nicias-第6节

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Before　the　rest　advanced　Callicrates；　a　man　of　good　courage　and
skill　in　war。　Lamachus；　upon　a　challenge；　engaged　with　him　in　single
combat；　and　receiving　the　first　wound；　returned　it　so　home　to
Callicrates；　that　they　both　fell　and　died　together。　The　Syracusans
took　away　his　body　and　arms；　and　at　full　speed　advanced　to　the　wall　of
the　Athenians；　where　Nicias　lay　without　any　troops　to　oppose　to
them；　yet　roused　by　this　necessity；　and　seeing　the　danger；　he　bade
those　about　him　go　and　set　on　fire　all　the　wood　and　materials　that　lay
provided　before　the　wall　for　the　engines；　and　the　engines
themselves；　this　put　a　stop　to　the　Syracusans；　saved　Nicias；　saved　the
walls　and　all　the　money　of　the　Athenians。　For　when　the　Syracusans
saw　such　a　fire　blazing　up　between　them　and　the　wall；　they　retired。
　　Nicias　now　remained　sole　general；　and　with　great　prospects；　for
cities　began　to　come　over　to　alliance　with　him；　and　ships　laden　with
corn　from　every　coast　came　to　the　camp；　every　one　favouring　when
matters　went　well。　And　some　proposals　from　among　the　Syracusans
despairing　to　defend　the　city；　about　a　capitulation；　were　already
conveyed　to　him。　And　in　fact　Gylippus；　who　was　on　his　way　with　a
squadron　to　their　aid　from　Lacedaemon；　hearing　on　his　voyage　of　the
wall　surrounding　them；　and　of　their　distress；　only　continued　his
enterprise　thenceforth；　that；　giving　Sicily　up　for　lost；　he　might；
if　even　that　should　be　possible；　secure　the　Italians　their　cities。　For
a　strong　report　was　everywhere　spread　about　that　the　Athenians　carried
all　before　them；　and　had　a　general　alike　for　conduct　and　for　fortune
invincible。
　　And　Nicias　himself；　too；　now　against　his　nature　grown　bold　in　his
present　strength　and　success；　especially　from　the　intelligence　he
received　underhand　of　the　Syracusans；　believing　they　would　almost
immediately　surrender　the　town　upon　terms；　paid　no　manner　of　regard　to
Gylippus　coming　to　their　assistance；　nor　kept　any　watch　of　his
approach；　so　that；　neglected　altogether　and　despised；　Gylippus　went　in
a　long…boat　ashore　without　the　knowledge　of　Nicias；　and；　having　landed
in　the　remotest　parts　from　Syracuse；　mustered　up　a　considerable　force；
the　Syracusans　not　so　much　as　knowing　of　his　arrival　nor　expecting
him；　so　that　an　assembly　was　summoned　to　consider　the　terms　to　be
arranged　with　Nicias；　and　some　were　actually　on　the　way；　thinking　it
essential　to　have　all　despatched　before　the　town　should　be　quite
walled　round；　for　now　there　remained　very　little　to　be　done；　and　the
materials　for　the　building　lay　all　ready　along　the　line。
　　In　this　very　nick　of　time　and　danger　arrived　Gongylus　in　one
galley　from　Corinth；　and　every　one；　as　may　be　imagined；　flocking　about
him；　he　told　them　that　Gylippus　would　be　with　them　speedily；　and
that　other　ships　were　coming　to　relieve　them。　And；　ere　yet　they
could　perfectly　believe　Gongylus；　an　express　was　brought　from
Gylippus；　to　bid　them　go　forth　to　meet　him。　So　now　taking　good
heart；　they　armed　themselves；　and　Gylippus　at　once　led　on　his　men　from
their　march　in　battle　array　against　the　Athenians；　as　Nicias　also
embattled　these。　And　Gylippus；　piling　his　arms　in　view　of　the
Athenians；　sent　a　herald　to　tell　them　he　would　give　them　leave　to
depart　from　Sicily　without　molestation。　To　this　Nicias　would　not
vouchsafe　any　answer；　but　some　of　his　soldiers　laughing；　asked　if　with
the　sight　of　one　coarse　coat　and　Laconian　staff　the　Syracusan
prospects　had　become　so　brilliant　that　they　could　despise　the
Athenians；　who　had　released　to　the　Lacedaemonians　three　hundred；
whom　they　held　in　chains；　bigger　men　than　Gylippus；　and　longer…haired？
Timaeus；　also；　writes　that　even　the　Syracusans　made　no　account　of
Gylippus；　at　the　first　sight　mocking　at　his　staff　and　long　hair；　as
afterwards　they　found　reason　to　blame　his　covetousness　and　meanness。
The　same　author；　however；　adds　that　on　Gylippus's　first　appearance；　as
it　might　have　been　at　the　sight　of　an　owl　abroad　in　the　air；　there　was
a　general　flocking　together　of　men　to　serve　in　the　war。　And　this　is
the　truer　saying　of　the　two；　for　in　the　staff　and　the　cloak　they　saw
the　badge　and　authority　of　Sparta；　and　crowded　to　him　accordingly。　And
not　only　Thucydides　affirms　that　the　whole　thing　was　done　by　him
alone；　but　so；　also；　does　Philistus；　who　was　a　Syracusan　and　an　actual
witness　of　what　happened。
　　However；　the　Athenians　had　the　better　in　the　first　encounter；　and
slew　some　few　of　the　Syracusans；　and　amongst　them　Gongylus　of　Corinth。
But　on　the　next　day　Gylippus；　showed　what　it　is　to　be　a　man　of
experience；　for　with　the　same　arms；　the　same　horses；　and　on　the　same
