884' G R E 
after animating the failors to deeds of valour, returned 
to take the conduft of the land forces, leaving Sicanus, 
Agatharcus, and Pythen, the two firft to command the 
wings, and the lalt, a citizen of Corinth, to command 
the centre, of the Syracufan fleet, which fell ftiort of 
the Athenian by the number of twenty gallies, 
Nicias, after again cheering his wearied troops, re¬ 
turned to the camp with an enfeebled body and an 
anxious mind, committing the lafl; Itope of the republic 
to the active valotir of Demofthenes, Eudemus, and 
Menander. The firft impreflion of the Athenians was 
irrefiflible; they burfl; through the pafl'age of the bar, 
and repelled the fquadrons on either fide. As the en¬ 
trance widened, the Syracufans, in their turn, ruflied 
into the harbour, which was more favourable than the 
open fea to their mode of fighting. Thither the fore- 
mo.ft of the Athenians returned, either compelled by 
fupirior force, or that they might aflift their companions. 
The engagement became general in the harbour’s mouth; 
and in this narrow fpace two hundred gallies fought, 
during the greateft part of the day, with an obfiinate 
and perfevering valour. The battle was not long con¬ 
fined to the (hock of adverfe prows, and to the dillant 
hofiility of darts and arrows. The nearefi: vefiels grap¬ 
pled, and'clofed with each other,-and their decks were 
foon covered with blood. While the heavy-armed troops 
boarded the enemy’s (hips, they left their own expofed 
to a (iniilar misfortune; the fleets were divided into 
mallive cluders of adhering gallies; and the confulion 
of tlieir mingled (houts overpowered the voice of autho¬ 
rity ; tile Atlienians exhorting, not to abandon an ele¬ 
ment on which their republic had ever acquired vi6fory 
and glory, for the dangerous proteclion of an hollile 
(bore; and the Syraculans encouraging each other not 
to fly from an enemy, whole weaknefs or cowardice liad 
long meditated flight. 
'I'he lingular and tremendous fpedfacle of an engage¬ 
ment more fierce and obfiinate tlian any that had ever 
been beheld in the Grecian leas, refirained the atlivity, 
and totally lufpended the powers, of the numerous and 
adverfe battalions which encircled the coaft. T. he fpec- 
tators and the adtors were equally interefled in the im¬ 
portant feene; but the former, the current of whofe 
lenfibility was undiverted by any exertion of mind or 
body, felt more deeply, and exprelfed more forcibly, 
the various emotions by which they were agitated. 
Hope, fear, the (houts of victory, the Ihrieks of delpair, 
the anxious folicitude of doubtful fuccefs, animated 
the countenances, the voice, and the gelturc, of the 
Athenians, wholewhole reliance centered in their fleet. 
Whenat length their gallies evidently gave way on every 
fide, the contrail of alternate, and the rapid tumult of 
I'ucceflive, paflions, fubfided in a melancholy calm. This 
dreadful paufe of alloniflmtent and terror was followed 
by the difordered trepidation of flight and fear : many 
elcaped to the camp : others ran, uncertain whither to 
direct: their fteps: while Nicias, with a fmall but un- 
difmayed band, remained on fhore, to protect the land¬ 
ing of their unfortunate gallies. In this well-fought 
battle, the vanquilhed had loft fifty, and the victors 
forty, velfels. 
On tlie third morning after the battle, the Athenians 
broke up their camp. Forty thouland men, of whom 
many were affliCted-with wounds and difeafe, and all 
exhaufted by fatigue, and dejedted by calamity, exhi¬ 
bited the appearance, not of a flying army, but of a 
great and populous community, driven from their an¬ 
cient habitations by the cruel vengeance of a conqueror. 
