　he　had　the　disadvantage　on　the　water；　but　in
the　end　repulsed　and　sunk　many　galleys　of　the　enemy。　But　by　land　he
could　not　provide　succour　in　time；　so　Gylippus　surprised　and
captured　Plemmyrium；　in　which　the　stores　for　the　navy；　and　a　great　sum
of　money　being　there　kept；　all　fell　into　his　hands；　and　many　were
slain；　and　many　taken　prisoners。　And　what　was　of　greatest
importance；　he　now　cut　off　Nicias's　supplies；　which　had　been　safely
and　readily　conveyed　to　him　under　Plemmyrium；　while　the　Athenians
still　held　it；　but　now　that　they　were　beaten　out；　he　could　only
procure　them　with　great　difficulty；　and　with　opposition　from　the
enemy；　who　lay　in　wait　with　their　ships　under　that　fort。　Moreover；
it　seemed　manifest　to　the　Syracusans　that　their　navy　had　not　been
beaten　by　strength；　but　by　their　disorder　in　the　pursuit。　Now；
therefore；　all　hands　went　to　work　to　prepare　for　a　new　attempt　that
should　succeed　better　than　the　former。　Nicias　had　no　wish　for　a
sea…fight；　but　said　it　was　mere　folly　for　them；　when　Demosthenes　was
coming　in　all　haste　with　so　great　a　fleet　and　fresh　forces　to　their
succour；　to　engage　the　enemy　with　a　less　number　of　ships　and　ill
provided。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　Menander　and　Euthydemus；　who　were
just　commencing　their　new　command；　prompted　by　a　feeling　of　rivalry
and　emulation　of　both　the　generals；　were　eager　to　gain　some　great
success　before　Demosthenes　came；　and　to　prove　themselves　superior　to
Nicias。　They　urged　the　honour　of　the　city；　which；　said　they；　would
be　blemished　and　utterly　lost　if　they　should　decline　a　challenge
from　the　Syracusans。　Thus　they　forced　Nicias　to　a　sea…fight；　and　by
the　stratagem　of　Ariston；　the　Corinthian　pilot　（his　trick；　described
by　Thucydides；　about　the　men's　dinners）；　they　were　worsted；　and　lost
many　of　their　men；　causing　the　greatest　dejection　to　Nicias；　who　had
suffered　so　much　from　having　the　sole　command；　and　now　again
miscarried　through　his　colleagues。
　　But　now　by　this　time　Demosthenes　with　his　splendid　fleet　came　in
sight　outside　the　harbour；　a　terror　to　the　enemy。　He　brought　along；　in
seventy…three　galleys；　five　thousand　men…at…arms；　of　darters；　archers；
and　slingers；　not　less　than　three　thousand　with　the　glittering　of
their　armour；　the　flags　waving　from　the　galleys；　the　multitude　of
coxswains　and　flute…players　giving　time　to　the　rowers；　setting　off　the
whole　with　all　possible　warlike　pomp　and　ostentation　to　dismay　the
enemy。　Now　one　may　believe　the　Syracusans　were　again　in　extreme　alarm；
seeing　no　end　or　prospect　of　release　before　them；　toiling；　as　it
seemed；　in　vain；　and　perishing　to　no　purpose。　Nicias；　however；　was　not
long　overjoyed　with　the　reinforcement；　for　the　first　time　he　conferred
with　Demosthenes；　who　advised　forthwith　to　attack　the　Syracusans；
and　to　put　all　to　the　speediest　hazard；　to　win　Syracuse；　or　else
return　home；　afraid；　and　wondering　at　his　promptness　and　audacity；
he　besought　him　to　do　nothing　rashly　and；　desperately；　since　delay
would　be　the　ruin　of　the　enemy；　whose　money　would　not　hold　out；　nor
their　confederates　be　long　kept　together；　that　when　once　they　came
to　be　pinched　with　want；　they　would　presently　come　again　to　him　for
terms；　as　formerly。　For；　indeed；　many　in　Syracuse　held　secret
correspondence　with　him；　and　urged　him　to　stay；　declaring　that　even
now　the　people　were　quite　worn　out　with　the　war　and　weary　of　Gylippus。
And　if　their　necessities　should　the　least　sharpen　upon　them　they　would
give　up　all。
　　Nicias　glancing　darkly　at　these　matters；　and　unwilling　to　speak
out　plainly；　made　his　colleagues　imagine　that　it　was　cowardice　which
made　him　talk　in　this　manner。　And　saying　that　this　was　the　old　story
over　again；　the　well…known　procrastinations　and　delays　and　refinements
with　which　at　first　he　let　slip　the　opportunity　in　not　immediately
falling　on　the　enemy；　but　suffering　the　armament　to　become　a　thing
of　yesterday；　that　nobody　was　alarmed　with；　they　took　the　side　of
Demosthenes；　and　with　ado　forced　Nicias　to　comply。　And　so　Demosthenes；
taking　the　land…forces；　by　night　made　an　assault　upon　Epipolae；　part
of　the　enemy　he　slew　ere　they　took　the　alarm；　the　rest　defending
themselves　he　put　to　flight。　Nor　was　he　content　with　this　victory
there；　but　pushed　on　further；　till　he　met　the　Boeotians。　For　these
were　the　first　that　made　head　against　the　Athenians；　and　charged
them　with　a　shout；　spear　against　spear；　and　killed　many　on　the
place。　And　now　at　once　there　ensued　a　panic　and　confusion　throughout
the　whole　army；　the　victorious　portion　got　infected　with　the　fears
of　the　flying　part；　and　those　who　were　still　disembarking　and　coming
forward　falling　foul　of　the　retreaters；　came　into　conflict　with
their　own　party；　taking　the　fugitives　for　pursuers；　and　treating　their
friends　as　if　they　were　the　enemy。
　　Thus　huddled　together　in　disorder；　distracted　with　fear　and
uncertainties；　and　unable　to　be　sure　of　seeing　anything；　the　night　not
being　absolutely　dark；　nor　yielding　any　steady　light；　the　moon　then
towards　setting；　shadowed　with　the　many　weapons　and　bodies　that
moved　to　and　fro；　and　glimmering　so　as　not　to　show　an