!

XXV.

and the bay of Thapsus. The rapidity with which CHAP.
the work proceeded struck the besieged with con-
sternation; and the generals drew up their forces to
interrupt it. But as an engagement was about to
begin, they observed an appearance of unevenness
and disorder in their line, which induced them to
retreat into the city, leaving only a squadron of
horse to annoy the Athenian workmen; and this also
was routed in a skirmish with the enemy's cavalry
supported by a battalion of foot.

Thus checked, the Syracusans took the advice of
Hermocrates, renounced all thoughts of facing the
Athenians in the field, and placed their whole
reliance on the hope of baffling the besiegers by
carrying a counterwork across the line of the in-
tended circumvallation. Even the attempt might
interrupt the enemy's work, and would, it was
thought, be sufficiently covered by a part of their
own forces. They began therefore near the new
quarter Temenites-not sparing the olive trees of
the consecrated ground for the more sacred purpose
-and while they proceeded with the erection of a
wall flanked with wooden towers, they endeavoured
to secure the points by which it was most easily
accessible with palisades. The Athenians did not
attempt to interrupt their operations, that their own
might not be delayed or their forces divided. But
when the Syracusans, having carried their work
forward as far as seemed necessary, had returned to
the city or to their tents, leaving a guard at the
counterwall, the Athenian generals ordered a select
band of 300 men with some of the light troops whom
they put into heavy armour for the occasion, to
surprise it, while they themselves with the rest of
the army in two divisions, prevented any succours
from approaching, and perhaps watched for an op-
portunity of entering the city. It presented itself;

СНАР.
XXV.

for the Syracusan guard, overtaken by the careless languor of a sultry noon, was dislodged, and fled toward the postern of Temenites, near which one division of the enemy was stationed, which rushed in pell-mell along with the fugitives. They were indeed expelled by the Syracusans, with a trifling loss; but the whole army proceeded without interruption to the counterwork, broke down the wall, and tore up the palisades.

Still the besieged were not wholly disheartened. It was the design of the Athenian generals to prevent the repetition of such an attempt, by immediately fortifying that part of the line which lay between the foot of Epipole and the Great Harbour, reserving the rest, where they were less exposed to interruption, till this should be finished. The Syracusans, who were still masters of the Great Harbour, as the enemy's fleet lay at Thapsus, now began to carry a ditch and a palisade across the marsh nearer the shore. The Athenians, as before, offered no interruption, but when they had finished that part of their own work which secured the south side of Epipolæ, they descended at daybreak under the command of Lamachus, to the marsh, where they could only make their way by laying down planks on the mud, and fell upon the new counterwork. The Syracusans were dislodged, but did not give up their last hope without a hard struggle. An engagement ensued, in which the Athenians were again victorious. The right wing of the defeated army fled toward the city; the left attempted to reach the bridge of the Anapus, which would have afforded them a passage to the Olympieum, and being intercepted by the 300 picked troops, drove them back on the Athenian right, which was thrown into partial disorder. Lamachus, who was in the other wing, advanced with a small body of troops to restore order in his right, but having

crossed a ditch with a few followers was surrounded and slain. This new skirmish, being observed by the fugitives of the Syracusan right wing, encouraged them to make a stand, and even to conceive the design of surprising the Athenian lines on Epipolæ, where Nicias had been left behind, only because a painful disorder disabled him from accompanying his colleague. His presence prevented a great disaster. For a detachment of the Syracusans took and destroyed an outwork which had been erected in front of the line of circumvallation, and would probably have overpowered the guard which defended the main works, if Nicias had not ordered the followers of the camp to set fire to the machines and the timber

which lay in the intervening space. The conflagration stopped the enemy's advance, and they were soon forced to retreat before the victorious Athenians who returned from the field of battle. At the same time the Athenian fleet, according to orders which had been given in the morning, was seen entering the Great Harbour, and by its appearance extinguished every remaining hope of obstructing the completion of the circumvallation.

The besiegers now prosecuted their work with fresh ardour, and-since the arrival of the fleetwith many additional hands. They brought down a double wall within a very short distance of the shore of the harbour; and all the preparations were made for finishing that which had been begun on the side of the bay of Thapsus. Supplies and auxiliaries flowed in from many quarters to the prosperous party. Provisions came in abundance from all parts of Italy; three galleys brought reinforcements from Tyrsenia, and many of the Sicels who had before wavered, now that the fate of Syracuse seemed fixed, joined their forces to the victorious side. The Syracusans themselves began to despair of their own

XXV.

CHAP.

XXV.

safety. They had lost all confidence in themselves; no succours were known to be at hand; and before long none which they could hope for would be of any avail. They endeavoured to persuade themselves that their reverses had been owing either to the treachery, or to the adverse stars, of their generals, and deposed them from their office, but saw no firmer ground of reliance in the zeal or the fortune of the three whom they elected in their room. The question of capitulation began to be discussed; the more anxiously as suspicions were entertained of treasonable practices; and overtures were made to the Athenian general. It seemed as if fortune had deprived Nicias of his colleagues, in order that he might enjoy the undivided glory of bringing an enterprise which he had so strongly condemned, to the happiest issue. It was a pause, like that of the Iliad, while Hector's hand was on the ship of Protesilaus.

413

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE SICILIAN EXPEDITION FROM THE ARRIVAL OF
GYLIPPUS TO ITS CLOSE.

Arrival of Gylippus in Sicily.-He enters Syracuse. - Occupation of Plemyrium. The Syracusans complete their counterwork.-Despatch of Nicias.-The Athenians decree a new Armament.- Occupation of Decelea.-Departure of Demosthenes.-The Thracians at Mycalessus.—Surprise of Plemyrium.- Battle in the Corinthian Gulf.-Demosthenes at Rhegium.- Naval Operations at Syracuse.Stratagem of Aristo.- Arrival of the second Armament. Night attack on Epipola.- Council of War.-Eclipse of the Moon.-Superstition of Nicias.-Defeat of the Athenians.-Preparations for a last Effort.-Exhortations of Nicias. Victory of the Syracusans. Stratagem of HerRetreat of the Athenians. Repulsed in the Valley of the Anapus. They change the Line of their March. Surrender of Demosthenes. Surrender of Nicias. -Execution of Demosthenes and Nicias. Fate of the Prisoners.

mocrates.

GYLIPPUS had been joined at Asine, where he had manned two Laconian galleys, by two others from Corinth, under the command of Pythen. With these they sailed to Leucas, where they were led by a concurrence of many false rumours to believe that Syracuse was already completely invested; and Gylippus, considering the affairs of Sicily desperate, only hoped that he might be in time to counteract the influence of the Athenians among the Italian Greeks. While therefore the Corinthians were fitting out a squadron, consisting of ten of their own galleys, two Leucadians, and three from Ambracia, he and Pythen pushed across to Tarentum, and proceeded to Thurii, where, through his father Cleandridas, who in his exile had been admitted a citizen there, he had

CHAP.

XXVI.