stones had been laid ready for building for
the greater part of the distance, and some points had been left half
finished, while others were entirely completed. The danger of Syracuse
had indeed been great.

Meanwhile the Athenians, recovering from the confusion into which
they had been first thrown by the sudden approach of Gylippus and
the Syracusans, formed in order of battle. Gylippus halted at a short
distance off and sent on a herald to tell them that, if they would
evacuate Sicily with bag and baggage within five days' time, he
was willing to make a truce accordingly. The Athenians treated this
proposition with contempt, and dismissed the herald without an answer.
After this both sides began to prepare for action. Gylippus, observing
that the Syracusans were in disorder and did not easily fall into line,
drew off his troops more into the open ground, while Nicias did not lead
on the Athenians but lay still by his own wall. When Gylippus saw that
they did not come on, he led off his army to the citadel of the quarter
of Apollo Temenites, and passed the night there. On the following day
he led out the main body of his army, and, drawing them up in order of
battle before the walls of the Athenians to prevent their going to the
relief of any other quarter, dispatched a strong force against Fort
Labdalum, and took it, and put all whom he found in it to the sword,
the place not being within sight of the Athenians. On the same day an
Athenian galley that lay moored off the harbour was captured by the
Syracusans.

After this the Syracusans and their allies began to carry a single wall,
starting from the city, in a slanting direction up Epipolae, in order
that the Athenians, unless they could hinder the work, might be no
longer able to invest them. Meanwhile the Athenians, having now finished
their wall down to the sea, had come up to the heights; and part of
their wall being weak, Gylippus drew out his army by night and attacked
it. However, the Athenians who happened to be bivouacking outside took
the alarm and came out to meet him, upon seeing which he quickly led his
men back again. The Athenians now built their wall higher, and in future
kept guard at this point themselves, disposing their confederates along
the remainder of the works, at the stations assigned to them. Nicias
also determined to fortify Plemmyrium, a promontory over against the
city, which juts out and narrows the mouth of the Great Harbour. He
tho