a smaller history of greece-第30部分

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Never　perhaps　was　a　battle　fought　under　circumstances　of　such　intense　interest；　or　witnessed　by　so　many　spectators　vitally　concerned　in　the　result。　　The　basin　of　the　Great　Harbour；　about　5　miles　in　circumference；　in　which　nearly　200　ships；　each　with　crews　of　more　than　200　men；　were　about　to　engage；　was　lined　with　spectators。　　The　Syracusan　fleet　was　the　first　to　leave　the　shore。　　A　considerable　portion　was　detached　to　guard　the　barrier　at　the　mouth　of　the　harbour。　　Hither　the　first　and　most　impetuous　attack　of　the　Athenians　was　directed；　who　sought　to　break　through　the　narrow　opening　which　had　been　left　for　the　passage　of　merchant　vessels。　　Their　onset　was　repulsed；　and　the　battle　then　became　general。　　The　shouts　of　the　combatants；　and　the　crash　of　the　iron　heads　of　the　vessels　as　they　were　driven　together；　resounded　over　the　water；　and　were　answered　on　shore　by　the　cheers　or　wailings　of　the　spectators　as　their　friends　were　victorious　or　vanquished。　　For　a　long　time　the　battle　was　maintained　with　heroic　courage　and　dubious　result。　　At　length；　as　the　Athenian　vessels　began　to　yield　and　make　back　towards　the　shore；　a　universal　shriek　of　horror　and　despair　arose　from　the　Athenian　army；　whilst　shouts　of　joy　and　victory　were　raised　from　the　pursuing　vessels；　and　were　echoed　back　from　the　Syracusans　on　land。　　As　the　Athenian　vessels　neared　the　shore　their　crews　leaped　out；　and　made　for　the　camp；　whilst　the　boldest　of　the　land　army　rushed　forward　to　protect　the　ships　from　being　seized　by　the　enemy。　　The　Athenians　succeeded　in　saving　only　60　ships；　or　about　half　their　fleet。　　The　Syracusan　fleet；　however；　had　been　reduced　to　50　ships；　and　on　the　same　afternoon；　Nicias　and　Demosthenes；　as　a　last　hope　of　escape；　exhorted　their　men　to　make　another　attempt　to　break　the　enemy's　line；　and　force　their　way　out　of　the　harbour。　　But　the　courage　of　the　crews　was　so　completely　damped　that　they　positively　refused　to　re…embark。

The　Athenian　army　still　numbered　40；000　men；　and　as　all　chance　of　escape　by　sea　was　now　hopeless；　it　was　resolved　to　retreat　by　land　to　some　friendly　city；　and　there　defend　themselves　against　the　attacks　of　the　Syracusans。　　As　the　soldiers　turned　to　quit　that　fatal　encampment；　the　sense　of　their　own　woes　was　for　a　moment　suspended　by　the　sight　of　their　unburied　comrades；　who　seemed　to　reproach　them　with　the　neglect　of　a　sacred　duty；　but　still　more　by　the　wailings　and　entreaties　of　the　wounded；　who　clung　around　their　knees；　and　implored　not　to　be　abandoned　to　certain　destruction。　　Amid　this　scene　of　universal　woe　and　dejection；　a　fresh　and　unwonted　spirit　of　energy　and　heroism　seemed　to　be　infused　into　Nicias。　　Though　suffering　under　an　incurable　complaint；　he　was　everywhere　seen　marshalling　his　troops　and　encouraging　them　by　his　exhortations。　　The　march　was　directed　towards　the　territory　of　the　Sicels　in　the　interior　of　the　island。　　The　army　was　formed　into　a　hollow　square　with　the　baggage　in　the　middle；　Nicias　leading　the　van；　and　Demosthenes　bringing　up　the　rear。　　The　road　ascended　by　a　sort　of　ravine　over　a　steep　hill　called　the　Acraean　cliff　on　which　the　Syracusans　had　fortified　themselves。　　After　spending　two　days　in　vain　attempts　to　force　this　position；　Nicias　and　Demosthenes　resolved　during　the　night　to　strike　off　to　the　left　towards　the　sea。　　But　they　were　overtaken；　surrounded　by　superior　forces；　and　compelled　to　surrender　at　discretion。　　Out　of　the　40；000　who　started　from　the　camp　only　10；000　at　the　utmost　were　left　at　the　end　of　the　sixth　day's　march；　the　rest　had　either　deserted　or　been　slain。　　The　prisoners　were　sent　to　work　in　the　stone…quarries　of　Achradina　and　Epipolae。　　Here　they　were　crowded　together　without　any　shelter；　and　with　scarcely　provisions　enough　to　sustain　life。　The　numerous　bodies　of　those　who　died　were　left　to　putrify　where　they　had　fallen；　till　at　length　the　place　became　such　an　intolerable　centre　of　stench　and　infection　that；　at　the　end　of　seventy　days；　the　Syracusans；　for　their　own　comfort　and　safety；　were　obliged　to　remove　the　survivors；　who　were　sold　as　slaves。　Nicias　and　Demosthenes　were　condemned　to　death　in　spite　of　all　the　efforts　of　Gylippus　and　Hermocrates　to　save　them。

Such　was　the　end　of　two　of　the　largest　and　best　appointed　armaments　that　had　ever　gone　forth　from　Athens。　　Nicias；　as　we　have　seen；　was　from　the　first　opposed　to　the　expedition　in　which　they　were　employed；　as　pregnant　with　the　most　dangerous　consequences　to　Athens；　and；　though　it　must　be　admitted　that　in　this　respect　his　views　were　sound；　it　cannot　at　the　same　time　be　concealed　that　his　own　want　of　energy；　and　his　incompetence　as　a　general；　were　the　chief　causes　of　the　failure　of　the　undertaking。　His　mistakes　involved　the　fall　of　Demosthenes；　an　officer　of　far　greater　resolution　and　ability　than　himself；　and　who；　had　his　counsels　been　followed；　would　in　all　probability　have　conducted　the　enterprise　to　a　safe　termination；　though　there　was　no　longer　room　to　hope　for　success。



