nicias-第4节

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suspected　or　regarded　with　jealousy　for　his　popularity　or　wealth；　both
were　now　in　alarm　and　apprehension；　one　of　them；　in　all　likelihood；
being　to　undergo　this　ostracism；　as　the　people　abominated　the　life
of　Alcibiades；　and　stood　in　fear　of　his　boldness　and　resolution；　as　is
shown　particularly　in　the　history　of　him；　while　as　for　Nicias；　his
riches　made　him　envied；　and　his　habits　of　living；　in　particular　his
unsociable　and　exclusive　ways；　not　like　those　of　a　fellow…citizen；
or　even　a　fellow…man；　went　against　him；　and　having　many　times
opposed　their　inclinations；　forcing　them　against　their　feelings　to
do　what　was　their　interest；　he　had　got　himself　disliked。
　　To　speak　plainly；　it　was　a　contest　of　the　young　men　who　were　eager
for　war；　against　the　men　of　years　and　lovers　of　peace；　they　turning
the　ostracism　upon　the　one；　these　upon　the　other。　But…

　　　　　　　　　〃In　civil　strife　e'en　villains　rise　to　fame。〃

And　so　now　it　happened　that　the　city；　distracted　into　two　factions；
allowed　free　course　to　the　most　impudent　and　profligate　persons；　among
whom　was　Hyperbolus　of　the　Perithoedae；　one　who　could　not；　indeed；
be　said　to　be　presuming　upon　any　power；　but　rather　by　his
presumption　rose　into　power；　and　by　the　honour　he　found　in　the　city；
became　the　scandal　of　it。　He；　at　this　time；　thought　himself　far　enough
from　the　ostracism；　as　more　properly　deserving；　the　slave's　gallows；
and　made　account；　that　one　of　these　men　being；　despatched　out　of　the
way　he　might　be　able　to　play　a　part　against　the　other　that　should　be
left；　and　openly　showed　his　pleasure　at　the　dissension；　and　his　desire
to　inflame　the　people　against　both　of　them。　Nicias　and　Alcibiades；
perceiving　his　malice；　secretly　combined　together；　and　setting　both
their　interests　jointly　at　work；　succeeded　in　fixing　the　ostracism　not
on　either　of　them；　but　even　on　Hyperbolus。　This；　indeed；　at　the
first　made　sport；　and　raised　laughter　among　the　people；　but　afterwards
it　was　felt　as　an　affront；　that　the　thing　should　be　dishonoured　by
being　employed　upon　so　unworthy　a　subject；　punishment；　also；　having
its　proper　dignity；　and　ostracism　being　one　that　was　appropriate
rather　for　Thucydides；　Aristides；　and　such　like　persons；　whereas　for
Hyperbolus　it　was　a　glory；　and　a　fair　ground　for　boasting　on　his　part；
when　for　his　villainy　he　suffered　the　same　with　the　best　men。　As
Plato；　the　comic　poet；　said　of　him：…

　　　　　　　　　〃The　man　deserved　the　fate；　deny　who　can；
　　　　　　　　　　Yes；　but　the　fate　did　not　deserve　the　man；
　　　　　　　　　　Not　for　the　like　of　him　and　his　slave…brands；
　　　　　　　　　　Did　Athens　put　the　sherd　into　our　hands。〃

