Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/337

319 PREPARATIONS OF THE ATHENIANS. 319 broad, with vessels of every description, triremes, traders, boats, etc., anchored in an oblique direction, and chained together. 1 They at the same time prepared their naval force with redoubled zeal for the desperate struggle which they knew to be coming. They then awaited the efforts of the Athenians, who watched their proceedings with sadness and anxiety. Nikias and his colleagues called together the principal officers to deliberate what was to be done. As they had few provisions remaining, and had counter-ordered their farther supplies, some instant and desperate effort was indispensable; and the only point in debate was, whether they should burn their fleet and retire by land, or make a fresh maritime exertion to break out of the harbor. Such had been the impression left by the recent sea- fight, that many in the camp leaned to the former scheme. 2 But the generals resolved upon first trying the latter, and exhausted all their combinations to give to it the greatest possible effect. They now evacuated the upper portion of their lines, both on the higher ground of Epipoke, and even on the lower ground, such portion as was nearest to the southern cliff; confining themselves to a limited fortified space close to the shore, just adequate for their sick, their wounded, and their stores ; in order to spare the necessity for a large garrison to defend them, and thus leave nearly their whole force disposable for sea-service. They then made ready every trireme in the station, which could be rendered ever so imperfectly seaworthy, constraining every fit man to serve aboard them, without distinction of age, rank, or country. The triremes were manned with double crews of soldiers, hoplites as well as bowmen and darters, the latter mostly Akarnanians ; while the hoplites, stationed at the prow with orders to board the enemy as quickly as possible, were furnished with grappling- irons to detain the enemy's ship immediately after the moment of collision, in order that it might not be withdrawn and the collision repeated, with all its injurious effects arising from the strength and massiveness of the Syracusan epotids. The best consultation was held with the steersmen as to arrangement and manoeuvres of every trireme, nor was any precaution omitted which the scanty means at hand allowed. In the well-known 1 Thucyd. vii, 59 ; Diodor. xiii, 14. * Plutarch, Nikias, c. 24.