Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/343

 BOOK VIII The news was brought to Athens, but the Athenians r could not beHeve that the armament Atf,rsttl,cAthaua„s had been so completely annihilated, ivili not believe the tntth, although they had the positive assur- "'"^ are furious when r „ X 1 II- 1 „ 1 • ^^'O' htow it. Their ances of Mhe very soldiers who ^ had ^,.^^p^^,^ ^^^ /,^^^/^„ escaped from the scene of action. At Iloivever. they determine last they knew the truth; and then ^'ot to yield. They ap- . r. ' • t. 1 1 point a council of elders, they were furious with the orators who ,,„^/ ^,., ^^^^/^^^^^ ^^ had joined in promoting the expedition economise and to behave — as if they had not voted it them- """• selves ^' — and with the soothsayers, and prophets, and all who by the influence of religion had at the time inspired them with the belief that they would conquer Sicily. Whichever way they looked there was trouble ; they were overwhelmed by their calamity, and were in fear and con- sternation unutterable. The citizens and the city were alike distressed ; they had lost a host of cavalry and hop- lites and the flower of their youth, and there were none to replace them ^. And when they saw an insufficient number of ships in their docks, and no crews to man them, nor money in the treasury, they despaired of deliverance. They had no doubt that their enemies in Sicily, after the great victory which they had already gained, would at once sail against the Piraeus. Their enemies in Hellas, whose resources were now doubled, would likewise set upon them with all their might both by sea and land, and would be assisted by their own revolted allies. Still they determined, so far as their situation allowed, not to give " Or, taking iravv with aTpaTiuTuf : ' trustworthy soldiers who.' '' Cp. ii. 6o med., 6i mcd. ' Cp. vii. 64.