Syracusans would probably cause them to surrender, and the capture of their city would determine the conduct of the rest of Sicily; but, if they lingered, negotiated, and did nothing, they would first be regarded with indifference and then with contempt.

4. The advice of Lamachus was the most soldierlike, and, though seemingly the boldest, would undoubtedly have been the safest and most prudent in the end. But neither of his colleagues approved of it, and, as Lamachus was poor, and possessed no great political interest, he was obliged to give way. The counsel of Alcibiades was adopted as a mean between the other two. Messana refused his solicitations, but Naxos cordially joined the Athenians. Alcibiades then sailed southwards with a considerable portion of the fleet, and, passing Syracuse, despatched ten triremes into the Great Harbour, for the purpose of surveying its docks and foitifications. Nothing further was attempted; but as they sailed back the Athenians obtained possession by surprise of the important city of Catana, which was now made the head-quarters of the armament.

§ 5. An unwelcome message greeted Alcibiades at Catana. After his departure from Athens fresh inquiries were instituted respecting the mutilation of the Hermæ, and the offer of large rewards brought forward additional evidence. The public agitation and anxiety were kept alive by the demagogues Pisander and Charicles, two of the commissioners of inquiry, who denounced the affair not only as a sacrilege, but also as a conspiracy for putting down the democracy and establishing a tyranny. Numerous arrests were made, and citizens of the highest character were thrown into prison on the testimony of hireling wretches. Terror reigned in the city, and the fear of being informed against rose to such a pitch that the convocation of the senate by the herald was a signal to the crowd which filled the market-place to disperse. Among the persons arrested was Andocides, the orator, who was induced by his fellow-prisoners to come forward and state what he knew of the affair. He was a young man of rank, and his evidence was implicitly believed, especially as it was confirmed by his slaves, who were put to the torture. Those whom he denounced were executed. He saved his own life by turning informer, but the hatred he incurred was such that he was obliged to leave the city. His evidence was most probably false, and the whole affair has ever remained involved in mystery.

6. The execution of the supposed criminals had the effect of tranquillizing the city respecting the mutilation of the Hermæ : but the profanation of the Eleusinian mysteries, a rite regarded

with the deepest reverence at Athens, still remained unexpiated. The Eumolpidæ, and other great families who held hereditary offices in the celebration of the mysteries, looked upon themselves as personally insulted. The public excitement was increased by the appearance of a Lacedæmonian force on the frontier, which, it was suspected, might be connected with some internal conspiracy. Both oligarchs and democrats were loud in demanding the arrest of Alcibiades; and Thessalus, the son of Cimon, who belonged to the former party, preferred an indictment against him. In pursuance of this step the Salaminian trireme was despatched to Sicily, carrying the decree of the assembly for Alcibiades to come home and take his trial, and which met him, as before related, on his arrival at Catana. The commander of the Salaminia was, however, instructed not to seize his person, but to allow him to sail in his own trireme. Alcibiades availed himself of this privilege to effect his escape. When the ships arrived at Thurii in Italy, he absconded, and contrived to elude the search that was made after him. Nevertheless, though absent, he was arraigned at Athens, and condemned to death; his property was confiscated, and the Eumolpids pronounced upon him the curses of the gods. On hearing of his sentence Alcibiades is said to have exclaimed, "I will show them that I am still alive."

§ 7. Three months had now been frittered away in Sicily, during which the Athenians had done little or nothing, if we except the acquisition of Naxos and Catana. The Syracusans began to look upon them with contempt. They even meditated an attack upon the Athenians at Catana; and Syracusan horsemen rode up and insulted them in their camp. Nicias was thus absolutely shamed into undertaking something, and resolved to make an attempt upon Syracuse. By a false message that the Catanæans were ready to assist in expelling the Athenians, he induced the Syracusans to proceed thither in great force, and he availed himself of their absence to sail with his whole fleet into the Great Harbour of Syracuse, where he landed near the mouth of the Anapus, in the neighbourhood of the temple of the Olympian Jove. Here he intrenched himself in a strong position, on the right bank of the Anapus, breaking down the bridge over the river. The Syracusans, when they found that they had been deceived at Catana, marched back and offered Nicias battle in his new position. The latter accepted it, and gained the victory; after which he retired to Catana, and subsequently to Naxos into winter quarters. He then sent messages to Athens for fresh supplies of cavalry and money, and to his Sicilian allies for reinforcements.

§ 8. The Syracusans employed the winter in preparations for defence. They built a new wall, covering both their inner and outer town to the westward (See Plan, G, H, I), and rendering any attempt at circumvallation more difficult. They fortified and garrisoned the temple and grove of the Olympian Jove, in the neighbourhood of the city. They despatched envoys to Corinth and Sparta to solicit assistance, in the latter of which towns they found an unexpected advocate. Alcibiades, having crossed from Thurii to Cyllené in Peloponnesus, received a special invitation to proceed to Sparta. Here he revealed all the plans of Athens, and exhorted the Lacedæmonians to frustrate them. For this purpose he advised them to send an army into Sicily, under the command of a Spartan general, and by way of causing a diversion, to establish a fortified post at Decelea in the Attic territories. The Spartans fell in with these views, and resolved to send a force to the assistance of Syracuse in the spring, under the command of Gylippus.