Indead of leading the army towards Naxos and Catana, 
in which direction tliere was reafon to apprehend many 
fecret ambufhes of the enemy, he conducted them by 
the wellern route towards Gela and Ciuiierina; expect¬ 
ing, by this meafure, to find provifions in grej.cer plenty, 
as well as to elude the I'nares of tlie Syracufans. The 
troops were then divided into two fquares, as the molt 
E C E. 
fecure and capscious arrangement. Nicias led the van; 
Demofthenes conducted the rear; the baggage, and un¬ 
armed multitude, occupied the centre. In this order 
of march they pafled the river Anapus, the ford of 
which was feebly difputed by an inconfiderable guard; 
and having proceeded the firft day only five miles, they 
encamped in the evening on a rifing ground, after being 
much haraflfed during the latter part of their journey 
by the Syracufan cavalry and archers, who galled them 
at a diftance, intercepted the ftragglers, and avoided, 
by a feafonable retreat, ro commit the fecurity of their 
own fortune with the dangerous defpair of the Athe¬ 
nians. Next day, having marched only twenty furlongs, 
they reached a fpacious plain, the convenience of which 
invited them to repofe; efpecially as they needed a ftip- 
ply of water and provifions, which might be eafily ob¬ 
tained from the furrounding country. 
Before this time, the enemy were apprifed of their 
line of march; and, in order to interrupt it, tJiey fent 
a numerous detachment to fortify the mountain of 
Acraeum. It was dillant only a few miles from the 
Athenian encampment. In vain the Athenians attempt¬ 
ed, on three fuccellive days, to force thepaftage. They 
were repelled with lofs in every new attack, w’hich be¬ 
came more feeble than the preceding. In the evening 
after the laft unfuccefsful conteft, the condition of the 
Athenians was peculiarly deplorable. The numbers of 
the wounded had been increaled by thete fruitlefs at¬ 
tempts to pafs tlie mountain; the adjacent territory 
could no longer fiipply them with the necelTaries of life; 
and they mull be compelled, after all their hardlhips 
and fatigues, to make a long circuit by the fea-fliore, if 
they expedted to reach, in fafety, tlie places of their 
refpedtivc deftination. Even this refolution, (for there 
was no alternative,) was recommended by Nicias, who, 
to conceal his delign from the enemy, caufed innumera¬ 
ble fires to he lighted in every part of the caiup. The 
troops then marched out under cover of the night, and 
in the fame order which they had hitherto, obferved. 
But they had not proceeded far in this nodturnal expe¬ 
dition, when the obfeurity of the (kies, the deceitful 
tracks ot an unknown and hollile country, filled the 
timid or unfortunate with imaginary terrors. Their panic 
was Ipeedily communicated to tliofe around them ; and 
Demofthenes, with above one-half of his divifion, fatally 
miltook the road, and quitted, never more to rejoin, tlie 
reft of the army. 
The (corns of Gylippus immediately brought intelli¬ 
gence ot this important event, whicli furnilhed an op¬ 
portunity to attack the divided ftrength of the Athe¬ 
nians. Mis (iiperior knowledge of the country enabled 
him, by the celerity of his march, to intercept the 
(mailer divilion, and to fiirround them on every (ide, 
in the difiicult and intricate defiles whicli led to the 
ford ot the Erinios. T here he alfaulted them with im¬ 
punity, during a whole day, with darts, arrows, and 
javelins. Wlien the mealure of their futt'erings was 
complete, he proclaimed towards the evening, by the 
(ound of the trumpet, and with the loud voice of the 
herald, freedom, forgivenefs, and protection, to all wlio 
(hoiild defert and abandon the bad fortune of their lead¬ 
ers; an otter which was accepted by tlie troops of feve- 
ral Afiatic iflands, and other dependent and tributary 
countries. At length he entered into a treaty with De- 
niofthenes, whofe (oidiers laid down their arms, and de¬ 
livered their money, on condition that they Ihoiild not 
(utfer death, impri(bnnient, or famine. Notwithftanding 
the number of the deferters and of the (lain, the re¬ 
mainder (till amounted to fix thotifand, who were fent 
to Syraciife with tlieir captive general, under a power¬ 
ful and vigilant efcort, while the aiTivity of Gylippus 
followed the flying battalions of the enemy, whicli had 
been cond titled by Nicias to the diftance of twenty miles', 
• towards the banks of the AlTmaros. The Syracufans 
overtook the rear before the van could arrive at the 
lofty 
