nicias-第7章

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expected　to　come。　But　among　the　many　miserable　spectacles　that
appeared　up　and　down　in　the　camp；　the　saddest　sight　of　all　was
Nicias　himself；　labouring　under　his　malady；　and　unworthily　reduced
to　the　scantiest　supply　of　all　the　accommodations　necessary　for
human　wants；　of　which　he　in　his　condition　required　more　than　ordinary；
because　of　his　sickness；　yet　bearing　up　under　all　this　illness；　and
doing　and　undergoing　more　than　many　in　perfect　health。　And　it　was
plainly　evident　that　all　this　toil　was　not　for　himself；　or　from　any
regard　to　his　own　life；　but　that　purely　for　the　sake　of　those　under
his　command　he　would　not　abandon　hope。　And；　indeed；　the　rest　were
given　over　to　weeping　and　lamentation　through　fear　or　sorrow；　but
he；　whenever　he　yielded　to　anything　of　the　kind；　did　so；　it　was
evident；　from　reflection　upon　the　shame　and　dishonour　of　the
enterprise；　contrasted　with　the　greatness　and　glory　of　the　success
he　had　anticipated；　and　not　only　the　sight　of　his　person；　but；　also；
the　recollection　of　the　arguments　and　the　dissuasions　he　used　to
prevent　this　expedition　enhanced　their　sense　of　the　undeservedness
of　his　sufferings；　nor　had　they　any　heart　to　put　their　trust　in　the
gods；　considering　that　a　man　so　religious；　who　had　performed　to　the
divine　powers　so　many　and　so　great　acts　of　devotion；　should　have　no
more　favourable　treatment　than　the　wickedest　and　meanest　of　the　army。
　　Nicias；　however；　endeavoured　all　the　while　by　his　voice；　his
countenance；　and　his　carriage；　to　show　himself　undefeated　by　these
misfortunes。　And　all　along　the　way　shot　at；　and　receiving　wounds　eight
days　continually　from　the　enemy；　he　yet　preserved　the　forces　with
him　in　a　body　entire；　till　that　Demosthenes　was　taken　prisoner　with
the　party　that　he　led；　whilst　they　fought　and　made　a　resistance；　and
so　got　behind　and　were　surrounded　near　the　country　house　of　Polyzelus。
Demosthenes　thereupon　drew　his　sword；　and　wounded　but　did　not　kill
himself；　the　enemy　speedily　running　in　and　seizing　upon　him。　So　soon
as　the　Syracusans　had　gone　and　informed　Nicias　of　this；　and　he　had
sent　some　horsemen；　and　by　them　knew　the　certainty　of　the　defeat　of
that　division；　he　then　vouchsafed　to　sue　to　Gylippus　for　a　truce　for
the　Athenians　to　depart　out　of　Sicily；　leaving　hostages　for　payment　of
money　that　the　Syracusans　had　expended　in　the　war。
　　But　now　they　would　not　hear　of　these　proposals；　but　threatening
and　reviling　them；　angrily　and　insultingly　continued　to　ply　their
missiles　at　them；　now　destitute　of　every　necessary。　Yet　Nicias　still
made　good　his　retreat　all　that　night；　and　the　next　day；　through　all
their　darts；　made　his　way　to　the　river　Asinarus。　There；　however；　the
enemy　encountering　them；　drove　some　into　the　stream；　while　others；
ready　to　die　for　thirst；　plunged　in　headlong；　while　they　drank　at
the　same　time；　and　were　cut　down　by　their　enemies。　And　here　was　the
cruellest　and　the　most　immoderate　slaughter。　Till　at　last　Nicias
falling　down　to　Gylippus；　〃Let　pity；　O　Gylippus；〃　said　he；　〃move　you
in　your　victory；　not　for　me；　who　was　destined；　it　seems；　to　bring
the　glory　I　once　had　to　this　end　but　for　the　other　Athenians；　as　you
well　know　that　the　chances　of　war　are　common　to　all；　and　the　Athenians
used　them　moderately　and　mildly　towards　you　in　their　prosperity。〃
　　At　these　words；　and　at　the　sight　of　Nicias；　Gylippus　was　somewhat
troubled；　for　he　was　sensible　that　the　Lacedaemonians　had　received
good　offices　from　Nicias　in　the　late　treaty；　and　he　thought　it　would
be　a　great　and　glorious　thing　for　him　to　carry　off　the　chief
commanders　of　the　Athenians　alive。　He　therefore　raised　Nicias　with
respect；　and　bade　him　be　of　good　cheer；　and　commanded　his　men　to　spare
the　lives　of　the　rest。　But　the　word　of　command　being　communicated
slowly；　the　slain　were　a　far　greater　number　than　the　prisoners。
Many；　however；　were　privately　conveyed　away　by　particular　soldiers。
Those　taken　openly　were　hurried　together　in　a　mass；　their　arms　and
spoils　hung　up　on　the　finest　and　largest　trees　along　the　river。　The
conquerors；　with　garlands　on　their　heads；　with　their　own　horses
splendidly　adorned；　and　cropping　short　the　manes　and　tails　of　those　of
their　enemies；　entered　the　city；　having；　in　the　most　signal　conflict
ever　waged　by　Greeks　against　Greeks；　and　with　the　greatest　strength
and　the　utmost　effort　of　valour　and　manhood　won　a　most　entire　victory。
　　And　a　general　assembly　of　the　people　of　Syracuse　and　their
confederates　sitting；　Eurycles；　the　popular　leader；　moved；　first；　that
the　day　on　which　they　took　Nicias　should　from　thenceforward　be　kept
