Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/186

 160 IIISTORTi OF GREECE. in Magon; who was led to believe that he could no lon^ei trust his Sicilian allies. Without any delay, he put all his troops aboard the fleet, and in spite of the most strenuous remonstrances from Hiketas sailed away to Africa. 1 On the next day, when Timoleon approached to the attack, he was amazed to find the Carthaginian army and fleet withdrawn. His soldiers, scarcely believing their eyes, laughed to scorn the cowardice of Magon. Still however Hiketas determined to de- fend Syracuse with his own troops, in spite of the severe blow inflicted by Magon's desertion. That desertion had laid open both the Harbor, and the lower ground near the Harbor ; so that Timoleon was enabled to come into direct communication with his garrison in Ortygia and Achradina, and to lay plans for a triple simultaneous onset. He himself undertook to attack the southern front of Epipoke towards the river Anapus, where the city was strongest ; the Corinthian Isias was instructed to make a vigorous assault from Achradiua, or the eastern side ; while Deinarchus and Demaretus, the generals who had conducted the recent rein- forcement from Corinth, were ordered to attack the northern wall of Epipolae, or the Hexapylon ; 2 they were probably sent round from Ortygia, by sea, to land at Trogilus. Hiketas, holding as he did the aggregate consisting of Epipolae, Tycha, and Neapolis, was assailed on three sides at once. He had a most defensible position, which a good commander, with brave and faithful troops, might have maintained against forces more numerous than those of Timoleon. Yet in spite of such advantages, no effective resist- ance was made, nor even attempted. Timoleon not only took the place, but took it without the loss of a single man, killed or wound- ed. Hiketas and his followers fled to Leontini. 3 1 Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 20. 3 Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 21. The account given by Plutarch of Timo- Icon's attack is very intelligible. He states that the side of Epipolse front- ing southwards or towards the river Anapus was the strongest. Saverio Cavallari (Zur Topographic von Syrakus, p. 22) confirms this, />y remarking that the northern side of Epipolse, towards Trogilus, is the weakest, and easiest for access or attack. We thus see that Epipoloe was tin last portion of Syracuse which Timo Icon mastered not theirs* portion, as Diodorus states (xvi. 09). 1 Plutarch. Timoleon, c. 21.