nicias-第7节

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would　be　the　ruin　of　the　enemy；　whose　money　would　not　hold　out；　nor
their　confederates　be　long　kept　together；　that　when　once　they　came
to　be　pinched　with　want；　they　would　presently　come　again　to　him　for
terms；　as　formerly。　For；　indeed；　many　in　Syracuse　held　secret
correspondence　with　him；　and　urged　him　to　stay；　declaring　that　even
now　the　people　were　quite　worn　out　with　the　war　and　weary　of　Gylippus。
And　if　their　necessities　should　the　least　sharpen　upon　them　they　would
give　up　all。
　　Nicias　glancing　darkly　at　these　matters；　and　unwilling　to　speak
out　plainly；　made　his　colleagues　imagine　that　it　was　cowardice　which
made　him　talk　in　this　manner。　And　saying　that　this　was　the　old　story
over　again；　the　well…known　procrastinations　and　delays　and　refinements
with　which　at　first　he　let　slip　the　opportunity　in　not　immediately
falling　on　the　enemy；　but　suffering　the　armament　to　become　a　thing
of　yesterday；　that　nobody　was　alarmed　with；　they　took　the　side　of
Demosthenes；　and　with　ado　forced　Nicias　to　comply。　And　so　Demosthenes；
taking　the　land…forces；　by　night　made　an　assault　upon　Epipolae；　part
of　the　enemy　he　slew　ere　they　took　the　alarm；　the　rest　defending
themselves　he　put　to　flight。　Nor　was　he　content　with　this　victory
there；　but　pushed　on　further；　till　he　met　the　Boeotians。　For　these
were　the　first　that　made　head　against　the　Athenians；　and　charged
them　with　a　shout；　spear　against　spear；　and　killed　many　on　the
place。　And　now　at　once　there　ensued　a　panic　and　confusion　throughout
the　whole　army；　the　victorious　portion　got　infected　with　the　fears
of　the　flying　part；　and　those　who　were　still　disembarking　and　coming
forward　falling　foul　of　the　retreaters；　came　into　conflict　with
their　own　party；　taking　the　fugitives　for　pursuers；　and　treating　their
friends　as　if　they　were　the　enemy。
　　Thus　huddled　together　in　disorder；　distracted　with　fear　and
uncertainties；　and　unable　to　be　sure　of　seeing　anything；　the　night　not
being　absolutely　dark；　nor　yielding　any　steady　light；　the　moon　then
towards　setting；　shadowed　with　the　many　weapons　and　bodies　that
moved　to　and　fro；　and　glimmering　so　as　not　to　show　an　object　plain；
but　to　make　friends　through　fear　suspected　for　foes；　the　Athenians
fell　into　utter　perplexity　and　desperation。　For；　moreover；　they　had
the　moon　at　their　backs；　and　consequently　their　own　shadows　fell
upon　them；　and　both　hid　the　number　and　the　glittering　of　their　arms；
while　the　reflection　of　the　moon　from　the　shields　of　the　enemy　made
them　show　more　numerous　and　better　appointed　than；　indeed；　they
were。　At　last；　being　pressed　on　every　side；　when　once　they　had　given
way；　they　took　to　rout；　and　in　their　flight　were　destroyed；　some　by
the　enemy；　some　by　the　hand　of　their　friends；　and　some　tumbling　down
the　rocks；　while　those　that　were　dispersed　and　straggled　about　were
picked　off　in　the　morning　by　the　horsemen　and　put　to　the　sword。　The
slain　were　two　thousand；　and　of　the　rest　few　came　off　safe　with
their　arms。
　　Upon　this　disaster；　which　to　him　was　not　wholly　an　unexpected　one；
Nicias　accused　the　rashness　of　Demosthenes；　but　he；　making　his　excuses
for　the　past；　now　advised　to　be　gone　in　all　haste；　for　neither　were
other　forces　to　come；　nor　could　the　enemy　be　beaten　with　the
present。　And；　indeed；　even　supposing　they　were　yet　too　hard　for　the
enemy　in　any　case；　they　ought　to　remove　and　quit　a　situation　which
they　understood　to　be　always　accounted　a　sickly　one；　and　dangerous　for
an　army；　and　was　more　particularly　unwholesome　now；　as　they　could
see　themselves；　because　of　the　time　of　year。　It　was　the　beginning　of
autumn；　and　many　now　lay　sick；　and　all　were　out　of　heart。
　　It　grieved　Nicias　to　hear　of　flight　and　departing　home；　not　that
he　did　not　fear　the　Syracusans；　but　he　was　worse　afraid　of　the
Athenians；　their　impeachments　and　sentences；　he　professed　that　he
apprehended　no　further　harm　there；　or　if　it　must　be；　he　would　rather
die　by　the　hand　of　an　enemy　than　by　his　fellow…citizens。　He　was　not　of
the　opinion　which　Leo　of　Byzantium　declared　to　his　fellow…citizens：　〃I
had　rather；〃　said　he；　〃perish　by　you；　than　with　you。〃　As　to　the　matter
of　place　and　quarter　whither　to　remove　their　camp；　that；　he　said；
might　be　debated　at　leisure。　And　Demosthenes；　his　former　counsel
having　succeeded　so　ill；　ceased　to　press　him　further；　others　thought
Nicias　had　reasons　for　expectation；　and　relied　on　some　assurance
from　people　within　the　city；　and　that　this　made　him　so　strongly　oppose
their　retreat；　so　they　acquiesced。　But　fresh　forces　now　coming　to
the　Syracusans　and　the　sickness　growing　worse　in　his　camp；　he；　also；