spot　of　ground；　only　employing　them　otherwise；　he　overcame　the
Athenians；　and　they　fleeing　to　their　camp；　he　set　the　Syracusans　to
work；　and　with　the　stone　and　materials　that　had　been　brought
together　for　finishing　the　wall　of　the　Athenians；　he　built　a
cross…wall　to　intercept　theirs　and　break　it　off；　so　that　even　if
they　were　successful　in　the　field；　they　would　not　be　able　to　do
anything。　And　after　this　the　Syracusans　taking　courage　manned　their
galleys；　and　with　their　horse　and　followers　ranging　about　took　a
good　many　prisoners；　and　Gylippus　going　himself　to　the　cities；
called　upon　them　to　join　with　him；　and　was　listened　to　and　supported
vigorously　by　them。　So　that　Nicias　fell　back　again　to　his　old　views；
and；　seeing　the　face　of　affairs　change；　desponded；　and　wrote　to
Athens；　bidding　them　either　send　another　army；　or　recall　this　out　of
Sicily；　and　that　he　might；　in　any　case；　he　wholly　relieved　of　the
command；　because　of　his　disease。
　　Before　this　the　Athenians　had　been　intending　to　send　another　army　to
Sicily；　but　envy　of　Nicias's　early　achievements　and　high　fortune　had
occasioned；　up　to　this　time；　many　delays；　but　now　they　were　all
eager　to　send　off　succours。　Eurymedon　went　before；　in　midwinter；
with　money；　and　to　announce　that　Euthydemus　and　Menander　were　chosen
out　of　those　that　served　there　under　Nicias　to　be　joint　commanders
with　him。　Demosthenes　was　to　go　after　in　the　spring　with　a　great
armament。　In　the　meantime　Nicias　was　briskly　attacked；　both　by　sea　and
land；　in　the　beginning　he　had　the　disadvantage　on　the　water；　but　in
the　end　repulsed　and　sunk　many　galleys　of　the　enemy。　But　by　land　he
could　not　provide　succour　in　time；　so　Gylippus　surprised　and
captured　Plemmyrium；　in　which　the　stores　for　the　navy；　and　a　great　sum
of　money　being　there　kept；　all　fell　into　his　hands；　and　many　were
slain；　and　many　taken　prisoners。　And　what　was　of　greatest
importance；　he　now　cut　off　Nicias's　supplies；　which　had　been　safely
and　readily　conveyed　to　him　under　Plemmyrium；　while　the　Athenians
still　held　it；　but　now　that　they　were　beaten　out；　he　could　only
procure　them　with　great　difficulty；　and　with　opposition　from　the
enemy；　who　lay　in　wait　with　their　ships　under　that　fort。　Moreover；
it　seemed　manifest　to　the　Syracusans　that　their　navy　had　not　been
beaten　by　strength；　but　by　their　disorder　in　the　pursuit。　Now；
therefore；　all　hands　went　to　work　to　prepare　for　a　new　attempt　that
should　succeed　better　than　the　former。　Nicias　had　no　wish　for　a
sea…fight；　but　said　it　was　mere　folly　for　them；　when　Demosthenes　was
coming　in　all　haste　with　so　great　a　fleet　and　fresh　forces　to　their
succour；　to　engage　the　enemy　with　a　less　number　of　ships　and　ill
provided。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　Menander　and　Euthydemus；　who　were
just　commencing　their　new　command；　prompted　by　a　feeling　of　rivalry
and　emulation　of　both　the　generals；　were　eager　to　gain　some　great
success　before　Demosthenes　came；　and　to　prove　themselves　superior　to
Nicias。　They　urged　the　honour　of　the　city；　which；　said　they；　would
be　blemished　and　utterly　lost　if　they　should　decline　a　challenge
from　the　Syracusans。　Thus　they　forced　Nicias　to　a　sea…fight；　and　by
the　stratagem　of　Ariston；　the　Corinthian　pilot　（his　trick；　described
by　Thucydides；　about　the　men's　dinners）；　they　were　worsted；　and　lost
many　of　their　men；　causing　the　greatest　dejection　to　Nicias；　who　had
suffered　so　much　from　having　the　sole　command；　and　now　again
miscarried　through　his　colleagues。
　　But　now　by　this　time　Demosthenes　with　his　splendid　fleet　came　in
sight　outside　the　harbour；　a　terror　to　the　enemy。　He　brought　along；　in
seventy…three　galleys；　five　thousand　men…at…arms；　of　darters；　archers；
and　slingers；　not　less　than　three　thousand　with　the　glittering　of
their　armour；　the　flags　waving　from　the　galleys；　the　multitude　of
coxswains　and　flute…players　giving　time　to　the　rowers；　setting　off　the
whole　with　all　possible　warlike　pomp　and　ostentation　to　dismay　the
enemy。　Now　one　may　believe　the　Syracusans　were　again　in　extreme　alarm；
seeing　no　end　or　prospect　of　release　before　them；　toiling；　as　it
seemed；　in　vain；　and　perishing　to　no　purpose。　Nicias；　however；　was　not
long　overjoyed　with　the　reinforcement；　for　the　first　time　he　conferred
with　Demosthenes；　who　advised　forthwith　to　attack　the　Syracusans；
and　to　put　all　to　the　speediest　hazard；　to　win　Syracuse；　or　else
return　home；　afraid；　and　wondering　at　his　promptness　and　audacity；
he　besought　him　to　do　nothing　rashly　and；　desperately；　since　delay
would　be　the　ruin　of　the　enemy；　whose　money　would　not　hold　out；　nor
their　confederates　be　long　kept　together；　that　w