Ancient Syracuse by Evans Richard

Author:Evans, Richard [Richard Evans]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317181354
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

Thucydides moves to cover the background to the second – really the third – Athenian intervention in Sicily, the request for aid from Segesta against its neighbour Selinous, and appeals for help from Leontini, which had been virtually destroyed by Syracuse.10 These two representations were received with sympathy by the Athenian assembly, which voted to send a force of 60 triremes into Sicilian waters commanded by three generals approved by the demos: Nicias, Alcibiades and Lamachus. The assembly, which voted for this plan of action, concluded its proceedings and reconvened five days later (Thuc. 6.8.3), when the fine tuning of the expedition’s finances and logistics was to be finalised. On this occasion, a heated debate occurred where, on the one hand, the wisdom of despatching a full-scale expeditionary force so far from home was questioned, while on the other hand these fears were countered by suggestions that great advantages could be gained from victory.

It was Nicias who raised the logistical problems of communicating with and sending supplies to a fleet and land forces so far away from their point of departure. However, it is interesting that he did not cite the almost ruinous expedition to Egypt between 460 and 454, when the entire force was lost in the Nile delta, a precedent that would surely have added greater weight to his argument.11 It is possible that he did not raise this issue since the main architect of that venture was Pericles. Yet it was Alcibiades, Pericles’ nephew, who was most outspoken in favour of an attack on Syracuse; and although there was a peace treaty in force between Athens and Sparta, Alcibiades pointed out the economic and financial benefits of a successful subjugation of the Sicilian Greek cities, several of whom were already sympathetic to the Athenians. He went even further and enthused about what may seem to a later readership the grandiose plan of expanding the rule (ἀρχή) of Athens not only in Sicily but also into Punic Africa by taking on and defeating Carthage.12 The enthusiasm with which these proposals were received gives some indication of the optimism and confidence that were prevalent among a citizen body that had enjoyed nearly seven years of uninterrupted peace.13 More cautious advice was easily ignored; and indeed, many of those who were concerned about committing so much manpower and resources to a single overseas campaign chose to remain silent in case they were accused of being unpatriotic. Nicias had no such qualms and persisted in his opposition to the venture. After Alcibiades and other advocates of action had spoken, Nicias tried again to dissuade his fellow citizens, by delivering a second speech in which he emphasised the superiority of the Syracusan army and especially its cavalry. He also stressed the need to have under the generals’ command as powerful a fleet as possible in order to implement a fully effective blockade of Syracuse. Thucydides, who was not present but who was acquainted with Nicias, relates that his subject employed this tactic

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