partly also by the nature of
the ground, which in some part was very steep. West and north-west of
the wall of the outer city stood two unfortified suburbs, which were at
a later time included within the walls of Syracuse under the names of
Tyche and Neapolis. Between these two suburbs the ground rose in a
gentle acclivity to the summit of the ranges of hills called Epipolae.

It was from the high ground of Epipolae that Syracuse was most exposed
to attack. Nicias landed at Leon, a place upon the bay of Thapsus, at
the distance of only six or seven stadia from Epipolae, took possession
of Epipolae, and erected on the summit a fort called Labdalum. Then
coming farther down the hill towards Syracuse, he built another fort of
a circular form and of considerable size at a place called Syke. From
the latter point he commenced his line of circumvallation, one wall
extending southwards from Syke to the Great Harbour, and the other wall
running northwards to the outer sea. The Athenians succeeded in
completing the circumvallation towards the south, but in one of their
many engagements with the Syracusans they lost the gallant Lamachus.
At the same time, the Athenian fleet entered the Great Harbour, where
it was henceforth permanently established. The northern wall was never
completed, and through the passage thus left open the besieged
continued to obtain provisions. Nicias, who, by the death of Lamachus,
had become sole commander, seemed now on the point of succeeding. The
Syracusans were so sensible of their inferiority in the field that they
no longer ventured to show themselves outside the walls. They began to
contemplate surrender, and even sent messages to Nicias to treat of the
terms. This caused the Athenian commander to indulge in a false
confidence of success, and consequent apathy; and the army having lost
the active and energetic Lamachus, operations were no longer carried on
with the requisite activity.

It was in this state of affairs that the Spartan commander, Gylippus,
passed over into Italy with a little squadron of four ships, with the
view merely of preserving the Greek cities in that country, supposing
that Syracuse, and, with her, the other Greek cities in Sicily, were
irretrievably lost. At Tarentum he learned to his great surprise and
satisfaction that the Athenian wall of circumvallation at Syracuse had
not yet been completed on the northern side. He now sailed through the
straits of Messan