Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/339

 83-85] SLAUGHTER AT THE ASSINARUS 33 1 When the day dawned Nicias led forward his army, and 84 the Syracusans and the allies again ti. ^ r m- ■„. J _ ° The troops of Ntcias assailed them on every side, hurling i„,r,y on to the river javelins and other missiles at them. Assmants ,■ they rush The Athenians hurried on to the i"Pf^"fl;J'^y<"' attacked by the enemy, river Assinarus. They hoped to the water runs blood, gain a little relief if they forded the and the liviug aud dead river, for the mass of horsemen and c,re huddled together in ' the stream. other troops overwhelmed and crushed them ; and they were worn out by fatigue and thirst. But no sooner did they reach the water than they lost all order and rushed in ; every man was trying to cross first, and, the enemy pressing upon them at the same time, the passage of the river became hopeless. Being compelled to keep close together they fell one upon another, and trampled each other under foot : some at once perished, pierced by their own spears; others got entangled in the baggage and were carried down the stream. The Syracusans stood upon the further bank of the river, which was steep, and hurled missiles from above on the Athenians, who were huddled together in the deep bed of the stream and for the most part were drinking greedily. The Peloponnesians came down the bank and slaughtered them, falling chiefly upon those who were in the river. Whereupon the water at once became foul, but was drunk all the same, although muddy and dyed with blood, and the crowd fought for it. At last, when the dead bodies were lying in heaps upon 85 one another in the water and the army ^., .,^ ^^ ,^^^ ^,^,.. was utterly undone, some perishing in renders to Gyltppus. the river, and any who escaped being '^'"' ^^"'"' l""'<^>>'^ ^''^ _^, , , XT- • brought in. Greatness cut off by the cavalry, Nicias surren- ^^,/,f,/,,„^^/,/„, ^/„„^ dered to Gylippus, in whomhehadmore prisoners become the confidence than in the Syracusans. He property of the soldiers, ... 1 .1 T J • and many escape. entreated hmi and the Lacedaemonians to do what they pleased with himself, but not to go on kill- ing the men. So Gylippus gave the word to make