　　And；　in　fact；　none　ever　afterwards　suffered　this　sort　of　punishment；
but　Hyperbolus　was　the　last；　as　Hipparchus　the　Cholargian；　who　was　kin
to　the　tyrant；　was　the　first。
　　There　is　no　judgment　to　be　made　of　fortune；　nor　can　any　reasoning
bring　us　to　a　certainty　about　it。　If　Nicias　had　run　the　risk　with
Alcibiades　whether　of　the　two　should　undergo　the　ostracism；　he　had
either　prevailed；　and；　his　rival　being　expelled　the　city；　he　had
remained　secure；　or；　being　overcome；　he　had　avoided　the　utmost
disasters；　and　preserved　the　reputation　of　a　most　excellent　commander。
Meantime　I　am　not　ignorant　that　Theophrastus　says；　that　when
Hyperbolus　was　banished；　Phaeax；　not　Nicias；　contested　it　with
Alcibiades；　but　most　authors　differ　from　him。
　　It　was　Alcibiades；　at　any　rate；　whom　when　the　Aegestean　and　Leontine
ambassadors　arrived　and　urged　the　Athenians　to　make　an　expedition
against　Sicily；　Nicias　opposed；　and　by　whose　persuasions　and
ambition　he　found　himself　overborne；　who；　even　before　the　people　could
be　assembled；　had　preoccupied　and　corrupted　their　judgment　with
hopes　and　with　speeches；　insomuch　that　the　young　men　at　their
sports；　and　the　old　men　in　their　workshops；　and　sitting　together　on
the　benches；　would　be　drawing　maps　of　Sicily；　and　making　charts
showing　the　seas；　the　harbours；　and　general　character　of　the　coast
of　the　island　opposite　Africa。　For　they　made　not　Sicily　the　end　of　the
war　but　rather　its　starting…point　and　headquarters　from　whence　they
might　carry　it　to　the　Carthaginians；　and　possess　themselves　of　Africa；
and　of　the　seas　as　far　as　the　pillars　of　Hercules。　The　bulk　of　the
people；　therefore；　pressing　this　way；　Nicias；　who　opposed　them；
found　but　few　supporters；　nor　those　of　much　influence；　for　the　men
of　substance；　fearing　lest　they　should　seem　to　shun　the　public　charges
and　ship…money；　were　quiet　against　their　inclination；　nevertheless
he　did　not　tire　nor　give　it　up；　but　even　after　the　Athenians　decreed　a
war　and　chose　him　in　the　first　place　general；　together　with　Alcibiades
and　Lamachus；　when　they　were　again　assembled；　he　stood　up；　dissuaded
them；　and　protested　against　the　decision；　and　laid　the　blame　on
Alcibiades；　charging　him　with　going　about　to　involve　the　city　in
foreign　dangers　and　difficulties；　merely　with　a　view　to　his　own
private　lucre　and　ambition。　Yet　it　came　to　nothing。　Nicias；　because　of
his　experience；　was　looked　upon　as　the　fitter　for　the　employment；
and　his　wariness　with　the　bravery　of　Alcibiades；　and　the　easy　temper
of　Lamachus；　all　compounded　together；　promised　such　security；　that
he　did　but　confirm　the　resolution。　Demostratus；　who；　of　the　popular
leaders；　was　the　one　who　chiefly　pressed　the　Athenians　to　the
expedition；　stood　up　and　said　he　would　stop　the　mouth　of　Nicias　from
urging　any　more　excuses；　and　moved　that　the　generals　should　have
absolute　power；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　to　order　and　to　act　as　they
thought　best；　and　this　vote　the　people　passed。
　　The　priests；　however；　are　said　to　have　very　earnestly　opposed　the
enterprise。　But　Alcibiades　had　his　diviners　of　another　sort；　who
from　some　old　prophecies　announced　that　〃there　shall　be　great　fame
of　the　Athenians　in　Sicily；〃　and　messengers　came　back　to　him　from
Jupiter　Ammon　with　oracles　importing　that　〃the　Athenians　shall　take
all　the　Syracusans。〃　Those；　meanwhile；　who　knew　anything　that　boded
ill；　concealed　it　lest　they　might　seem　to　fore…speak　ill…luck。　For
even　prodigies　that　were　obvious　and　plain　would　not　deter　them；　not
the　defacing　of　the　Hermae；　all　maimed　in　one　night　except　one；　called
the　Hermes　of　Andocides；　erected　by　the　tribe　of　Aegeus；　placed
directly　before　the　house　then　occupied　by　Andocides；　or　what　was
perpetrated　on　the　altar　of　the　twelve　gods；　upon　which　a　certain
man　leaped　suddenly　up；　and　then　turning　round　mutilated　himself
with　a　stone。　Likewise　at　Delphi　there　stood　a　golden　image　of
Minerva；　set　on　a　palm…tree　of　brass；　erected　by　the　city　of　Athens
from　the　spoils　they　won　from　the　Medes；　this　was　pecked　at　several
days　together　by　crows　flying　upon　it；　who　also　plucked　off　and
knocked　down　the　fruit；　made　of　gold；　upon　the　palm…tree。　But　the
Athenians　said　these　were　all　but　inventions　of　the　Delphians；
corrupted　by　the　men　of　Syracuse。　A　certain　oracle　bade　them　bring
from　Clazomenae　the　priestess　of　Minerva　there；　they　sent　for　the
woman　and　found　her　named　Hesychia；　Quietness；　this　being；　it　would
seem；　what　the　divine　powers　advised　the　city　at　this　time；　to　be
quiet。　Whether；　therefore；　the　astrologer　Meton　feared　these　presages；
or　that　from　human　reason　he　doubted　its　success　（for　he　was　appointed
to　a　command　in　it）；　feigning　himself　mad；　he　set　his　house　on　fire。
Others　say　he　did　not　counterfeit　madness；　but　set　his　house　on　fire
in　the　night；　and　the　next　morning　came　before　the　assembly　in　great
distress；　and　besought　the　people；　in　consideration　of　the　sad
disaster；　to　release　his　son　from　the　service；　who　was　about　to　go
captain　of　a　galley　for　Sicily。　The　genius；　also；　of　the　philosopher
Socrates；　on　this　occasion；　too；　gave　him　intimation　by　the　usual
tokens；　that　the　expedition　would　prove　the　ruin　of　the
commonwealth；　this　he　imparted　to　his　friends　and　familiars；　and　by
them　it　was　mentioned　to　a　number　of　people。　Not　a　few　were　troubled
because　the　days　on　which　the　fleet　set　sail　happened　to　be　the　time
when　the　women　celebrated　the　death　of　Adonis；　there　being
everywhere　then　exposed　to　view　images　of　dead　men；　carried　about　with
mourning　and　lamentation；　and　women　beating　their　breasts。　So　that
such　as　laid　any　stress　on　these　matters　were　extremely　troubled；
and　feared　lest　that　all　this　warlike　preparation；　so　splendid　and
so　glorious；　should　suddenly；　in　a　little　time；　be　blasted　in　its　very
prime　of　magnificence；　and　come　to　nothing。
　　Nicias；　in　opposing　the　voting　of　this　expedition；　and　neither　being
puffed　up　with　hopes；　nor　transported　with　the　honour　of　his　high
command　so　as　to　modify　his　judgment；　showed　himself　a　man　of　virtue
and　constancy。　But　when　his　endeavours　could　not　diverge　the　people
from　the　war；　nor　get　leave　for　himself　to　be　discharged　of　the
command；　but　the　people；　as　it　were；　violently　him　took　up　and　carried
him；　and　against　his　will　put　him　in　the　office　of　general；　this　was
no　longer　now　a　time　for　his　excessive　caution　and　his　delays；　nor　was
it　for　him；　like　a　child；　to　look　back　from　the　ship；　often
repeating　and　reconsidering　over　and　over　again　how　that　his　advice
had　not　been　over…ruled　by　fair　arguments；　thus　blunting　the　courage
of　his　fellow…commanders　and　spoiling　the　sea