Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/343

325 LAST BATTLE IN THE HARBOR 325 probably in history, without smoke or other impediments to vision, and in the clear atmosphere of Sicily, a serious and mag- nified realization of those naumachias which the Roman emperors used to exhibit with gladiators on the Italian lakes, for the recre- ation of the people. The Athenian fleet made directly for that portion of the barrier where a narrow opening perhaps closed by a movable chain had been left for merchant-vessels. Their first impetuous attack broke through the Syracusan squadron defending it, and they were already attempting to sever its connecting bonds, when the enemy from all sides crowded in upon them and forced them to desist. Presently the battle became general, and the combatants were distributed in various parts of the harbor. On both sides a fierce and desperate courage was displayed, even greater than had been shown on any of the former occasions. At the first onset, the skill and tactics of the steersmen shone conspicuous, well seconded by zeal on the part of the rowers and by their ready obedience to the voice of the keleustes. As the vessels neared, the bowmen, slingers, and throwers on the deck, hurled clouds of missiles against the enemy ; next, was heard the loud crash of the two impinging metallic fronts, resounding all along the shore. 1 When the vessels were thus once in contact, they were rarely allowed to separate : a strenuous hand-fight then commenced by the hoplites in each, trying respectively to board and master their enemy's deck. It was not always, however, that each trireme had its own single and special enemy : sometimes one ship had The destructive impact of these metallic masses at the head of the ships of war, as well as the periplus practised by a lighter ship to avoid direct collision against a heavier, is strikingly illustrated by a passage in Plutarch's Life of Lucullus, where a naval engagement between the Roman general, and Neoptolemus the admiral of Mithridatcs, is described. " Lucullus was on board a Rhodian qumquerime, commanded by Damagoras, a skilful Rhodian pilot ; while Neoptolemus was approaching with a ship much heavier, and driving forward to a direct collision : upon which Daraagoras evaded the blow, rowed rapidly round, and struck the enemy in the stern. 1 ' tieiaar 6 Aa/wyopaf rb ftapof r?}f paoihiKrjf, KOI T?/V r paxvri) r a rov xahKUfiar oc, OVK iro'kfi.rjae avfiireaelv avTiTrpupof, a/W of ewe in itepiayuyfjf (i;ro af Enehsvaev m irpi)[ivav uaatr&ai' nal meaddetjf tv. rav&a r^f vsuf ide^aro TTJV ii'Xriyrjv uj37ia(3f/ yevyfienr/v, are dTjroif traiarref- ovai rtjf veug ftepeat TTpoaneaovaav. Plutarch Lucull. c. 3.