broken; and in the spring of 413 B.C.
the Lacedaemonians, under King Agis, invaded Attica itself, and,
following the advice of Alcibiades, established themselves permanently
at Decelia, a place situated on the ridge of Mount Parnes about 14
miles north of Athens, and commanding the Athenian plain. The city was
thus placed in a state of siege. Scarcity began to be felt within the
walls; the revenues were falling off, whilst on the other hand expenses
were increasing.

Meanwhile in Sicily the Syracusans had gained such confidence that they
even ventured on a naval engagement with the Athenians. In the first
battle the Athenians were victorious, but the second battle, which
lasted two days, ended in their defeat. They were now obliged to haul
up their ships in the innermost part of the Great Harbour, under the
lines of their fortified camp. A still more serious disaster than the
loss of the battle was the loss of their naval reputation. It was
evident that the Athenians had ceased to be invincible on the sea; and
the Syracusans no longer despaired of overcoming them on their own
element.

Such was the state of affairs when, to the astonishment of the
Syracusans, a fresh Athenian fleet of 75 triremes, under Demosthenes
and Eurymedon, entered the Great Harbour with all the pomp and
circumstance of war. It had on board a force of 5000 hoplites, of whom
about a quarter were Athenians, and a great number of light-armed
troops. The active and enterprising character of Demosthenes led him
to adopt more vigorous measures than those which had been hitherto
pursued. He saw at once that whilst Epipolae remained in the
possession of the Syracusans there was no hope of taking their city,
and he therefore directed all his efforts to the recapture of that
position. But his attempts were unavailing. He was defeated not only
in an open assault upon the Syracusan wall, but in a nocturnal attempt
to carry it by surprise. These reverses were aggravated by the
breaking out of sickness among the troops. Demosthenes now proposed to
return home and assist in expelling the Lacedaemonians from Attica,
instead of pursuing an enterprise which seemed to be hopeless. But
Nicias, who feared to return to Athens with the stigma of failure,
refused to give his consent to this step. Demosthenes then urged
Nicias at least to sail immediately out of the Great Harbour, and take
up their position either at Thapsus or Catana, where they could ob