one to throw in provisions, and the other to prevent their
introduction.

At Athens, meanwhile, the news that the army was in great distress, and
that corn found its way in to the men in the island, caused no small
perplexity; and the Athenians began to fear that winter might come on
and find them still engaged in the blockade. They saw that the convoying
of provisions round Peloponnese would be then impossible. The country
offered no resources in itself, and even in summer they could not send
round enough. The blockade of a place without harbours could no
longer be kept up; and the men would either escape by the siege being
abandoned, or would watch for bad weather and sail out in the boats that
brought in their corn. What caused still more alarm was the attitude
of the Lacedaemonians, who must, it was thought by the Athenians, feel
themselves on strong ground not to send them any more envoys; and
they began to repent having rejected the treaty. Cleon, perceiving the
disfavour with which he was regarded for having stood in the way of the
convention, now said that their informants did not speak the truth; and
upon the messengers recommending them, if they did not believe them, to
send some commissioners to see, Cleon himself and Theagenes were chosen
by the Athenians as commissioners. Aware that he would now be obliged
either to say what had been already said by the men whom he was
slandering, or be proved a liar if he said the contrary, he told the
Athenians, whom he saw to be not altogether disinclined for a fresh
expedition, that instead of sending and wasting their time and
opportunities, if they believed what was told them, they ought to sail
against the men. And pointing at Nicias, son of Niceratus, then general,
whom he hated, he tauntingly said that it would be easy, if they had
men for generals, to sail with a force and take those in the island, and
that if he had himself been in command, he would have done it.

Nicias, seeing the Athenians murmuring against Cleon for not sailing now
if it seemed to him so easy, and further seeing himself the object of
attack, told him that for all that the generals cared, he might take
what force he chose and make the attempt. At first Cleon fancied that
this resignation was merely a figure of speech, and was ready to go, but
finding that it was seriously meant, he drew back, and said that Nicias,
not he, was general, being now frightened, and having never supposed
that Nicia