Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/283

265 COGGYLUS REACHES SYRACUSE. 205 iliese forces, some of whom joined him on the march, he reached Kuryalus and the heights of Epipolas above Syracuse, assaulting and capturing the Sikel fort of let* in his way, but without experiencing any other opposition. His arrival was all but too late, and might have been actually too late, had not the Corinthian admiral Goggylus got to Syra- cuse a little before him. The Corinthian fleet of twelve triremes, under Erasinides having started from Leukas later than Gy- lippus, but as soon as it was ready was now on its way to Syracuse. But Goggylus had been detained at Leukas by some accident, so that he did not depart until after all the rest. Yet he reached Syracuse the soonest ; probably striking a straighter course across the sea, and favored by weather. He got safely into the harbor of Syracuse, escaping the Athenian guardships, whose watch doubtless partook of the general negligence of the besieging operations. 1 The arrival of Goggylus at that moment was an accident of unspeakable moment, and was in fact nothing less than the sal- vation of the city. Among all the causes of despair in the Byracusan mind, there was none more powerful than the circum- stance, that they had not as yet heard of any relief approaching, or of any active intervention in their favor, from Peloponnesus. Their discouragement increasing from day to day, and the inter- thange of propositions with Nikias becoming more frequent, matters had at last so ripened that a public assembly was just about to be held to sanction a definitive capitulation. 2 Ijt was at this critical juncture that Goggylus arrived, apparently a little before Gylippus reached Himera. Pie was the first to announce that both the Corinthian fleet and a Spartan commander were now actually on their voyage, and might be expected immedi- ately, intelligence which filled the Syracusans with enthusiasm and with renewed courage. They instantly threw aside all idea of capitulation, and resolved to hold out to the last. It was not long before they received intimation that Gylippus had reached Himera, which Goggylus at his arrival could not know, and was raising an army to march across for their relief! 1 Thucytl. vii, 2-7 - Thueyd. vi, 103 vii. 2. Plutarch, Nikias, c. 19. VOL. VII. 12