ever the former would proceed in their march, they advanced, and charged them in their retreat. Demosthenes and Nicias, seeing the miserable condition to which the troops were reduced, being in extreme want of provisions, and great numbers of them wounded, judged it advisable to retire towards the sea, by a quite contrary way from that in which they then marched, and to make directly for Camarina and Gela, instead of proceeding to Catana, as they first intended. They set out in the night, after lighting a great number of fires. The retreat was made in great confusion and disorder, as generally happens to great armies in the gloomy horrors of the night, especially when the enemy is not far off. However, the van guard, commanded by Nicias, came forward in good order; but above half the rear guard, with Demosthenes at their head, separated from the main body, and lost their way. On the next day the Syracusans, who, on the report of their retreat, had marched with the utmost diligence, came up with him about noon; and having surrounded him with their horse, they drove him into a narrow place inclosed with a wall, where his soldiers fought like lions. Perceiving, at the close of the day, that they were oppressed with fatigue, and covered with wounds, they gave the islanders leave to retire, which some of them accepted; and afterwards spared the lives of the rest, who surrendered at discretion with Demosthenes, after having stipulated that they should not be put to death, nor sentenced to perpetual imprisonment. About 6000 soldiers surrendered on these conditions. Nicias arrived the same evening at the river Erineus, and passing it, encamped on a mountain, where the enemy came up with him the next day, and summoned him to surrender at discretion, as Demosthenes had done. Nicias could not persuade himself at first that what they told him concerning that general was true, and therefore desired leave to send some horse for information. Upon their returning with the news that Demosthenes had really surrendered in that manner, Nicias offered to pay the expences of the war, upon condition that they would permit him to leave the country with his forces, and to give as many Athenians for hostages as they should be obliged to pay talents. But the enemy rejected this proposal with disdain and insolence, and renewed the attack. Nicias, though in absolute want of all things, however, sustained the charge the whole night, and marched towards the river Asinarus. When they were got to the banks of it, the Syracusans advancing up to them, threw most of them into the stream, the rest having already plunged voluntarily into it to quench their thirst. Here the greatest and most bloody havoc was made, the poor wretches being butchered without the least pity as they were drinking. Nicias, finding all lost, and unable to bear this dismal spectacle, surrendered at discretion, upon condition that Gylippus should discontinue the fight, and spare the rest of his army. A great number were killed, and more taken prisoners, Bo that all Sicily was filled with them. *The Athenians seemed to have been displeased with their general for surrendering in this manner at discretion, and for this reason his name was omitted in a public monument, on which were engraved the names of those commanders who had lost their lives in fighting for their country. The victors adorned with the arms taken from the prisoners the finest and largest trees they could find on the banks of the rivers, and made a kind of trophies of these trees, when crowning themselves with chaplets of flowers, dressing their horses in the richest caparisons, and cropping those * Pausan. l. i. p. 56. of their enemies, they entered triumphantly into Syracuse, after having happily terminated the most considerable war in which they had ever been engaged with the Greeks, and won, by their strength and valour, a most signal and most complete victory. The next day a council was held, to deliberate on what was to be done with the prisoners. Diocles, one of the leaders of the greatest authority among the people, proposed that all the Athenians who were born of free parents, and all such Sicilians as had joined with them, should be imprisoned, and only two measures of flour and one of water given them daily; that the slaves and all the allies should be publicly sold; and that the two Athenian generals should be first scourged with rods and afterwards put to death. * This last article was exceedingly disliked by all wise and compassionate Syracusans. Hermocrates, who was very famous for his probity and justice, attempted to make some remonstrances to the people, but they would not hear him; and the shouts which echoed on all sides prevented him from continuing his speech. At that instant † an ancient man, venerable for his great age and gravity, who in this war had lost two sons, the only heirs to his name and estate, made his servants carry him to the tribunal for harangues; and the instant he appeared a profound silence was made. "You here behold," says he, "an unfortunate father, who has felt more "than any other Syracusan the fatal effects of this war, by the death of two sons, who formed all the consolation, and were the only supports of my "old age. I cannot indeed forbear admiring their courage and felicity, in "sacrificing to their country's welfare a life of which they would one day "have been deprived by the common course of nature; but then I can"not but be strongly affected with the cruel wound which their death has "made in my heart, nor forbear hating and detesting the Athenians, the authors of this unhappy war, as the murderers of my children. But, "however, I cannot conceal one circumstance, which is, that I am less sen"sible to my private affliction than to the honour of my country, and I see "it exposed to eternal