ATHENS. 



29 



Athens, tempted to dissuade his countrymen. Even when 

 V -' the latter, hoping at least to procure a delay, gave 

 an exaggerated statement of the preparations which 

 would be necessary, the Athenians voted an imme- 

 diate supply of all he demanded. Nicias, Alcibiades, 

 and Lamachus, were appointed commanders of the 

 expedition. 



The armament consisted of 100 gallics, with a 

 number of transports and smaller vessels, having on 

 board 5000 heavy armed troops, besides archers and 

 slingers. Its rendezvous was at Corey ra, whence it 

 crossed over to the nearest point of Italy, and sailed 

 along the coast till it came to the straits of Messina. 

 Great expectations had been entertained from the 

 Italian states, several of whom were bound by al- 

 liance and former favours ; but all, jealous of such 

 mighty interference, shut their gates against the 

 Athenians. On their arrival off the coast of Sicily, 

 the Egestans were found altogether incapable of per- 

 forming their promises. The question then came to 

 be, What was to be done ? Nicias proposed to re- 

 turn immediately ; Lamachus to proceed without de- 

 lay to Syracuse, before it had time to prepare, or to 

 recover from its consternation. A middle plan pre- 

 vailed, which was to sail round the coast, in order to 

 collect resources and allies for the future siege of 

 Syracuse. 



Alcibiades proceeded first to Naxos and Catana, 

 with both which cities he succeeded ; but, as he was 

 Disgrace of proceeding to Messana, a deputation arrived, com- 

 Alcibiades. manding him to return to Athens. His enemies had 

 taken advantage of his absence to press a charge of 

 impiety, founded on the extraordinary circumstance 

 of all the statues of Mercury having been found mu- 

 tilated on the morning of his departure. It seemed 

 countenanced by the habitual levity of his conduct. 

 Alcibiades, aware of the little lenity exercised by 

 Athens towards her great men, declined standing his 

 trial, and retired to Sparta. It seems difficult to 

 determine, whether his former influence, or his pre- 

 sent disgrace, were most fatal to his country. Since 

 the expedition was undertaken, he certainly, of all 

 men, was best qualified to conduct it. The timid 

 and irresolute character of Nicias, on whom the 

 chief command now devolved, rendered him wholly 

 unfit to conduct an enterprize which could succeed 

 only by prompt and decisive measures. He spun 

 out the summer in small and ineffective expeditions 

 against the inferior states. By a skilful stratagem, 

 he drew off the Syracusan army to Catana, and was 

 thus enabled to effect his landing without opposition. 

 An engagement soon after ensued, in which the Sy- 

 racusans were defeated : But Nicias, not conceiving 

 himself to be yet in a state to finish the siege, im- 

 mediately reimbarked, and returned to spend the win- 

 ter at Catana. 



Early next spring Nicias, having received large re- 

 Siege of Sy- inforcements, seriously undertook the siege of Syra- 

 raciue. cuse. The inhabitants defended themselves with 



bravery and resolution ; but, as their troops were 

 comparatively undisciplined, and their generals inex- 

 perienced, they were gradually pressed closer and 

 closer, and at length reduced to such an extremity, 

 that their fall seemed rapidly approaching. 



The Lacedemonians could not observe, without 



the most extreme jealousy, the progress of the Athe- 

 nian arms. Alcibiades, whose resentment had now 

 impelled him to espouse their cause, strongly incul- 

 cated on them the necessity of vigorously opposing 

 it. By his advice, they were induced to declare war 

 against the Athenians, to send an army into Attica, 

 and to fortify Decelia, which might give them a per- 

 manent establishment in the Athenian territory. At 

 the same time they sent Gylippus, an able command- 

 er, with a body of select troops, to the aid of the 

 Syracusans. The Corinthians, at the same time, sent 

 a large fleet for the same purpose. Encouraged by 

 the prospect of succour, the Syracusans renewed 

 their efforts. Gylippus landed on the western coast, 

 was joined on his march by the troops of Selinus, 

 Gela, and Himera, and entered Syracuse in consider- 

 able force. Two actions followed, in the first of 

 which he was repulsed, but in the second he defeated 

 the Athenians with considerable loss. Animated 

 by this success, the Syracusans, now reinforced by 

 the Corinthian squadron, determined to attack the 

 enemy on their own element. After several failures, 

 they at length succeeded in defeating them there 

 also j an event which filled them with the highest 

 exultation. All Sicily now declared against the de- 

 clining fortune of Athens ; the supplies of provisions 

 were withheld ; and the armament gradually moulder- 

 ed away, while that of the enemy received continual 

 accessions. 



In this distress Nicias wrote home, urging strong- 

 ly the necessity, either of his immediate recal, or of 

 large reinforcements. Never could the latter demand 

 arrive more unseasonably. The Lacedemonians, ac- 

 cording to the advice of Alcibiades, had fortified 

 Decelia, and were thus enabled, both to keep Athens 

 in perpetual alarm, and to cut off all supplies of pro- 

 visions, unless by sea. Yet such was the daring en- 

 terprise, and vast resources, of this state, that, in- 

 stead of recalling Nicias, they fitted out, without de- 

 lay, an armament nearly equal to that originally sent. 

 The unexpected appearance of so mighty a rein- 

 forcement inspired the assailants with new courage, 

 while it struck the besieged with dismay. It was 

 commanded by Demosthenes. By his advice a gene- 

 ral attack was resolved on. It was undertaken ac- 

 cordingly by moonlight, against the quarter of Epi- 

 polae ; having gained which, they hoped to possess 

 themselves of the whole city. They at first succeed- 

 ed ; Epipohe was forced ; but when the Athenians 

 pressed forward to pursue their advantage, the dark- 

 ness of the night, and their ignorance of the place, 

 threw them into inextricable confusion. They were 

 unable to distinguish between friends and foes ; the 

 enemy gained their watchword ; and, after a dread- 

 ful combat, they were repulsed with great slaughter. 

 Demosthenes now advised an immediate return ; 

 but this proposal was unexpectedly opposed by Ni- 

 cias, who dreaded to appear before the enraged as- 

 sembly of Athens, and entertained hopes, from secret 

 connections which he had formed in the city. Things 

 remained in this state, till Gylippus arrived with 

 a powerful reinforcement, which he had collected 

 from the different states of Sicily. The necessi- 

 ty of departing was now obvious to all ; but an 

 eclipse of the sun happening, Nicias, from a prin- 



Athens. 



