Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/303

 42,43] FINAL ENUMERATION OF THE FORCES 295 out parties of cavalry and javelin-men from the Olym- pieum. Before he attacked Epipolae, Demosthenes wished to 43 try what could be done with engines ^ ^,, II T-> 1 Failure o/an attempt against the counter- wall. But the totaketheivallinfmnt. engines which he brought up were Leaving Nidas in the burnt by the enemy, who fought from ^»*"P>F>entosthemsivith ^, ,, in 1 • 1 Ilis army proceeds before the wall, and, after making assaults at „nd,nght by zvay of several points, the Athenian forces ihc Euryclus to ascend were repulsed. He now determined to ^P'^^n he takes the delay no longer, and persuaded Nicias ^^,^ Cylippus and his and his colleagues to carry out the troops, who are amazed plan of attacking Epipolae. To approach "^ ^^ ^"^^« '"'^^'• , ., - . , ^ . , The Athenians are during the daytime and ascend the hurrying forward when heights undetected appeared to be im- they are met by the possible ; so he resolved to attack by ^«^«/'««5 ««^ /«^ to night. He ordered provisions lor nve days, and took with him all the masons and carpenters in the army; also a supply of arrows and of the various implements which would be required for siege-works if he were victorious. About the first watch he, Eurymedon, and Menander led out the whole army and marched towards Epipolae. Nicias was left in the Athenian forti- fications. Reaching Epipolae at the Euryelus, where their first army had originally ascended ", and advancing undiscovered by the garrison to the fort which the Syracusans had there erected, they took it and killed some of the guards. But the greater number made good their escape and carried the news to the three fortified camps, one of the Syracusans, one of the other Sicilian Greeks, and one of the allies, which had been formed on Epipolae ; they also gave the alarm to the six hundred who were an advanced guard stationed on this part of Epipolae^'. They hastened to meet the enemy, but Demo- sthenes and the Athenians came upon them and, in spite of VOL. II. X
 * Cp. vi. 97 mcd. ^ Cp. vi. 96 fin.