G R E 
plain, bade defi ince to tbofe of Athens. Thefe doineftic 
calamities did not, however, prevent the moft vigorous 
exertions abroad. Twenty gallies, ftationed at Nuu- 
paiSiis, 'vatched the motions of the Peloponnefian fleet 
deftined to the afliftance of Syraciife : thirty carried on 
the war in Macedonia, to reduce the rebeUion of Am- 
pliipolis; a contiderable fquadron cotlefted tribute, 
and levied foldiers, in the colonies of Afia; another, 
ftill more powerful, ravaged the coaft of Pcioponnefus. 
Never did any kingdom or republic equal the magnani¬ 
mity of Atliens; never, in ancient or modern limes, did 
the courage of any ftate entertain an ambition fo far fu- 
perior to its power, or exert efforts lb difproportionate 
to its ftrength. Amidft the difficulties and dangers 
which encompaffed them on every fide, the Athenians 
perfifted in the fiege of Syracufe, a city little inferior 
to their own; and, undaunted by the ablua! devaftation 
of their country, unterrified by the menaced affault of 
their walls, they fcnt, without delay, fuch a reinforce¬ 
ment into Sicily, as afforded the moft promifing hopes 
of fuccefs to Nicias. 
The Syracufans had fcarcely time to rejoice at their 
viftory, when a numerous and formidable armament 
appeared on the Sicilian coaft. Tlie Syracufans em¬ 
ployed not unavailing efforts to check the progrefs, or 
to hinder the approach, of the hoftile armament; which, 
befides innumerable foreign vefTels and tranfports, con. 
fifted of feventy-three Athenian gallies, commanded by 
the experienced valour of Demofthenes and Eurymedon. 
The pikemen on-board exceeded five thoufand ; the 
light-armed troops were nearly as numerous; and, in¬ 
cluding the rowers, workmen, and attendants, thewltole 
amounted to above twenty thoufand men. The misfor¬ 
tunes liithcrto attending the operations in Sicily liad 
lowered the charafter of Nicias ; and this circumftance, 
as well as the fuperior abilities of Demofthenes, entitled 
him to affiime the principal authority in their delibera¬ 
tions. His advice, which Eurymedon highly approved, 
was clear and fiini le. “ They ought to avail them- 
felves of the alarm which the unexpected arrival of fuch 
a powerful reinforcement had fpread among the enemy; 
and inftead of i'ubmitting to the tedious formalities of a 
fiege, at once affault the walls of Syracufe. He trufted, 
by the valour of his troops, to obtain in one day the 
valuable reward of long and fevere labours. But if the 
gods had otherwife determined, if would be time to de- 
fift from an enterprife, in wdiich delay was equal to de- 
feat, and to employ the bravery of the Athenian youth 
in repelling the invaders of their country.” 
Demofthenes chofe the fit ft hour of a moonfhine night, 
to proceed with the flower of the army lo leize the for- 
trefles iiiEpipole. The march was performed with fuc- 
celsfiil celerity ; the outpofts were fnrprifed ; the guards 
put to the fword ; and three feparate encampments, of 
the Syracufans, the Sicilians, and allies, formed a feeble 
oppofition to the Athenian ardour. Meanwhile, tlie 
vigilant ablivity of Gylippus had alfembled the whole 
force of Syracufe. At the approach of the enemy his 
vanguard retired. '1 he Athenians w'ere decoyed within 
the intricate windings of the walls, and their irregular 
fury was firft checked by the f.rmnefs of a Theban )^ha. 
lanx. A refiftaiice fo bidden and unexpebted might 
alone have been dccifive; but other circumffances were 
adverfe to the Athenians ; their foremoff ranks were re¬ 
pelled; and, as they retreated to the main body, en¬ 
countered the advancing Argive.s arid Corcyreans, who 
finging the Poean in theii Done dialebt and accent, were 
unfortunately taken tor enemies. Fear, and then rage, 
feized the A licnians, who, thinking themfelves enconi- 
palfed on all fides, determined to force their way, and 
committed much bloodlhed among their allies, before 
the miff ke could be difeovered. To prevent the repe¬ 
tition of this dreadful error, their fcaitered bands were 
\ obliged at every moment to demand the watch.word, 
%vhich was at length betrayed to their adverfaries. The 
E C E. S83 
confequence of tliis was doubly fatal. At every ren¬ 
counter the filent Athenians were ffaughtered without 
mercy, while the enemy, who knew their watch-word, 
might at pleafure join or decline the battle, and.eafily 
opprefs their weaknefs, or elude their (trength. Tire 
terror and confufion increafed ; the rout became gene¬ 
ral. Gylippus purtued in good order with liis vibtorious 
troops. Several thoufands were left dead or wounded 
on tlie feene of uftion ; and in the inorning tlie greater 
part of the ffragglers were intercepted and cut oft' by 
the Syivicufan cavalry. 
