登陆注册
15987000000098

第98章

Divers also swam in under water from the harbour, dragging by a cord in skins poppyseed mixed with honey, and bruised linseed; these at first escaped notice, but afterwards a look-out was kept for them.

In short, both sides tried every possible contrivance, the 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 Nicias would go so far as to retire in his favour. Nicias, however, repeated his offer, and resigned the command against Pylos, and called the Athenians to witness that he did so. And as the multitude is wont to do, the more Cleon shrank from the expedition and tried to back out of what he had said, the more they encouraged Nicias to hand over his command, and clamoured at Cleon to go. At last, not knowing how to get out of his words, he undertook the expedition, and came forward and said that he was not afraid of the Lacedaemonians, but would sail without taking any one from the city with him, except the Lemnians and Imbrians that were at Athens, with some targeteers that had come up from Aenus, and four hundred archers from other quarters. With these and the soldiers at Pylos, he would within twenty days either bring the Lacedaemonians alive, or kill them on the spot. The Athenians could not help laughing at his fatuity, while sensible men comforted themselves with the reflection that they must gain in either circumstance; either they would be rid of Cleon, which they rather hoped, or if disappointed in this expectation, would reduce the Lacedaemonians.

After he had settled everything in the assembly, and the Athenians had voted him the command of the expedition, he chose as his colleague Demosthenes, one of the generals at Pylos, and pushed forward the preparations for his voyage. His choice fell upon Demosthenes because he heard that he was contemplating a descent on the island;the soldiers distressed by the difficulties of the position, and rather besieged than besiegers, being eager to fight it out, while the firing of the island had increased the confidence of the general. He had been at first afraid, because the island having never been inhabited was almost entirely covered with wood and without paths, thinking this to be in the enemy's favour, as he might land with a large force, and yet might suffer loss by an attack from an unseen position. The mistakes and forces of the enemy the wood would in a great measure conceal from him, while every blunder of his own troops would be at once detected, and they would be thus able to fall upon him unexpectedly just where they pleased, the attack being always in their power. If, on the other hand, he should force them to engage in the thicket, the smaller number who knew the country would, he thought, have the advantage over the larger who were ignorant of it, while his own army might be cut off imperceptibly, in spite of its numbers, as the men would not be able to see where to succour each other.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 阴阳代购

    阴阳代购

    你们海外代购算什么,我把阳间的东西代购到阴间,把阴间的东西代购到阳间,这个才叫真代购。我还要把生意做到灵界,做到仙界。什么?仙界不见了?那就把他找出来,找不出来那就再建一个仙界。天道算什么,不过就是一个器灵罢了,不服那就灭了。本书讲一个普通人,机缘巧合和阴间做代购生意,从而走到修真之路,站上巅峰的故事。
  • 柳叶飞针

    柳叶飞针

    原本无忧无虑的生活,却在一次偶然的机会下卷进江湖恩怨中,从此踏上江湖路,经历武林恩怨与爱情的双重考验。
  • 中武传奇

    中武传奇

    这是一个元气高能的时代。这也是一个元能科技高速发展的时代。这个时代的宠儿叫做元能武者,他们可以利用天地间的元能进行强化与修炼。而在偏远山村练就了一身神奇诡异技能的主角走了出来!
  • 双凤临世,姐妹傲然闯异世

    双凤临世,姐妹傲然闯异世

    “他”,是大陆上的天下第一公子,千机老人之徒,医谷神秘大公子。“他”,是医谷现任谷主,是彼岸公子的神鬼莫测师弟。她,是栩国镇国长公主,珏晔长公主,仅凭一介女子之躯统领虎符,为战无不胜,攻无不克的栩国女战神,是栩国皇上的手中宝,大公主,也是大陆第一美人和才女,百姓心中的守护神。她,是栩国护国公主,珏晞公主,在栩国朝堂上以一介女子之躯舌战群儒,是以民为本,为民做主的栩国女丞相,是栩国皇上的眼中珠,二公主,为大陆第一美人和才女,百姓心中的大恩人。他,冷漠无情,在她面前却呵护备至。他,外表温柔,在她面前却宠溺无边。本是无情人,却因有了她。
  • 她的戒

    她的戒

    九个毫不相干的仙人!一个神秘莫测的空间!现实与虚幻的叠加!这一切的谜底究竟是什么?
  • 末世之病毒战争

    末世之病毒战争

    额,第一次写小说,啊,不喜勿喷,喷的不要说脏话,说脏话的不要太过分,太过分的弄死,弄死后不赔钱!
  • 华丽蜕变:归来的三公主

    华丽蜕变:归来的三公主

    十年前,人为的灾难,让三个家庭不再圆满,三个可怜的小女孩在这场灾难中家破人亡,只有她们幸存保住了生命。十年之后,她们再次踏入A市只为报仇,但却却遇到了让自己无法摆脱的人。
  • 苏羽修仙记

    苏羽修仙记

    一个与世隔绝的小山村,一个瘦弱少年的一次意外,命运从此被改变的他,如何步步维艰的修行?如何同洪荒大泽的巨擎争锋?如何上清碧落下黄泉的探索生命的真谛!
  • 童养婿养成攻略

    童养婿养成攻略

    “在过去的二十一年里,世人皆道我是天煞孤星,难得善终,我曾以为我这一生便这样了,然而上天终待我不薄,让我遇上你。阿梓,此番前征,倘若骁国终将覆亡,你愿意与我一同长眠吗?”“……我不愿意。”“……”戚然一巴掌拍到某人头上,“李笑妹,给我按剧本演!”
  • 年家有余

    年家有余

    前世,她一腔柔情错付渣男;再睁眼,她竟成了乡间种田的小女娃。上有爷奶压迫,下有姐妹算计,这日子过得是真苦啊。可是再苦,也不能挡住年白露奔向银子的脚步。赚钱、买地、开铺子……咦,田间躺着的那个是什么鬼?“娘子,为夫饿了,快来给我下面吃吧。”