nicias-第5节

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had　not　been　over…ruled　by　fair　arguments；　thus　blunting　the　courage
of　his　fellow…commanders　and　spoiling　the　season　of　action。　Whereas；
he　ought　speedily　to　have　closed　with　the　enemy　and　brought　the　matter
to　an　issue；　and　put　fortune　immediately　to　the　test　in　battle。　But；
on　the　contrary；　when　Lamachus　counselled　to　sail　directly　to
Syracuse；　and　fight　the　enemy　under　their　city　walls；　and　Alcibiades
advised　to　secure　the　friendship　of　the　other　towns；　and　then　to　march
against　them；　Nicias　dissented　from　them　both；　and　insisted　that
they　should　cruise　quietly　around　the　island　and　display　their
armament；　and　having　landed　a　small　supply　of　men　for　the　Egesteans；
return　to　Athens；　weakening　at　once　the　resolution　and　casting　down
the　spirits　of　the　men。　And　while；　a　little　while　after；　the　Athenians
called　home　Alcibiades　in　order　to　his　trial；　he　being；　though
joined　nominally　with　another　in　commission；　in　effect　the　only
general；　made　now　no　end　of　loitering；　of　cruising；　and　considering；
till　their　hopes　were　grown　stale；　and　all　the　disorder　and
consternation　which　the　first　approach　and　view　of　their　forces　had
cast　amongst　the　enemy　was　worn　off　and　had　left　them。
　　Whilst　yet　Alcibiades　was　with　the　fleet；　they　went　before
Syracuse　with　a　squadron　of　sixty　galleys；　fifty　of　them　lying　in
array　without　the　harbour；　while　the　other　ten　rowed　in　to
reconnoitre；　and　by　a　herald　called　upon　the　citizens　of　Leontini　to
return　to　their　own　country。　These　scouts　took　a　galley　of　the
enemy's；　in　which　they　found　certain　tablets；　on　which　was　set　down
a　list　of　all　the　Syracusans；　according　to　their　tribes。　These　were
wont　to　be　laid　up　at　a　distance　from　the　city；　in　the　temple　of
Jupiter　Olympius；　but　were　now　brought　forth　for　examination　to
furnish　a　muster…roll　of　young　men　for　the　war。　These　being　so　taken
by　the　Athenians；　and　carried　to　the　officers；　and　the　multitude　of
names　appearing；　the　diviners　thought　it　unpropitious；　and　were　in
apprehension　lest　this　should　be　the　only　destined　fulfillment　of
the　prophecy；　that　〃the　Athenians　shall　take　all　the　Syracusans。〃　Yet；
indeed；　this　was　said　to　be　accomplished　by　the　Athenians　at　another
time；　when　Callippus　the　Athenian；　having　slain　Dion；　became　master　of
Syracuse；　But　when　Alcibiades　shortly　after　sailed　away　from　Sicily；
the　command　fell　wholly　to　Nicias。　Lamachus　was；　indeed；　a　brave　and
honest　man；　and　ready　to　fight　fearlessly　with　his　own　hand　in　battle；
but　so　poor　and　ill…off　that；　whenever　he　was　appointed　general；　he
used　always；　in　accounting　for　his　outlay　of　public　money；　to　bring
some　little　reckoning　or　other　of　money　for　his　very　clothes　and
shoes。　On　the　contrary；　Nicias；　as　on　other　accounts；　so；　also；
because　of　his　wealth　and　station；　was　very　much　thought　of。　The　story
is　told　that　once　upon　a　time　the　commission　of　generals　being　in
consultation　together　in　their　public　office；　he　bade　Sophocles　the
poet　give　his　opinion　first；　as　the　senior　of　the　board。　〃I；〃
replied　Sophocles；　〃am　the　older；　but　you　are　the　senior。〃　And　so　now；
also；　Lamachus；　who　better　understood　military　affairs；　being　quite
his　subordinate；　he　himself；　evermore　delaying　and　avoiding　risk；
and　faintly　employing　his　forces；　first　by　his　sailing　about　Sicily　at
the　greatest　distance　aloof　from　the　enemy；　gave　them　confidence；　then
by　afterwards　attacking　Hybla；　a　petty　fortress；　and　drawing　off
before　he　could　take　it；　make　himself　utterly　despised。　At　the　last　he
retreated　to　Catana　without　having　achieved　anything；　save　that　he
demolished　Hyccara；　an　humble　town　of　the　barbarians；　out　of　which；
the　story　goes；　that　Lais　the　courtesan；　yet　a　mere　girl；　was　sold
amongst　the　other　prisoners；　and　carried　thence　away　to　Peloponnesus。
　　But　when　the　summer　was　spent；　after　reports　began　to　reach　him　that
the　Syracusans　were　grown　so　confident　that　they　would　come　first　to
attack　him；　and　troopers　skirmishing　to　the　very　camp　twitted　his
soldiers；　asking　whether　they　came　to　settle　with　the　Catanians；　or　to
put　the　Leontines　in　possession　of　their　city；　at　last；　with　much　ado；
Nicias　resolved　to　sail　against　Syracuse。　And　wishing　to　form　his　camp
safely　and　without　molestation；　he　procured　a　man　to　carry　from　Catana
intelligence　to　the　Syracusans　that　they　might　seize　the　camp　of　the
Athenians　unprotected；　and　all　their　arms；　if　on　such　a　day　they
should　march　with　all　their　forces　to　Catana；　and　that；　the
Athenians　living　mostly　in　the　town；　the　friends　of　the　Syracusans　had
concerted；　as　soon　as　they　should　perceive　them　coming；　to　possess
