el you when once established. The safety and
order of the march is for yourselves to look to; the one thought of
each man being that the spot on which he may be forced to fight must
be conquered and held as his country and stronghold. Meanwhile we shall
hasten on our way night and day alike, as our provisions are scanty;
and if we can reach some friendly place of the Sicels, whom fear of the
Syracusans still keeps true to us, you may forthwith consider yourselves
safe. A message has been sent on to them with directions to meet us with
supplies of food. To sum up, be convinced, soldiers, that you must be
brave, as there is no place near for your cowardice to take refuge in,
and that if you now escape from the enemy, you may all see again what
your hearts desire, while those of you who are Athenians will raise up
again the great power of the state, fallen though it be. Men make the
city and not walls or ships without men in them."

As he made this address, Nicias went along the ranks, and brought back
to their place any of the troops that he saw straggling out of the line;
while Demosthenes did as much for his part of the army, addressing them
in words very similar. The army marched in a hollow square, the division
under Nicias leading, and that of Demosthenes following, the heavy
infantry being outside and the baggage-carriers and the bulk of the army
in the middle. When they arrived at the ford of the river Anapus there
they found drawn up a body of the Syracusans and allies, and routing
these, made good their passage and pushed on, harassed by the charges of
the Syracusan horse and by the missiles of their light troops. On that
day they advanced about four miles and a half, halting for the night
upon a certain hill. On the next they started early and got on about
two miles further, and descended into a place in the plain and there
encamped, in order to procure some eatables from the houses, as the
place was inhabited, and to carry on with them water from thence, as for
many furlongs in front, in the direction in which they were going, it
was not plentiful. The Syracusans meanwhile went on and fortified the
pass in front, where there was a steep hill with a rocky ravine on
each side of it, called the Acraean cliff. The next day the Athenians
advancing found themselves impeded by the missiles and charges of the
horse and darters, both very numerous, of the Syracusans and allies;
and after fighting for a long while, at len