ATTICA. 
The Lacedemonians, in tlie mean time, under their king 
Agis, made a frelb incurtion into Attica, laid wade the 
country, and fortified Decelia, an important port, within 
■eighteen miles of Athens, whence they commanded the 
whole country, and prevented the Athenians irom work¬ 
ing their filver mines, or deriving any*advantage from their 
lands, which they durft not labour. To add (fill farther 
• to the didrefs of the Athenians, they were obliged to 
watch day and night, being kept in a continual alarm by 
the daily incurfions of the enemy. Befides, as all provi- 
fions, before arriving at the city, were brought a great way 
about, they became very dear; and many of their Haves 
deferted to the enemy for want of food. Money, too, was 
very fcarce, neither their mines nor lands yielding them 
any thing. On the whole, the Athenians found themfelves 
in a mod diftrelsful fituation. 
Gvlippus, in the interim, having raifed in Sicily a great 
number of recruits for their army, perfuaded the Syracu- 
fans to exert all their refources in the equipment of a pow¬ 
erful fleet, that they might be able to attack their enemies 
both by lea and land. In a very little time eighty Syra- 
cufan galleys appearing off Plemmyrus, the Athenians 
got on-board their fleet, and failed againd the enemy. A 
very obftinate engagement enfued, which however was 
not decilive for either party. But Gylippus, in the mean 
time attacked the forts on Plemmyrus, and carried them 
by aflault, after killing many Athenian foldiers, and ta¬ 
king feveral prifoners. In thefe forts Gylippus found a 
good deal of money and ammunition, with the furniture 
of a great number of galleys; and, by putting the Syra- 
cufans in poflelTion of that important pod, he rendered it 
difficult for Nicias to receive any convoys. The Athe¬ 
nians, therefore, were feized with great condernation. But 
the Syracufans received about this time a confiderable 
check; for, their fliips having fallen foul of one another 
at the entrance of the Idler harbour, the Athenians at¬ 
tacked them, funk eleven of them, and difperfed the red. 
In memory of this victory, the Athenians erected a trophy 
on a fmall ifland. 
Several other infignificant engagements, which it would 
be tedious to recount, happened between the two parties. 
The Syracufans, however, confidering that it would be 
prudent for them to hazard another battle before the ar¬ 
rival of the reinforcements expedited by the enemy from 
Athens, began to prepare themfelves for it with all poflible 
diligence. Nicias, on the contrary, fenfible how dange¬ 
rous it was to venture another engagement, his men being; 
fo much diminifhed in point of numbers, and exhauded 
With fatigue, refolved to decline fighting till the expedted 
aflidance fhould arrive. But Menander and Euthydemus, 
actuated by jealoufy againd Nicias, maintained, that the 
honour and reputation of Athens would differ by their 
declining the combat; and they infided with fuch obflina- 
cy on his giving battle, that Nicias was forced to comply. 
The fleets at fird only engaged in fmall fkirmifiies. But, 
towards the end of the third day, the Syracufans, after 
making a feint of retiring, as they had done the two pre¬ 
ceding days, turned fuddenly upon the Athenians, who 
being thus taken unawares, and not having time to form, 
were obliged to fly, after lofing feven galleys, and a great 
number of foldiers. The miferable (dilation, to which 
Nicias faw his affairs now reduced, by differing himfelf to 
be over-ruled by his colleagues, threw him into defpair. 
The day after the battle, the expended Athenian fleet, 
confiding of feventy-three galleys, commanded by Demof- 
tlienes, all richly ornamented, and carrying 8000 foldiers, 
came in fight, and advanced with an air of triumph. The 
Syracufans were confounded at their appearance, believing 
the refources of the Athenians to be inexhaudible, and 
that they were to be expofed to greater calamities than 
ever. Demodhenes refolved to avail himfelf of the con- 
ffeVnation into which his arrival had thrown the Syracu- 
fans, flattering himfelf with the perfuafion of taking the 
city at once. But his defign was raffi. Nicias represented 
to him in vain, that the Syracufans, being reduced to the 
• Vol. II. No. 86. 
