A T H 



out going abroad to feck for more ; and that though they 

 were hardly beginning to rocover fron:i the misfortunes oc- 

 cafioned by the late war and plague, tliey were wantonly 

 expofing themfelves to a greater danger Hill. Nicias, in 

 this harangue, likewife reflcdltd indireftly on the luxury of 

 Alcibiades, who had now carried his extravagance to an in- 

 credible pitch. The expence of the furniture of his houfe, 

 and of liis retinue, was prodigious. His table wa{! as fump- 

 tuous as that of any prince ; and he contended at the 

 Olympic games with fcven different fets of horfe's. To 

 fupport fo expenfive a life, it was abfolutely neceffary for 

 him to poflefs vaft funds ; and Nicias no doubt meant to in- 

 finuate, that Alcibiades expeded to have an opportunity 

 by this expedition to repair his private fortune, which 

 mud have been greatly diffipated by fuch enormous ex- 

 pences. Alcibiades anfwered the harangue of Nicias, by 

 telling the audience, that his magniiicence v/as intended to 

 reflcft honour on his country ; he put them in mind of 

 his ferv'ices to the commonwealth ; he affured them that 

 the cities of Sicily were fo wear)' of the opprcffion of their 

 petty fovcreigns, that they would inftantly open their gates 

 to the firft power which fhould appear to deliver them from 

 their prefent flavery ; and he concluded witli telling them, 

 that to carry their arms abroad was the furell way to damp 

 the courage of their enemies, and that the Athenians mull 

 always continue mailers at fea, in fpite of the Lacedasmo- 

 nians. The Athenians, delighted with this flattering 

 fpeech of Alcibiades, entirely difregarded that of Nicias, 

 who was a man of a foft pufillanimous t'ifpofition, and of 

 an irrefolute temper. They therefore perfitted in their re- 

 folution to undertake this expedition, and began to make 

 the neceffary preparations for it with the utmoft difpatch. 

 (Thucydides.) Jull as the Athenian fleet was on the point 

 of fctting fail, feveral evil prefagts fell out that extremely 

 perplexed the minds of the people, ift. The feaft of 

 Adonis happened at this time, which was celebrated by the 

 women uttering piteous groans and lamentations ; and it 

 was cullomary for all the inhabitants on that occafion to 

 wear mourning, zdly. The ftatues of Mercury, one of 

 which Hood before the entry of every houfe, were all maimed 

 in the fame night, and the author ot this piece of facrilege 

 could not be difcovered. The wild libertine character of 

 Alcibiades expofcd him to fufpicions of having been con- 

 cerned in this mifchief. But the affeftion entertained for 

 him by the foldier^- and failors, who declared that they 

 would not proceed on the expedition, if the fmalleil violence 

 was offered to his perfon, preferved him at prefent from any 

 trouble on that account. Alcibiades demanded to be tried, 

 that he might have an opportunity of juftifying hiraftlf be- 

 fore his departure. But the people, impatient for the ex- 

 pedition proceeding, obUged him to fet fail. The view of 

 the fleet under fail attrafted the admiration both of the ci- 

 tizens and of llrangcrs ; for never had a fingle city in the 

 wellern world diiplaycd fo grand and magnificent an arma- 

 ment. It confifted of a hundred and thirty-fix vefltls, car- 

 rying fix thoufand two hundred and eighty foidicrs, of 

 whom the greater part were heavy armed. Bcfides thefe, 

 there were thirty veffels loaded with provifions, and the 

 whole was attended by one hundred barks, without includ- 

 ing merchant ftiips, or the after augmentations of the fleet. 

