nicias-第5章

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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　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