hands against it, and so kept quiet.

At last one of the Athenians came forward and called upon Nicias and
told him that he ought not to make excuses or put them off, but say at
once before them all what forces the Athenians should vote him. Upon
this he said, not without reluctance, that he would advise upon that
matter more at leisure with his colleagues; as far however as he could
see at present, they must sail with at least one hundred galleys--the
Athenians providing as many transports as they might determine, and
sending for others from the allies--not less than five thousand heavy
infantry in all, Athenian and allied, and if possible more; and the rest
of the armament in proportion; archers from home and from Crete, and
slingers, and whatever else might seem desirable, being got ready by the
generals and taken with them.

Upon hearing this the Athenians at once voted that the generals should
have full powers in the matter of the numbers of the army and of the
expedition generally, to do as they judged best for the interests of
Athens. After this the preparations began; messages being sent to
the allies and the rolls drawn up at home. And as the city had just
recovered from the plague and the long war, and a number of young
men had grown up and capital had accumulated by reason of the truce,
everything was the more easily provided.

In the midst of these preparations all the stone Hermae in the city of
Athens, that is to say the customary square figures, so common in the
doorways of private houses and temples, had in one night most of them
their fares mutilated. No one knew who had done it, but large public
rewards were offered to find the authors; and it was further voted
that any one who knew of any other act of impiety having been committed
should come and give information without fear of consequences, whether
he were citizen, alien, or slave. The matter was taken up the more
seriously, as it was thought to be ominous for the expedition, and part
of a conspiracy to bring about a revolution and to upset the democracy.

Information was given accordingly by some resident aliens and body
servants, not about the Hermae but about some previous mutilations of
other images perpetrated by young men in a drunken frolic, and of mock
celebrations of the mysteries, averred to take place in private houses.
Alcibiades being implicated in this charge, it was taken hold of by
those who could least endure him, because he stoo