Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/313

 54 -56] EXULTATION OF THE SYRACUSANS 305 among them which might have gained them over", nor could they master them ^by a^' decided superiority of force. They had failed at ahnost every point, and were already in great straits, when the defeat at sea, which they could not have thought possible, reduced their fortunes to a still lower ebb. The Syracusans at once sailed round the shore of the 56 liarbour without fear, and determined The Symcusans pre- to close the mouth, that the Athenians pa>-e 'o dose the mouth ... ,, ,, Ti-u ij of the harbour. They might not be able, even if they wanted, /^^ . .^ ^^ ^^^^ ^,^^ ^J^ to sail out by stealth. For they were ,« the liberation of now striving, no longer to achieve their Hellas. own deliverance, but to cut off the escape of the Athenians; they considered their position already far superior, as indeed it was, and they hoped that if they could conquer the Athenians and their allies by sea and land, their success would be glorious in the eyes of all the Hellenes, who would at once be set free, some from slavery, others from fear. For the Athenians, having lost so much of their power, would never be able to face the enemies who would rise up against them. And the glory of the deliverance would be ascribed to the Syracusans, who would be honoured by all living men and all future ages, cphe conflict was still further ennobled by the thought that they were now conquering c, not only the Athenians, but a host of their allies. And they themselves were not alone, but many had come to their support; they were taking the command in a war by the side of Corinth and Lace- daemon ; they had oflfered their own city to bear the brunt of the encounter, and they had made an immense advance in naval power. More nations met at Syracuse than ever gathered around any single city, although not so many as a Cp. vi. 20 init. " Or, 'by their.' •= Or, taking the words as a reflection, not of the S3-racusans, but of Thucydidcs himself: ' And indeed there was everything to ennoble the conflict ; for they were now conquering ' etc.