themselves　of　one　of　the　gates；　and　to　fire　the　arsenal；　that　many　now
were　in　the　conspiracy　and　awaited　their　arrival。　This　was　the
ablest　thing　Nicias　did　in　the　whole　of　his　conduct　of　the　expedition。
For　having　drawn　out　all　the　strength　of　the　enemy；　and　made　the
city　destitute　of　men；　he　set　out　from　Catana；　entered　the　harbour；
and　chose　a　fit　place　for　his　camp；　where　the　enemy　could　least
incommode　him　with　the　means　in　which　they　were　superior　to　him；　while
with　the　means　in　which　he　was　superior　to　them　he　might　expect　to
carry　on　the　war　without　impediment。
　　When　the　Syracusans　returned　from　Catana；　and　stood　in　battle
array　before　the　city　gates；　he　rapidly　led　up　the　Athenians　and
fell　on　them　and　defeated　them；　but　did　not　kill　many；　their　horse
hindering　the　pursuit。　And　his　cutting　and　breaking　down　the　bridges
that　lay　over　the　river　gave　Hermocrates；　when　cheering　up　the
Syracusans；　occasion　to　say　that　Nicias　was　ridiculous；　whose　great
aim　seemed　to　be　to　avoid　fighting；　as　if　fighting　were　not　the
thing　he　came　for。　However；　he　put　the　Syracusans　into　a　very　great
alarm　and　consternation；　so　that　instead　of　fifteen　generals　then　in
service；　they　chose　three　others；　to　whom　the　people　engaged　by　oath
to　allow　absolute　authority。
　　There　stood　near　them　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Olympius；　which　the
Athenians　（there　being　in　it　many　consecrated　things　of　gold　and
silver）　were　eager　to　take；　but　were　purposely　withheld　from　it　by
Nicias；　who　let　the　opportunity　slip；　and　allowed　a　garrison　of　the
Syracusans　to　enter　it；　judging　that　if　the　soldiers　should　make　booty
of　that　wealth　it　would　be　no　advantage　to　the　public；　and　he　should
bear　the　guilt　of　the　impiety。　Not　improving　in　the　least　this
success；　which　was　everywhere　famous；　after　a　few　days'　stay；　away
he　goes　to　Naxos；　and　there　winters；　spending　largely　for　the
maintenance　of　so　great　an　army；　and　not　doing　anything　except　some
matters　of　little　consequence　with　some　native　Sicilians　that　revolted
to　him。　Insomuch　that　the　Syracusans　took　heart　again；　made　excursions
to　Catana；　wasted　the　country；　and　fired　the　camp　of　the　Athenians。
For　which　everybody　blamed　Nicias；　who；　with　his　long　reflection；
his　deliberateness；　and　his　caution；　had　let　slip　the　time　for　action。
None　ever　found　fault　with　the　man　when　once　at　work；　for　in　the　brunt
he　showed　vigour　and　activity　enough；　but　was　slow　and　wanted
assurance　to　engage。
　　When；　therefore；　he　brought　again　the　army　to　Syracuse；　such　was　his
conduct；　and　with　such　celerity；　and　at　the　same　time　security；　he
came　upon　them；　that　nobody　knew　of　his　approach；　when　already　he；　had
come　to　shore　with　his　galleys　at　Thapsus；　and　had　landed　his　men；　and
before　any　could　help　it；　he　had　surprised　Epipolae；　had　defeated
the　body　of　picked　men　that　came　to　its　succour；　took　three　hundred
prisoners；　and　routed　the　cavalry　of　the　enemy；　which　had　been　thought
invincible。　But　what　chiefly　astonished　the　Syracusans；　and　seemed
incredible　to　the　Greeks；　was　in　so　short　a　space　of　time　the
walling　about　of　Syracuse；　a　town　not　less　than　Athens；　and　far　more
difficult；　by　the　unevenness　of　the　ground；　and　the　nearness　of　the
sea　and　the　marshes　adjacent；　to　have　such　a　wall　drawn　in　a　circle
round　it；　yet　this；　all　within　a　very　little；　finished　by　a　man　that
had　not　even　his　health　for　such　weighty　cares；　but　lay　ill　of　the
stone；　which　may　justly　bear　the　blame　for　what　was　left　undone。　I
admire　the　industry　of　the　general；　and　the　bravery　of　the　soldiers
for　what　they　succeeded　in。　Euripides；　after　their　ruin　and
disaster；　writing　their　funeral　elegy；　said　that…

　　　　　　　　　〃Eight　victories　over　Syracuse　they　gained；
　　　　　　　　　　While　equal　yet　to　both　the　gods　remained。〃

And　in　truth　one　shall　not　find　eight；　but　many　more　victories；　won　by
these　men　against　the　Syracusans；　till　the　gods；　in　real　truth；　or
fortune　intervened　to　check　the　Athenians　in　this　advance　to　the
height　of　power　and　greatness。
　　Nicias；　therefore；　doing　violence　to　his　body；　was　present　in　most
actions。　But　once；　when　his　disease　was　the　sharpest　upon　him；　he
lay　in　the　camp　with　some　few　servants　to　attend　him。　And　Lamachus
having　the　command　fought　the　Syracusans；　who　were　bringing　a
cross…wall　from　the　city　along　to　that　of　the　Athenians；　to　hinder
them　from　carrying　it　round；　and　in　the　victory；　the　Athenians
hurrying　in　some　disorder　to　the　pursuit；　Lamachus　getting　separated
from　his　men；　had　to　resist　the　Syracusan　horse　that　came　upon　him。
Before　the　rest　advanced　Callicrates；　a　man　of　good　courage　and
skill　in　war。　Lamachu