infamy by the barbarous advice which is now given you. The Athenians indeed merit the worst treatment, and every kind "of punishment that could be inflicted on them, for so unjustly declaring war against us: but have not the gods, the just avengers of crimes, pun"ished them and revenged us sufficiently? When their generals laid down "their arms and surrendered, did they not do this in the hopes of hav"ing their lives spared? And if we put them to death, will it be possible for us to avoid the just reproach of our having violated the law of na"tions, and dishonoured our victory by an unheard-of cruelty? How! Will you suffer your glory to be thus sullied in the face of the whole world, "and have it said that a nation, who first dedicated a temple in their city to clemency, had not found any in your's? Surely victories and triumphs "do not give immortal glory to a city, but the exercising mercy towards a "vanquished enemy, the using moderation in the greatest prosperity, and "fearing to offend the gods by a haughty and insolent pride. You doubt"less have not forgot that this Nicias, whose fate you are going to pronounce, was the very man who pleaded your cause in the assembly of "the Athenians, and employed all his credit, and the whole power of his "eloquence, to dissuade his country from embarking in this war. Should you therefore pronounce sentence of death on this worthy general, would "it be a just reward for the zeal he showed for your interest? With regard ' * Diod. l. xiii. p. 149-161. VOL. II. 26 +Nicolaus. "to myself, death would be less grievous to me than the sight of so "horrid an injustice committed by my countrymen and fellow-citi"zens." The people seemed moved to compassion at this speech, especially as when this venerable old man first ascended, they expected to hear him cry aloud for vengeance on those who had brought all his calamities upon him, instead of suing for their pardon. But the enemies of the Athenians having expatiated with vehemence on the unheard-of cruelties which their republic had exercised on several cities belonging to their enemies, and even to their ancient allies; the inveteracy which their commanders had shown against Syracuse, and the evils they would have made it suffer had they been victorious; the afflictions and groans of infinite numbers of Syracusans who bewailed the death of their children and near relations, whose manes could be appeased no other way than by the blood of their murderOn these representations the people returned to their sanguinary resolution, and followed Diocles' advice in every respect. Gylippus used his utmost endeavours, but in vain, to have Nicias and Demosthenes given up to him, especially as he had taken them, in order for him to carry them to Lacedæmon. But his demand was rejected with a haughty scorn, and the two generals were put to death. ers. All wise and compassionate men could not forbear shedding tears for the tragical fate of two such illustrious personages, and particularly for Nicias, who of all men of his time seemed least to merit so ignominious and untimely an end. When people recollected the speeches and remonstrances he had made to prevent this war, and on the other side when they considered how high a regard he had always retained for things relating to religion, the greatest part of them were tempted to exclaim against providence, in seeing that a man, who had ever shown the highest reverence for the gods, and had always exerted himself to the utmost for their honour and worship, should be so ill rewarded by them, and meet with no better fate than the most abandoned wretches. But it is no wonder that the calamities of good men should inspire the heathens with such thoughts, and make them murmur and despond, since they did not know the holiness of the Divine Being, nor the corruption of human nature. The prisoners were shut up in the mines," prisons of Syracuse," where, crowded one upon the other, they suffered incredible torments for eight months. Here they were for ever exposed to the inclemencies of the weather; scorched in the day time by the burning rays of the sun, or frozen in the night by the colds of autumn; poisoned by the stench of their own excrements, by the carcasses of those who died of their wounds and of sickness; in fine, worn out by hunger and thirst, for the daily allowance to each was but a small measure of water and two of meal. Those who were taken out of this place two months after in order to be sold as slaves (many of them were citizens who had concealed their condition) found a less rigorous fate. Their wisdom, their patience, and a certain air of probity and modesty, were of great advantage to them; for they were soon restored to their liberty, or met with the kindest and most generous treatment from their masters. Several of them even owed the good usage they met with to Euripides, the finest scenes of whose tragedies they repeated to the Sicilians, who were extremely fond of them; so that when they returned to their own country, they went and saluted that poet as their deliverer, and informed him of the admirable effects wrought in their favour by his verses. * The news of this defeat being carried to Athens, the citizens would not believe it at first, and were so far from giving credit to it, that they sentenced that man to death who had first published it. But when it was confirmed, all the Athenians were seized with the utmost consternation; and as if themselves had not decreed the war, they vented their rage and resentment against the orators who had promoted the enterprise, as well as against the soothsayers, who, by their oracles or supposed prodigies, had flattered them with the hopes of success. They had never been reduced to so deplorable a condition as now, having neither horse, foot, money, galleys, nor mariners; in a