Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/327

309 NIKIAS REFUSES TO RETIRE 303 l>e. But farthermore, he (Nikias) took a decided objection to the resolution itself. He would never consent to carry back the armament, without specific authority from home to do so. Sure he was, that the Athenian people would never tolerate such a proceeding. When submitted to the public assembly at home, the conduct of the generals would be judged, not by persons who had been at Syracuse and cognizant of the actual facts, but by hearers who would learn all that they knew from the artful speeches of criminative orators. Even the citizens actually serving, though now loud in cries of suffering, and impatient to get home, would alter their tone when they were safe in the public assembly ; and would turn round to denounce their gen- erals as having been bribed to bring away the army. Speaking his own personal feelings, he knew too well the tempers of his countrymen to expose himself to the danger of thus perish- ing under a charge alike unmerited and disgraceful. Sooner would he incur any extremity of risk from the enemy. 1 It must be recollected too, he added, that if their affairs were now bad, those of Syracuse were as bad, and even worse. For more than a year, the war had been imposing upon the Syracusans a ruinous cost, in subsistence for foreign allies as well as in keeping up out- lying posts ; so that they had already spent two thousand talents, besides heavy debts contracted and not paid. They could not con- tinue in this course longer ; yet the suspension of their payments would at once alienate their allies, and leave them helpless. The fast of the war to which Demosthenes had alluded as a reason for returning home could be much better borne by Athens ; while a little farther pressure would utterly break down the Syr- respecting the feeling of the army ; and also as supporters, if the matter came afterwards to be debated in the public assembly at Athens. It is to this fact that the words IftQavaf JJ.ETU TTOA^UV seem to allude. 1 Thucyd. vii, 48. OVKOVV (lovhea&ai avrog ye, emcrufiEvof rue 'Adrivaiuv $vaEi, errl aiaxPP 7 E ahla not ncSi'/cuf I>TT' 'A.dijvaiuv uTrohsa&at, [idM.ov r t vrrd TUV Trohe/tiuv, ei del, Kivdvvevaaf TOVTO Kadelv, 16 ia. The situation of the last word idta in this sentence is perplexing, because, it ean hardly be construed except either with uTroAsattat or with avrof ye : for Nikias could not run any risk of perishing separately by the hands of the enemy, unless we are to ascribe to him an absurd rhodomontado quite for- eign vo his character. Compare Plutarch Nikias, c. 22.