Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/270

252 2f)2 HISTORY OF CKKKCE. only partially guarded. Moreover, by such delay, he w*.i enabled to prosecute his own part of the circumvallation without hindrance, and to watch for an opportunity of assaulting the new counter -wall with advantage. Such an opportunity soon occurred, just at the time when he had accomplished the farther important object of destroying the aqueducts, which supplied the city, partially at least, with water for drinking. The Syracusans appear to have been filled with confidence, both by the completion of their counter-wall, which seemed an effective bar to the besiegers, And by his inaction. The tribe left on guard presently began to relax in their vigilance : instead of occupying the wall, tenta were erected behind it to shelter them from the midday sun ; while some even permitted themselves to take repose during that hour within the city walls. Such negligence did not escape the Athenian generals, who silently prepared an assault for midday. Three hundred chosen hoplites, with some light troops clothed in panoplies for the occasion, were instructed to sally out suddenly and run across straight to attack the stockade and counter-wall ; while the main Athenian force marched in two divisions under Nikias and Lamachus ; half towards the city walls, to prevent any succor from coming out of the gates, half towards the Temenite postern-gate from whence the stockade and cross-wall commenced. The rapid forward movement of the chosen three hundred was crowned with full success. They captured both the stockade and the counter-wall, feebly defended by its guards ; who, taken by surprise, abandoned their post and fled along behind their wall to enter the city by the Temenite postern-gate. Before all of them could get in, however, both the pursuing three hundred, and the Athenian division which marched straight to that point, had partially come up with them : so that some of these assailants even forced their way along with them through the gate into the interior of the Temenite city wall. Here, however, the Syracusan strength within was too much for them : these foremost Athenians and Argeinns were thrust out again with loss. But the general movement of the Athenians had been completely triumphant. They pulled down the counter- wall, plucked up the palisade, and carried the materials away for the use of their own circumvallation. As the recent Syracusan counter-work had been carried to the