e narrow opening which had been
left for the passage of merchant vessels. Their onset was repulsed,
and the battle then became general. The shouts of the combatants, and
the crash of the iron heads of the vessels as they were driven
together, resounded over the water, and were answered on shore by the
cheers or wailings of the spectators as their friends were victorious
or vanquished. For a long time the battle was maintained with heroic
courage and dubious result. At length, as the Athenian vessels began
to yield and make back towards the shore, a universal shriek of horror
and despair arose from the Athenian army, whilst shouts of joy and
victory were raised from the pursuing vessels, and were echoed back
from the Syracusans on land. As the Athenian vessels neared the shore
their crews leaped out, and made for the camp, whilst the boldest of
the land army rushed forward to protect the ships from being seized by
the enemy. The Athenians succeeded in saving only 60 ships, or about
half their fleet. The Syracusan fleet, however, had been reduced to 50
ships; and on the same afternoon, Nicias and Demosthenes, as a last
hope of escape, exhorted their men to make another attempt to break the
enemy's line, and force their way out of the harbour. But the courage
of the crews was so completely damped that they positively refused to
re-embark.

The Athenian army still numbered 40,000 men; and as all chance of
escape by sea was now hopeless, it was resolved to retreat by land to
some friendly city, and there defend themselves against the attacks of
the Syracusans. As the soldiers turned to quit that fatal encampment,
the sense of their own woes was for a moment suspended by the sight of
their unburied comrades, who seemed to reproach them with the neglect
of a sacred duty; but still more by the wailings and entreaties of the
wounded, who clung around their knees, and implored not to be abandoned
to certain destruction. Amid this scene of universal woe and
dejection, a fresh and unwonted spirit of energy and heroism seemed to
be infused into Nicias. Though suffering under an incurable complaint,
he was everywhere seen marshalling his troops and encouraging them by
his exhortations. The march was directed towards the territory of the
Sicels in the interior of the island. The army was formed into a
hollow square with the baggage in the middle; Nicias leading the van,
and Demosthenes bringing up the rear. The road asce