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250 200 HISTORY OF GREECE. his wall ot circumvallation in a northerly direction from the Circle towards Trogilus : for which purpose a portion of hi? forces were employed in bringing stones and wood, and deposit- ing them in proper places along the intended line. So strongly did Hermokrates feel the inferiority of the Syracusan hoplites in the field, that he discouraged any fresh general action, and pro- posed to construct a counter-wall, or cross-wall, traversing the space along which the Athenian circumvallation must necessarily be continued so as to impede its farther progress. A tenable counter-wall, if they could get time to carry it sufficiently far to a defensible terminus, would completely defeat the intent of the besiegers : but even if Nikias should interrupt the work by his attacks, the Syracusans calculated on being able to provide a sufficient force to repel them, during the short time necessary for hastily constructing the palisade, or front outwork. Such palisade would serve them as a temporary defence, while they finished the more elaborate cross-wall behind it, and would, even at the worst, compel Nikias to suspend all his proceedings and employ his whole force to dislode them. 1 1 Thucyd. vi, 99. 'YTroret^tfetv 6e U/J.EIVOV kdonei elvai (roff <ovaioif) ij EKeivoi (the Athenians) ijjLs'/.Aov utieiv T$ rel^of KOI ei y&aaeiav, iTEiv aiiTol TTJS aTpanuf, KOI ifiduvtiv uv Totf aravpolf v OVT e f T u e<j)66 o v liceivovf 6e uv iravouevovz TOV epyov iruvra^ uv The Scholiast here explains rdf iQodove to mean TU fiuaipa ; adding b).tya (5e TO. kitipadr/vai tivvufieva, 6tu TO feXjtarudff elvai rd %upiov. Though he is here followed by the best commentators, I cannot think that his explanation is correct. He evidently supposes that this first counter- wall of the Syracusans was built as we shall see presently that the second counter-work was across the marsh, or low ground between the southern cliff of Epipolae and the Great Harbor. " The ground being generally marshy ( re^arwfcf ) there were only a few places where it could be crossed." But I conceive this supposition to be erroneous. The first counter-wall of the Syracnsans was carried, as it seems to me, up the slope of Epipolae, between the Athenian circle and the southern cliff: it conmenced at the Syracusan newly-erected advanced wall, inclosing the T mienites. This was all hard, firm ground, such as the Athenians could march across ai any point : there might perhaps be some roughness here and there, but they would be mere exceptions to the general character of the ground. It appears to me that ruf tyodov; means simply, " the attacks of rhe
 * 7roK%.y<reie yiyvea&ai, KOI ufia KO.I iv TOVT& el ETri(3oj]$oiv,