word, they were in the deepest despair, expecting every moment that the enemy, elated with so great a victory, and strengthened by the revolt of the allies, would come and invade Athens, both by sea and land, with all the forces of Peloponnesus. Cicero had reason to observe, † speaking of the battles in the harbour of Syracuse, that it was there the troops of Athens as well as their galleys, were ruined and sunk; and that in this harbour the power and glory of the Athenians were miserably shipwrecked. The Athenians, however, did not suffer themselves to be wholly dejected, but resumed courage. They now resolved to raise money on all sides, and to import timber for building of ships, in order to awe the allies, and particularly the inhabitants of the island of Euboea. They retrenched all superfluous expences, and established a new council of ancient men, who were to weigh and examine all affairs before they should be proposed to the people. In fine, they omitted nothing which might be of service in the present conjuncture, the alarm in which they were in, and their common danger obliging every individual to be attentive to the necessities of the state, and docile to all advice that might promote its interests. The defeat of the army under Nicias was followed by the taking of Athens, of which the ancient form of government was entirely changed by Lysander. CHAPTER II. THIS HIS chapter is the sequel of the preceding book, and contains the eight last years of the Peloponnesian war, during as many years of the reign of Darius Nothus. SECTION I. CONSEQUENCES OF THE DEFEAT OF THE ATHENIANS IN SICILY, &c. &c. THE defeat of the Athenians before Syracuse gave occasion for great movements throughout all Greece. The people, who had not yet joined either side, and waited to be determined by the event, resolved to declare against them. The allies of the Lacedæmonians believed that the time was come to deliver them for ever from the expences of a war which lay *Thucyd. 1. viii. p. 551-553. Plut. de Garrulit. p. 509. Hic primum opes illius civitatis victæ, comminutæ, depressæque sunt; in hoc portu Atheniensium nobilitatis, imperii, glorii naufragium factum existimatur. Cic. Ver. 7. n. 97. ‡ A. M. S591. Ant. J. C. 413. Thucyd. l. viii. p. 553. very heavy upon them, by the speedy and final ruin of Athens. Those of Athens, who followed them only out of constraint, seeing no appearance of any future resource for that republic, after the dreadful blow it had received, thought it best to take the advantage of so favorable a conjuncture for throwing off the yoke of dependence, and resuming their liberty. Dispositions of this kind inspired the Lacedæmonians with great views, which were supported by the hopes they had conceived, that their Sicilian allies would join them in the spring with a naval army, augmented by the ruins of the Athenian fleet. * In effect, the people of Eubœa, Chio, and Lesbos, with several others, gave the Lacedæmonians to understand that they were ready to quit the party of the Athenians, if they would take them under their protection. At the same time came deputies from Tissaphernes and Pharnabasus. The first was governour of Lydia and Ionia, the other of the Hellespont. These viceroys of Darius wanted neither application nor zeal for the interest of their master. Tissaphernes, promising the Lacedæmonians all the necessary expences for their troops, pressed them to arm directly, and to join him; because the Athenian fleet prevented him from levying the usual contributions in his province, and had put it out of his power to remit those of preceding years to the king. He hoped besides with that powerful aid to get into his hands with more ease a certain nobleman who had revolted, and whom he had the king's orders to send to him dead or alive. This was Armorges the bastard of Pisuthna. Pharnabasus at the same time demanded ships to reduce the cities of the Hellespont from their subjection to the Athenians, who also prevented him from levying the tributes of his government. The Lacedæmonians thought it proper to begin by satisfying Tissaphernes; and the credit of Alcibiades contributed very much to the taking that resolution. He embarked with Calcidæus for Chio, which took arms upon their arrival, and declared for the Lacedæmonians. Upon the news of this revolt, the Athenians resolved to take the † 1000 talents out of the treasury, which had been deposited there from the beginning of the war, after having repealed the decree which prohibited it. Miletus also revolted soon after. Tissaphernes, having joined his troops with those of Sparta, attacked and took the city of Iasus, in which ‡ Armorges had shut himself up, who was taken alive and sent into Persia. That governour gave a month's pay to the whole army, at a drachm or ten pence a day to each soldier, observing that he had orders to give them only half that sum for the future. Calcidæus then made a treaty with Tissaphernes, in the name of the Lacedæmonians, of which one of the principal articles was, that all the country which had been subject to the king or his predecessors should remain in his hands. It was renewed some time after by Theramenes, another general of the Lacedæmonians, with some small alterations. But when this treaty came to be examined at Sparta, it was found that too great concessions had been made to the king of Persia, in giving up all the places held by himself or his ancestors, which was to make him master of the greatest part of Greece, Thessaly, Locris, and the whole country as far as Boeotia, without mentioning the islands; from whence the Lacedæmonians would appear rather to have ens ved Greece, than re-established its liberty. It was therefore necessary to make farther alterations in it, with *Thucyd. 1. viii. p. 555—558. Thucyd. I. viii. p. 568. +3,000,000 livres. |