CHAPTER　XIII。

THE　PELOPONNESIAN　WAR。THIRD　PERIOD；　FROM　THE　SICILIAN　EXPEDITION　TO　THE　END　OF　THE　WAR；　B。C。　413…404。

The　destruction　of　the　Sicilian　armament　was　a　fatal　blow　to　the　power　of　Athens。　　It　is　astonishing　that　she　was　able　to　protract　the　war　so　long　with　diminished　strength　and　resources。　　Her　situation　inspired　her　enemies　with　new　vigour；　states　hitherto　neutral　declared　against　her；　her　subject…allies　prepared　to　throw　off　the　yoke；　even　the　Persian　satraps　and　the　court　of　Susa　bestirred　themselves　against　her。　　The　first　blow　to　her　empire　was　struck　by　the　wealthy　and　populous　island　of　Chios。　This　again　was　the　work　of　Alcibiades；　the　implacable　enemy　of　his　native　land；　at　whose　advice　a　Lacedaemonian　fleet　was　sent　to　the　assistance　of　the　Chians。　　Their　example　was　followed　by　all　the　other　Athenian　allies　in　Asia；　with　the　exception　of　Samos；　in　which　the　democratical　party　gained　the　upper　hand。　　In　the　midst　of　this　general　defection　the　Athenians　did　not　give　way　to　despair。　　Pericles　had　set　apart　a　reserve　of　1000　talents　to　meet　the　contingency　of　an　actual　invasion。　　This　still　remained　untouched；　and　now　by　an　unanimous　vote　the　penalty　of　death；　which　forbad　its　appropriation　to　any　other　purpose；　was　abolished；　and　the　fund　applied　in　fitting　out　a　fleet　against　Chios。　　Samos　became　the　head…quarters　of　the　fleet；　and　the　base　of　their　operations　during　the　remainder　of　the　war。

After　a　time　the　tide　of　success　began　to　turn　in　favour　of　the　Athenians。　　They　recovered　Lesbos　and　Clazomenae；　defeated　the　Chians；　and　laid　waste　their　territory。　　They　also　gained　a　victory　over　the　Peloponnesians　at　Miletus；　while　the　Peloponnesian　fleet　had　lost　the　assistance　of　Tissaphernes；　the　Persian　satrap；　through　the　intrigues　of　Alcibiades。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　months　Alcibiades　had　completely　forfeited　the　confidence　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　　The　Spartan　king　Agis；　whose　wife　he　had　seduced；　was　his　personal　enemy；　and　after　the　defeat　of　the　Peloponnesians　at　Miletus；　Agis　denounced　him　as　a　traitor；　and　persuaded　the　new　Ephors　to　send　out　instructions　to　put　him　to　death。　　Of　this；　however；　he　was　informed　time　enough　to　make　his　escape　to　Tissaphernes　at　Magnesia。　　Here　he　ingratiated　himself　into　the　confidence　of　the　satrap；　and　persuaded　him　that　it　was　not　for　the　interest　of　Persia　that　either　of　the　Grecian　parties　should　be　successful；　but　rather　that　they　should　wear　each　other　out　in　their　mutual　struggles；　when　Persia　would　in　the　end　succeed　in　expelling　both。　　This　advice　was　adopted　by　the　satrap；　and　in　order　to　carry　it　into　execution；　steps　were　taken　to　secure　the　inactivity　of　the　Peloponnesian　armament；　which；　if　vigorously　employed；　was　powerful　enough　to　put　a　speedy　end　to　the　war。　　In　order　to　secure　his　return　to　Athens；　Alcibiades　now　endeavoured　to　persuade　Tissaphernes　that　it　was　more　for　the　Persian　interest　to　conclude　a　league　with　Athens　than　with　Sparta；　but　the　only　part　of　his　advice　which　the　satrap　seems　to　have　sincerely　adopted　was　that　of　playing　off　one　party　against　the　other。　About　this；　however；　Alcibiades　did　not　at　all　concern　himself。　It　was　enough　for　his　views；　which　had　merely　the　selfish　aim　of　his　own　restoration　to　Athens；　if　he　could　make　it　appear　that　he　possessed　sufficient　influence　with　Tissaphernes　to　procure　his　assistance　for　the　Athenians。　　He　therefore　began　to　communicate　with　the　Athenian　generals　at　Samos；　and　held　out　the　hope　of　a　Persian　alliance　as　the　price　of　his　restoration　to　his　country。　But　as　he　both　hated　and　feared　the　Athenian　democracy；　he　coupled　his　offer　with　the　condition　that　a　revolution　should　be　effected　at　Athens；　and　an　oligarchy　established。　　The　Athenian　generals　greedily　caught　at　the　proposal；　and　though　the　great　mass　of　the　soldiery　were　violently　opposed　to　it；　they　were　silenced；　if　not　satisfied；　when　told　that　Athens　could　be　saved　only　by　means　of　Persia。　　The　oligarchical　conspirators　formed　themselves　into　a　confederacy；　and　Pisander　was　sent　to　Athens　to　lay　the　proposal　before　the　Athenian　assembly。　　It　met；　as　it　might　be　supposed；　with　the　most　determined　opposition。　　The　single　but　unanswerable　reply　of　Pisander　was；　the　necessities　of　the　republic；　and　at　length　a　reluctant　vote　for　a　change　of　cons