192 ANT I ENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



the King of Perfia. In fuch another expedition to Cyprus, they 

 loft 150 gallies. They carried their arms even as far as the Euxine 

 fea, where they loft, of themfelves and allies, 10,000 men ; and, in 

 the Hellefpont, Lyfander deftroyed 200 of their gallies : But the 

 moft extraordinary inftance of their folly and madnefs^ as I ihlnk 

 it fhould rather be called, of this people, was their expedition a- 

 gainft Sicily, which happened towards the end of the Peloponefian 

 war, a moft dangerous war, which the Athenians carried on againft 

 the Lacedaemonians and all their allies in Peloponefus, and which 

 lafted 27 years. When they undertook this expedition to Sicily, 

 the Lacedaemonians were in poffeffion of a confiderable part of 

 their country, and almoft at the gates of their city. Yet, even in 

 that fituation, they thought of nothing lefs than the conqueft of 

 Sicily, for which purpofe they fitted out a very great fleet and army, 

 ■with which they inverted Syracufe, though they never had received 

 the leaft injury from the Syracufans. But they were informed that 

 they had a very fine territory round their city, which they propof- 

 ed to divide among their citizens. In this expedition they loft no 

 lefs than 300 fhips of war and 40,000 men. And their lofs was fo 

 compleat, that there was not a fingle man left to carry the news to 

 Athens*. 



After fuch lofles, it was no wonder that they concluded fo 111 the 

 Peloponefian war, which had like to have ended in the abfolute def- 

 trudion of their city, and making a fheep park of Attica. This, 

 we are told, was under deliberation among the Spartans and their 

 allies. But inftead of that, they obliged them to fubmit"to the go- 

 vernment of 30 tyrants, whom the Spartans named. 



By fuch a ferles of bad conduit, under their democratical govern- 

 ment, the people were reduced to want even the neceflaries of life, 



as 



• D!od, Lib. 13. 