now　approved　of　their　retreat；　and　commanded　the　soldiers　to　make
ready　to　go　aboard。
　　And　when　all　were　in　readiness；　and　none　of　the　enemy　had　observed
them；　not　expecting　such　a　thing；　the　moon　was　eclipsed　in　the
night；　to　the　great　fright　of　Nicias　and　others；　who；　for　want　of
experience；　or　out　of　superstition；　felt　alarm　at　such　appearances。
That　the　sun　might　be　darkened　about　the　close　of　the　month；　this　even
ordinary　people　now　understood　pretty　well　to　be　the　effect　of　the
moon；　but　the　moon　itself　to　be　darkened；　how　that　could　come　about；
and　how；　on　the　sudden；　a　broad　full　moon　should　lose　her　light；　and
show　such　various　colours；　was　not　easy　to　be　comprehended；　they
concluded　it　to　be　ominous；　and　a　divine　intimation　of　some　heavy
calamities。　For　he　who　the　first；　and　the　most　plainly　of　any；　and
with　the　greatest　assurance　committed　to　writing　how　the　moon　is
enlightened　and　overshadowed；　was　Anaxagoras；　and　he　was　as　yet　but
recent；　nor　was　his　argument　much　known；　but　was　rather　kept　secret；
passing　only　amongst　a　few；　under　some　kind　of　caution　and　confidence。
People　would　not　then　tolerate　natural　philosophers；　and　theorists；　as
they　then　called　them；　about　things　above；　as　lessening　the　divine
power；　by　explaining　away　its　agency　into　the　operation　of
irrational　causes　and　senseless　forces　acting　by　necessity；　without
anything　of　Providence　or　a　free　agent。　Hence　it　was　that　Protagoras
was　banished；　and　Anaxagoras　cast　in　prison；　so　that　Pericles　had　much
difficulty　to　procure　his　liberty；　and　Socrates；　though　he　had　no
concern　whatever　with　this　sort　of　learning；　yet　was　put　to　death
for　philosophy。　It　was　only　afterwards　that　the　reputation　of　Plato；
shining　forth　by　his　life；　and　because　he　subjected　natural
necessity　to　divine　and　more　excellent　principles；　took　away　the
obloquy　and　scandal　that　had　attached　to　such　contemplations；　and
obtained　these　studies　currency　among　all　people。　So　his　friend
Dion；　when　the　moon；　at　the　time　he　was　to　embark　from　Zacynthus　to　go
against　Dionysius；　was　eclipsed；　was　not　in　the　least　disturbed；　but
went　on；　and　arriving　at　Syracuse；　expelled　the　tyrant。　But　it　so　fell
out　with　Nicias；　that　he　had　not　at　this　time　a　skilful　diviner　with
him；　his　former　habitual　adviser　who　used　to　moderate　much　of　his
superstition；　Stilbides；　had　died　a　little　before。　For；　in　fact；
this　prodigy；　as　Philochorus　observes；　was　not　unlucky　for　men　wishing
to　fly；　but　on　the　contrary　very　favourable；　for　things　done　in　fear
require　to　be　hidden；　and　the　light　is　their　foe。　Nor　was　it　usual
to　observe　signs　in　the　sun　or　moon　more　than　three　days；　as
Autoclides　states　in　his　Commentaries。　But　Nicias　persuaded　them　to
wait　another　full　course　of　the　moon；　as　if　he　had　not　seen　it　clear
again　as　soon　as　ever　it　had　passed　the　region　of　shadow　where　the
light　was　obstructed　by　the　earth。
　　In　a　manner　abandoning　all　other　cares；　he　betook　himself　wholly
to　his　sacrifices；　till　the　enemy　came　upon　them　with　their
infantry；　besieging　the　forts　and　camp；　and　placing　their　ships　in　a
circle　about　the　harbour。　Nor　did　the　men　in　the　galleys　only；　but　the
little　boys　everywhere　got　into　the　fishing…boats　and　rowed　up　and
challenged　the　Athenians；　and　insulted　over　them。　Amongst　these　a
youth　of　noble　parentage；　Heraclides　by　name；　having　ventured　out
beyond　the　rest；　an　Athenian　ship　pursued　and　well…nigh　took　him。
His　uncle　Pollichus；　in　fear　for　him；　put　out　with　ten　galleys　which
he　commanded；　and　the　rest；　to　relieve　Pollichus；　in　like　manner
drew　forth；　the　result　of　it　being　a　very　sharp　engagement；　in　which
the　Syracusans　had　the　victory；　and　slew　Eurymedon；　with　many
others。　After　this　the　Athenian　soldiers　had　no　patience　to　stay
longer；　but　raised　an　outcry　against　their　officers；　requiring　them　to
depart　by　land；　for　the　Syracusans；　upon　their　victory；　immediately
shut　and　blocked　up　the　entrance　of　the　harbour；　but　Nicias　would
not　consent　to　this；　as　it　was　a　shameful　thing　to　leave　behind　so
many　ships　of　burden；　and　galleys　little　less　than　two　hundred。
Putting；　therefore；　on　board　the　best　of　the　foot；　and　the　most
serviceable　darters；　they　filled　one　hundred　and　ten　galleys；　the　rest
wanted　oars。　The　remainder　of　his　army　Nicias　posted　along　by　the
seaside；　abandoning　the　great　camp　and　the　fortifications　adjoining
the　temple　of　Hercules；　so　the　Syracusans；　not　having　for　a　long
time　performed　their　usual　sacrifice　to　Hercules；　went　up　now；　both
priests　and　captains；　to　sacrifice。
　　And　their　galleys　being　manned；　the　diviners　predicted　from　their
sacrifices　victory　an