This unexpebted difafter fufpended the operations of 
the fiege. The Athenian generals fpent the time in 
fruitlefs deliberations concerning their future meafures; 
and while the army lay encamped on the marfiiy and 
unhealthy b nks of the Anapus, a general ficknefs broke 
out in the camp. Demofthenes urged this calamity as 
a new reafon for hafteiiing their departure, while it was 
yet poftible to crofs the Ionian fea, without rilking the 
danger of a winter’s teinpeft. Bur Nicias diffTiiaded the 
defign of leaving Sicily, until they ffiould be warranted 
to take this important ftep by the pofitive authority of 
the republic. Tlie colleagues of Nicias were confounded 
with the firmnefs of an oppofition fo unlike the flexible 
timidity of his ordinary cliarabter, and fo incoiififtent 
•with the fentimeiits which lie had often exprefl'ed con¬ 
cerning the Sicilian expedition. They imagined that 
he might rely on fonie more important ground of confi¬ 
dence, which his caution was unwilling to explain ; they 
fubmitted tlierefore to his opinion, an opinion equally 
fatal to himfelf and to them, and to the armament which 
they commanded. 
Gylippus, in order to follow up his vibfory, drew a • 
powerful reinforcement from the Sicilian cities ; and the 
tranfports, fo long expebfed from Pelopoiinefus, now 
arrived in the harbour of Ortygia.. The'fe powerful 
auxiliaries increafed their eageniefs to attack tlie enemy 
again by fea and land. During three days there was a 
perpetual fucceffion of military and naval exploits. On 
the firft day fortune hung in fiifpeiife; the fecond de¬ 
prived the Athenians of a confiderable fquadron com¬ 
manded by Eiiryiiiedon ; and this misfortune was em¬ 
bittered, on the third, by the lofs of eighteen gallies, 
with their crews. It was now refolved by Heniiocrates 
to throw a cliaiii of vefTels acrofs the mouth of the 
GreattHarbour, about a mile in breadth. This point 
was acco.mpliflied before Nicias, totally occupied by 
other objebts, attempted to interrupt it. The Athenian 
gallies were refitted, and again prepared, to the number 
of a hundred and ten, to rifk the event of another battle. 
As they had fufl'ered greatly, on former occafions, by 
the folidity of tlie Syracufaii prows, Nicias provided 
them with grappling-irons, fitted to prevent the recoil 
of their oppolients, and the repetition of the hoJtiie 
ftroke. The decks were crowded with armed men, and 
tile contrivance to which the enemy had liitherto chiefly 
owed their fuccefs, of introducing the firmnefs and lia¬ 
bility of a military into a naval engagement, was adopted 
in turn by the Athenians. . When the fleet was ready, 
Nicias recalled the troops from the various pofts ftili 
occupied by their arms, and formed them into one camp 
on the fliore, where, on the day of battle, their ranks 
miglii' be extended as widely as the vicinity of the Sy- 
racufan ramparts could fafely permit; that a fpacious 
retreat might be fecured to the Athenian (hips, if per- 
fecuted by their ufual bad fortune; in which fatal alter¬ 
native, nothing remained but to retire by land with the 
niilerable remnant of the army. 
With a cheerful and magnanimous firmnefs, lie re¬ 
moved the dejection of the Athenians, exliorting them, 
before they embarked, to call forth every exertion of 
(kill and courage on this important occafion. When the 
Syracufans were apprifed of the defigns of the enemy, 
they haftened to the defence of tlie bar wliich had been 
thrown acrofs the entrance of the harbour.. Gylippus, 
after 
