fantry and a few archers from his whole
force, and with these went outside the wall down to the sea, where he
thought that the enemy would most likely attempt to land. Although the
ground was difficult and rocky, looking towards the open sea, the fact
that this was the weakest part of the wall would, he thought, encourage
their ardour, as the Athenians, confident in their naval superiority,
had here paid little attention to their defences, and the enemy if he
could force a landing might feel secure of taking the place. At this
point, accordingly, going down to the water's edge, he posted his heavy
infantry to prevent, if possible, a landing, and encouraged them in the
following terms:

"Soldiers and comrades in this adventure, I hope that none of you in our
present strait will think to show his wit by exactly calculating all the
perils that encompass us, but that you will rather hasten to close with
the enemy, without staying to count the odds, seeing in this your best
chance of safety. In emergencies like ours calculation is out of place;
the sooner the danger is faced the better. To my mind also most of the
chances are for us, if we will only stand fast and not throw away our
advantages, overawed by the numbers of the enemy. One of the points in
our favour is the awkwardness of the landing. This, however, only helps
us if we stand our ground. If we give way it will be practicable enough,
in spite of its natural difficulty, without a defender; and the enemy
will instantly become more formidable from the difficulty he will have
in retreating, supposing that we succeed in repulsing him, which we
shall find it easier to do, while he is on board his ships, than after
he has landed and meets us on equal terms. As to his numbers, these need
not too much alarm you. Large as they may be he can only engage in
small detachments, from the impossibility of bringing to. Besides, the
numerical superiority that we have to meet is not that of an army on
land with everything else equal, but of troops on board ship, upon an
element where many favourable accidents are required to act with effect.
I therefore consider that his difficulties may be fairly set against our
numerical deficiencies, and at the same time I charge you, as Athenians
who know by experience what landing from ships on a hostile territory
means, and how impossible it is to drive back an enemy determined enough
to stand his ground and not to be frightened away by the sur