52s 
laft extremity for want of money and provifians, would 
very foon furrender; which he knew certainly by the in¬ 
formation of fome perfons within the town, who advifed 
him to wait patiently a little longer. But, as he did not 
choofe to mention thofe from whom he received this intel¬ 
ligence, his remondrances were difregaraed; for not only 
Demodhenes and the other commanders, but even the in ¬ 
ferior officers, believed this opinion of Nicias to be entire¬ 
ly fuggefted by fear. Demodhenes even proceeded to up¬ 
braid his backwardnefs ; his reproaches were applauded 
by the red, and all difcovered the utmod impatience for 
fighting. 
Demodhenes immediately refolved to attack Epipolis. 
Having led thither all his forces at night, he himfelf be¬ 
gan the attack of the entrenchments, killed thofe who 
guarded them, and at the fame time repul fed the troops 
that had Tallied out upon him from the city. The Athe¬ 
nians, animated by their fuccefs, hurried forward in dif- 
order, and bore down every thing that oppofed them. But 
the Boeotian troops unexpectedly hopped their career, and, 
attacking them with levelled (pears, put them to flight, 
and made a great daughter. The whole army was feized 
with a panic, which was increafed by tlie darknefs of the 
night. Some in their flight fell from the tops of the rocks, 
and were dalhed in pieces; others wandered into the coun¬ 
try, and were either killed or taken by the Syracufan horfe. 
Upon this occafion the Athenians are faid to have lod up¬ 
wards of 2000 men. This grievous difader entirely dif- 
couraged the Athenians; whofe number, too, was conti¬ 
nually diminilhing by the difeafes that prevailed in the ar¬ 
my, occadoned by the unwholefome vapours of a moral's 
near to which the army was encamped. Demodhenes 
therefore advifed to raife the liege immediately. But Ni¬ 
cias, though of the fame opinion, thought an abrupt de¬ 
parture would but expofe their weaknefs too much; and 
that, at any rate, they ought to wait for orders from Athens. 
On this point Demodhenes was obliged to fubmit to his 
colleague. But Gylippus having, in the mean time, brought 
a frefli fupply of troops to the aid of the Syracufans, the' 
apprehendons of the Athenians were fo much increafed, 
that they refoived to depart immediately. The Syracu¬ 
fans, getting notice of this refolution, prepared to attack 
them by fea and land. They fell fird upon their entrench¬ 
ments, which they carried ; and then their galleys failed 
againd thofe of the Athenians, Eurymedon having fepa- 
rated himfelf from the red of the fleet, with an intention 
to furround the Syracufans, was purfued by them to the 
bottom of the gulf, defeated, and killed, and the galleys 
under his command were driven on fliore. But Gylippus, 
having attacked the Athenian foldiers as they were making 
their efcape out of the galleys to the hied, was repulfed 
with lofs. In the mean time, however, the Syracufans 
took poffelfion of eighteen of thole galleys, after cutting 
off their crews. 
This btow threw the Athenians into the deeped dejec¬ 
tion. The Syracufans, on the other hand, promiled them¬ 
felves a complete conqued over their enemies; and began 
to devife new obdacles to their departure ; for which pur- 
pofe they Unit up the mouth of the great harbour with 
iron chains. The Athenians, finding themfelves thus hem¬ 
med in, and draitened for provifions, refolved to hazard 
another fea-fight. With tiiis view Nicias embarked the 
flower of his foot-foldiers on-board 110 galleys, and drew 
up the red of his troops along the (bore. The generals 
on both Tides, after tiling the mod powerful.arguments to 
encourage their men, led them on to .the engagement, which 
proved extremely bloody. The Athenians advancing to 
the mouth of the harbour to break the chains, and the Sy¬ 
racufans likewite hurrying thither to prevent them, the 
galleys were lb crowded together, that they could neither 
move backwards nor forwards, nor fight in any fort of or¬ 
der, and the battle grew extremely furious. Nothing was 
to be feen but the ruins of (hips’, and numbers of dead 
bodies. The uproar and cqnfiYlioii was fo great, that the 
orders of the commanders could no more be heard. The 
6 R Athenians 