holiday　by　sacrificing　and　forbearing　all　manner　of　work；　and　from　the
river　he　called　the　Asinarian　Feast。　This　was　the　twenty…sixth　day
of　the　month　Carneus；　the　Athenian　Metagitnion。　And　that　the
servants　of　the　Athenians　with　the　other　confederates　be　sold　for
slaves；　and　they　themselves　and　the　Sicilian　auxiliaries　be　kept　and
employed　in　the　quarries；　except　the　generals；　who　should　be　put　to
death。　The　Syracusans　favoured　the　proposals；　and　when　Hermocrates
said；　that　to　use　well　a　victory　was　better　than　to　gain　a　victory；　he
was　met　with　great　clamour　and　outcry。　When　Gylippus；　also；　demanded
the　Athenian　generals　to　be　delivered　to　him；　that　he　might　carry　them
to　the　Lacedaemonians；　the　Syracusans；　now　insolent　with　their
good…fortune；　gave　him　ill　words。　Indeed；　before　this；　even　in　the
war；　they　had　been　impatient　at　his　rough　behaviour　and
Lacedaemonian　haughtiness；　and　had；　as　Timaeus　tells　us；　discovered
sordidness　and　avarice　in　his　character；　vices　which　may　have
descended　to　him　from　his　father　Cleandrides；　who　was　convicted　of
bribery　and　banished。　And　the　very　man　himself；　of　the　one　thousand
talents　which　Lysander　sent　to　Sparta；　embezzled　thirty；　and　hid
them　under　the　tiles　of　his　house；　and　was　detected　and　shamefully
fled　his　country。　But　this　is　related　more　at　large　in　the　life　of
Lysander。　Timaeus　says　that　Demosthenes　and　Nicias　did　not　die；　as
Thucydides　and　Philistus　have　written；　by　the　order　of　the　Syracusans；
but　that　upon　a　message　sent　them　from　Hermocrates；　whilst　yet　the
assembly　were　sitting；　by　the　connivance　of　some　of　their　guards；　they
were　enabled　to　put　an　end　to　themselves。　Their　bodies；　however；
were　thrown　out　before　the　gates　and　offered　for　a　public　spectacle。
And　I　have　heard　that　to　this　day　in　a　temple　at　Syracuse　is　shown　a
shield；　said　to　have　been　Nicias's；　curiously　wrought　and
embroidered　with　gold　and　purple　intermixed。　Most　of　the　Athenians
perished　in　the　quarries　by　diseases　and　ill　diet；　being　allowed
only　one　pint　of　barley　every　day；　and　one　half　pint　of　water。　Many　of
them；　however；　were　carried　off　by　stealth；　or；　from　the　first；　were
supposed　to　be　servants；　and　were　sold　as　slaves。　These　latter　were
branded　on　their　foreheads　with　the　figure　of　a　horse。　There　were；
however；　Athenians　who；　in　addition　to　slavery；　had　to　endure　even
this。　But　their　discreet　and　orderly　conduct　was　an　advantage　to　them；
they　were　either　soon　set　free；　or　won　the　respect　of　their　masters
with　whom　they　continued　to　live。　Several　were　saved　for　the　sake　of
Euripides；　whose　poetry；　it　appears；　was　in　request　among　the
Sicilians　more　than　among　any　of　the　settlers　out　of　Greece。　And
when　any　travellers　arrived　that　could　tell　them　some　passage；　or　give
them　any　specimen　of　his　verses；　they　were　delighted　to　be　able　to
communicate　them　to　one　another。　Many　of　the　captives　who　got　safe
back　to　Athens　are　said；　after　they　reached　home；　to　have　gone　and
made　their　acknowledgments　to　Euripides；　relating　how　that　some　of
them　had　been　released　from　their　slavery　by　teaching　what　they
could　remember　of　his　poems；　and　others；　when　straggling　after　the
fight；　been　relieved　with　meat　and　drink　for　repeating　some　of　his
lyrics。　Nor　need　this　be　any　wonder；　for　it　is　told　that　a　ship　of
Caunus　fleeing　into　one　of　their　harbours　for　protection；　pursued　by
pirates；　was　not　received；　but　forced　back；　till　one　asked　if　they
knew　any　of　Euripides's　verses；　and　on　their　saying　they　did；　they
were　admitted；　and　their　ship　brought　into　harbour。
　　It　is　said　that　the　Athenians　would　not　believe　their　loss；　in　a
great　degree　because　of　the　person　who　first　brought　them　news　of
it。　For　a　certain　stranger；　it　seems；　coming　to　Piraeus；　and　there
sitting　in　a　barber's　shop；　began　to　talk　of　what　had　happened；　as
if　the　Athenians　already　knew　all　that　had　passed；　which　the　barber
hearing；　before　he　acquainted　anybody　else；　ran　as　fast　as　he　could　up
into　the　city；　addressed　himself　to　the　Archons；　and　presently
spread　it　about　in　the　public　Place。　On　which；　there　being　everywhere；
as　may　be　imagined；　terror　and　consternation；　the　Archons　summoned　a
general　assembly；　and　there　brought　in　the　man　and　questioned　him
how　he　came　to　know。　And　he；　giving　no　satisfactory　account；　was　taken
for　a　spreader　of　false　intelligence　and　a　disturber　of　the　city；
and　was；　therefore；　fastened　to　the　wheel　and　racked　a　long　time；　till
other　messengers　arrived　that　related　the　whole　disaster　particularly。
So　hardly　was　Nicias　believed　to　have　suffered　the　calamity　which　he
had　often　predicted。




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