Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/284

266 2GG HISTORY OF GREECE. After the interval necessary for his preparations and fbi nis march, probably not less than between a fortnight and tnree woeks. they learned that he was approaching Syracuse by the way of Euryalus and Epipolae. He was presently seen coming, having ascended Epipolas by Euryalus ; the same way by which the Athenians had come from Katana in the spring, when they commenced the siege. As he descended the slope of Epipolae, the whole Syracusan force went out in a body to hail his arrival and accompany him into the city. 1 Few incidents throughout the whole siege of Syracuse appear so unaccountable as the fact, that the proceedings and march of Gylippizs, from his landing at Himera to the moment of his enter- ing the town, were accomplished without the smallest resistance on the part of Nikias. After this instant, the besiegers pass from incontestable superiority in the field, and apparent certainty of prospective capture of the city, to a state of inferiority, not only excluding all hope of capture, but even sinking, step by step, into absolute ruin. Yet Nikias had remained with his eyes shut and his hands tied, not making the least effort to obstruct so fatal a consummation. After having despised Gylippus, in his voyage along the coast of Italy, as a freebooter with four ships, he now despises him not less at the head of an army marching from Himera. If he was taken unawares, as he really appears to have been, 2 the fault was altogether his own, and the ignorance such as we must almost call voluntary. For the approach of Gylip- pus must have been well known to him beforehand. He must have learned from the four ships which he sent to Rhegium, that Gylippus had already touched thither in passing through the strait, on his way to Himera. He must therefore have been well aware, that the purpose was to attempt the relief of Syracuse by an army from the interior ; and his correspondence among the Sikel tribes must have placed him in cognizance of the equip- ment going on at Himera. Moreover, when we recollect that Gylippus reached that place without either troops or arms ; that he had to obtain forces not merely from Himera, but also from 1 Thncyd. vii, 2. 2 Thucyd. vii, 3. Ot dt- 'Adyvaioi, aividiuf TOV re Tv^iirrrov /to? rut TLvpanoaiuv afyiviv S'/rtoinw, etc.