 Befides the fea forces, there was a body of troops for the 

 land fervice, and among thefe a few cavalry. All the forces 

 were equipped in the mofl; complete manner ; and upon tiie 

 whole, there could hardly be a grander or more beautiful 

 exhibition. (B. C. 414.) When the troops were embarked, 

 the whole fleet on a fignal given by a trumpet, weighed 

 anchor, attended with a general (hout of the fpedlators, 



A T H 



pouring out their mod earnell vows for the fucctfs of their 

 fellow-citizens. The fleet direiiled its courfe towards Rhe- 

 gium, whither they difpatched fome fliips before the reil, 

 to fee that the money promifed by the Egiilians was ready ; 

 of which, however, they found no more than thirty talents 

 provided. Nicias availed himfelf of this circumftance to 

 enforce the reafons he had infilled on againfl: the expedition, 

 and advifed to terminate the difputc between the Egiftians 

 and Selinontines in an amicable manner ; to oblige the for- 

 mer to fulfil their engagements ; and then to return to 

 Athens. Alcibiades, on the contrary, faid it would be 

 difgraceful to return without performing fome Cgnal exploit 

 with fo powerful an armament ; that they ought to endea- 

 vour to detacii the Greeks in Sicily from their connedtion 

 with Syracufe, to bring them over to their own parly, and 

 after obtaining from them reinforcement;; both of troops and 

 provifions, to attack Syracufe. Lamachus advifed to march 

 immediately againll Syracufe ; but the opinion of Alcibia- 

 des prevailed. They therefore continued their courfe for 

 Sicily, where Alcibiades reduced Catana. At Athens, the 

 enemies of Alcibiades intent alone on gratifying their re- 

 fentment, without regarding the public interefl, took ad- 

 vantage of his abfence to renew againfl him an accufation 

 of having in a debauch profaned the myfteries of Proferpine 

 and Ceres ; and they profecuted the accufation with the 

 moll inveterate malice and animofity. Many perfons were 

 accufed, and thrown into prifon, without being even per- 

 mitted to be heard ; and a veffel was difpatched to bring 

 Alcibiades to ftand trial before the people. To this he ap- 

 parently confented, and went on board of the galley ; but 

 on arriving at Thurium, he difappeared. Not having there- 

 fore obeyed the fummons within the hmited time, he was 

 condemned to death for contumacy, and his cffefl* were 

 confifcated. (Thucydides, 1. vi. ) The departure of Alci- 

 biades fprcad apprehenfion through the army. Nicias, now 

 chief commander, by his irreiolute conduiil, fuffered the 

 ardour of the Athenians to cool, and he fpent the grcateft 

 part of the fummer inadlive at Catana. The Athenian 

 foldiers, impatient of fuch dilatory proceedings, reproached 

 their general, who, to pleafe the army, rcfolved to befiege 

 Syracufe. Though flow in counfel, yet vigorous in con- 

 duft, he condufted his attacks with fo much ability, that 

 the inhabitants were inchned to furrcnder. Already feveral 

 ftates of Sicily and Italy had declared in his favour, when 

 a Lacedsemonian general named Gylippus entered the be- 

 fieged city, with a few troops which he had brought from 

 Peloponnefus, or colleAed in Sicily. Nicias might have 

 prevented him from landing in the illand, but loft; the op- 

 portunity ; an irreparable fault, which proved the fource of 

 all his misfortunes. Gyhppus luvived the courage of the 

 Syracufans, defeated the Athen;aus, and held them blocked 

 up in their intrenchments. Athens fent to Sicily another 

 fleet confilbing of about feventy-tliree gallics, under the 

 command of Demoft;henes and Eurymedon, and a fecond 

 army of five thoufand men heavily armed, and fome hght 

 troops. Demofthenes having lofl two thoufand men at the 

 attack of an important poll, and confidering that the fea 

 would foon be no longer navigable, and that the troops 

 were wafting away by dilorders, propofed to abandon the 

 enterprife, or tranfport the army to fome healthier fituation. 

 When they were on the point of fetting fail, Nicias, terri- 

 fied at an eclipfe of the moon, which Ipread confternatioa 

 through the camp, confulted the augurs, who direfted him 

 to wait tvi'enty-leven davs longer. Before the expiration 

 of this time, the Athenians, vanquifhed by lea and land, 

 no longer able to remain under the waOs of Syracufe for 

 want of provifions, nor to efcape out of the harbour, the 

 7 mouth 



