hold a council. The generals and
officers met and considered the difficulties of their position. The
most pressing was the want of food. For they had already sent to
Catana,[37] when they intended to depart, and stopt the supplies; and
they could get no more unless they recovered the command of the sea.
They resolved therefore to quit their lines on the higher ground and
to cut off by a cross-wall a space close to their ships, no greater
than was absolutely required for their baggage and for their sick;
after leaving a guard there, they meant to put on board every other
man, and to launch all their ships, whether fit for service or not;
they would then fight a decisive battle, and, if they conquered, go to
Catana; but if not, they would burn their ships, and retreat by land
in good order, taking the nearest way to some friendly country,
barbarian or Hellenic.

This design they proceeded to execute, and, withdrawing quietly from
the upper walls, manned their whole fleet, compelling every man of any
age at all suitable for service to embark. The entire number of the
ships which they manned was about a hundred and ten. They put on board
numerous archers and javelin-men, Acarnanians,[38] and other
foreigners, and made such preparations for action as the nature of the
plan imposed upon them by their necessities allowed. When all was
nearly ready, Nicias,[39] perceiving that the soldiers were deprest by
their severe defeat at sea, which was no new experience to them,
while at the same time the want of provisions made them impatient to
risk a battle with the least possible delay, called his men together
and before they engaged exhorted them....

Nicias gave orders to man the ships. Gylippus[40] and the Syracusans
could see clearly enough from the preparations which the Athenians
were making that they were going to fight. But they had also previous
notice, and had been told of the iron grapnels; and they took
precautions against this as against all the other devices of the
Athenians. They covered the prows of their vessels with hides,
extending a good way along the upper part of their sides, so that the
grapnels might slip and find no hold. When all was ready, Gylippus and
the other generals exhorted their men....

When Gylippus and the other Syracusan generals had, like Nicias,
encouraged their troops, perceiving the Athenians to be manning their
ships, they presently did the same. Nicias, overwhelmed by the
situation, and