§ 9. Nicias, having received a reinforcement of cavalry from Athens, as well as 300 talents in money, recommenced hostilities as soon as the season allowed of it, and resolved on besieging Syracuse. That town consisted of two parts-the inner and the outer city. The former of these—the original settlement-was comprised in the island of Ortygia; the latter, afterwards known by the name of Achradina, covered the high ground of the peninsula north of Ortygia, and was completely separate from the inner city. The island of Ortygia, to which the modern city is now confined, is of an oblong shape, about two miles in circumference, lying between the Great Harbour on the west, and the Little Harbour on the east, and separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. The Great Harbour is a splendid bay, about five miles in circumference, the entrance of which is protected on the left hand by the promontory Plemmyrium, and on the right hand by a projecting cape of the island of Ortygia. The little port, also called Laccius, which lay between Ortygia and the outer city, was spacious enough to receive a large fleet of ships of war. The outer city was surrounded on the north and east by the sea, and by sea-walls which rendered an assault on that side almost impracticable. On the land side it was defended by a wall, and partly also by the nature of the ground, which in some parts was very steep. The low ground between the outer city and Ortygia seems not to have been included in the fortifications of either, but was employed partly as a burial ground, partly for games and religious processions. West and north-west of the wall of the outer city stood two unfortified suburbs, which were at a later time included within the walls of Syracuse under the

names of Tyché and Neapolis. At the time of which we are speaking, the latter was called Temenites, from having within it the statue and consecrated ground of Apollo Temenites. Between these two suburbs the ground rose in a gentle acclivity to the summit of the ranges of hills called Epipolæ.

§ 10. It was from the high ground of Epipole that Syracuse was most exposed to attack. The Syracusan generals had hitherto neglected this important position, and were on the point of occupying it, when they were anticipated by Nicias. Landing at Leon, a place upon the bay of Thapsus, at the distance of only six or seven stadia from Epipolæ, the Athenian

A, B, C, D. Wall of the Outer City of Syracuse at time of the arrival of Nicias in Sicily.
E, F. Wall of Ortygia, or the Inner City of Syracuse, at the same time.

G, H, I. Additional fortification built by the Syracusans in the winter of 415-414 B.C.
K. Athenian fortification at Syke.

K, L, M. Southern portion of the Athenian circumvallation from Syke to the Great Harbour.
N, O. First counter-work erected by the Syracusans.

P, Q. Second counter-work constructed by the Syracusans.

K, R.

Intended, but unfinished, circumvallation of the Athenians from the northern side of Syke to the outer eea at Trogilus.

S, T, U. Third Syracusan counter-wall.

V. Outer fort constructed by Gylippus.

V, W, T. Wall of junction between this outer fort and the third Syracusan counter-work.

Q

troops reached the summit just as the Syracusans were marching towards the heights. They made, however, an attempt to dislodge the Athenians, which was repulsed; and on the following morning, Nicias and Lamachus marched their troops down the ridge and offered battle, which was declined by the Syracusans. On the summit of Epipola Nicias constructed a fort called Labdalum; and then coming farther down the hill towards Syracuse, he built another fort of a circular form and of considerable size at a place called Syké. From the latter point he commenced his line of circumvallation, one wall extending southwards from Syké to the Great Harbour, and the other wall running northwards from the same fortress to the outer sea at Trogilus (See Plan, K, L, M). While the Athenians were busy upon their lines towards the north, the Syracusans ran a counter wall from their own lines up the slope of the Epipolæ (See Plan, N, O), but after a sharp conflict it was taken by the Athenians and destroyed. Not disheartened by this failure, the Syracusans commenced a second counter-work, and succeeded in constructing a ditch and stockade, which extended again from their own lines across the marsh to the Anapus (See Plan, P, Q). From this new position they were also dislodged by the Athenians; but in the assault, which was led by Lamachus, this gallant officer was slain. At the same time the Athenian fleet entered the Great Harbour, where it was henceforth permanently established.

The Syracusans offered no further opposition to the progress of the circumvallation, which was at length completed towards the south. It consisted of two distinct walls, with a space between them, which was perhaps partly roofed over, in order to afford shelter for the troops. The northern wall towards Trogilus was never completed, and through the passage thus left open the besieged continued to obtain provisions.

Nicias, who, by the death of Lamachus, had become sole commander, seemed now on the point of succeeding. The Syracusans were so sensible of their inferiority in the field that they no longer ventured to show themselves outside the walls. They began to contemplate surrender, and even sent messages to Nicias to treat of the terms. This caused the Athenian commander to indulge in a false confidence of success, and consequent apathy; and the army having lost the active and energetic Lamachus, operations were no longer carried on with the requisite activity.

§ 11. It was in this state of affairs that the Spartan commander Gylippus passed over into Italy with a little squadron of four ships-two Lacedæmonian and two Corinthian-with the view merely of preserving the Greek cities in that country, supposing