Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/275

257 I'BOGRESS OF THE ATHENIAN WORiCS. 257 and stretching across the lower marshy ground to the Great Harbor. The distance between these two extreme points was about eight stadia or nearly an English mile : the Avail was double, with gates, and probably towers, at suitable intervals, inclosing a space of considerable breadth, doubtless roofed over in part, since it served afterwards, with the help of the adjoining citadel on the cliff, as shelter and defence for the whole Athenian army. The Syracusans could not interrupt this process, nor could they undertake a new counter-wall up the mid-slope of Epipolae, without coming out to fight a general battle, which they did not feel competent to do. Of course the Circle had now been put into condition to defy a second surprise. But not only were they thus compelled to look on without hindering the blockading wall towards the Harbor. It was now, for the fii-st time, that they began to taste the real restraints and privations of a siege. 1 Down to this moment, their communication with the Anapus and the country beyond, as well as with all sides of the Great Harbor, had been open and unimpeded; whereas now, the arrival of the Athenian fleet, and the change of position of 'the Athenian army, had cut them off from both, 2 so that little or no fresh supplies of provision could reach them except at the hazard of capture from the hostile ships. On the side of Thap- sus, where the northern cliff of Epipolae affords only two or three practicable passages of ascent, they had before been blocked up by the Athenian army and fleet ; and a portion of the fleet seems even now to have been left at Thapsus: so that nothing now remained open, except a portion, especially the northern portion, of the slope of Epipola?. Of this outlet the besieged, especially their numerous cavalry, doubtless availed themselves, for the purpose of excursions and of bringing in supplies. But it was both longer and more circuitous for such purposes than the plain near the Great Harbor and the Helorine road : moreover, it had 1 Thucyd. vi, 103. ola 6e eiKOf avdpiJTruv uiropoiivruv nai fiaTJ/Mv -tj Trph 'ro/uopnovpivuv, etc. occupied the temple of Zeus Olympins and the polichne, or hamlet. surrounding it, on the right bank of the Anapus. These posts remained always occupied by the Syracusans, throughout the whole war (Thucyd vii, 4, 37). VOL. VII. 170C.
 * Diodorus, however, is wrong in stating (xiii, 7) that the Athenians