THE LIFE OF NICIAS. SUMMARY. Animadversions on the historian Timaus. Plutarch's plan in writing this Life. Nicias' character: influence in the government: magnificence and liberality. He conducts the Athenian choir to Delos, and makes rich presents to Apollo. His superstition and timidity. His scheme to defend himself from calumniators. He has no part in the Athenian disasters. His various victories as general. Reproached about Sphacteria by Cleon, who is sent on the expedition, and succeeds. Consequent sarcasms upon Nicias. Nicias re-establishes peace between Athens and Lacedæmon with great credit to himself. Alcibiades' intrigues to break it. Nicias takes a fruitless journey to Lacedæmon, and the war re-commences: is apprehensive of the Ostracism, and combines with Alcibiades to get Hyperbolus banished; is appointed general with Alcibiades and Lamachus for the Sicilian expedition, which he disapproved. Various discouraging omens. Meton and Socrates anticipate its disastrous issue. Nicias subsequent timid conduct. The Athenians range them. selves in order of battle before the port of Syracuse. Nicias exposes himself to contempt by his mode of managing the war: dupes the Syracusans, and defeats them after having taken possession of their harbour. His dilatory proceedings. He winters at Naxos. He nearly encloses "Syracuse with a wall. Lamachus is killed. Gylippus arrives in Sicily, enters Syracuse, and defeats the Athe nians. Nicias gains some advantages, but his troops ure again routed. Demosthenes arrives with reinforcements, receives a check, and proposes to leave the island. Niciasre fuses. Eclipse of the moon and reflections upon it. It confirms Nicias in his resolution to remain. His fleet worsted. Another engagement and defeat. Hermocrates' stratagem to prevent him from retreating. Nicias' fortitude in the midst of his misfortunes. Demosthenes taken prisoner. Nicias, reduced to the last extremity, surrenders; and, with Demosthenes, is put to death. Many of the Athenian captives owe their preservation to the recital of verses from Euripides, a great favourite with the Sicilians. How the intelligence of this disaster was carried to Athens. WE have selected Crassus, as proper to be placed in parallel with Nicias; and the misfortunes, which befel the one in Parthia, with those that overtook the other in Sicily. But we have an apology to make to the reader upon another account. As we are now undertaking a history, where Thucydides has even outdone himself in the pathetic, and in energy and variety of composition is perfectly inimitable; we trust no one will suspect us of the ambition of Timæus, who flattered himself that he could exceed the force of Thucydides, and make Philistus1 pass for an inelegant and ordinary writer. Under the influence of that deception, Timæus plunges into the midst of the battles (both at sea and land) and speeches, in which those historians most eminently excel. He soon however appears, 1 Philistus is called by Cicero, penè pusillus Thucydides. De Orat. ii. 13., and Ep. ad Q. Fratr. ii. 13.) (L.)* Upon the subject of Timæus, a Sicilian contemporary with Agathocles, the ancients have been much divided. Cicero (De Orat. ii. 14.) a great authority, and Diod. Sic. speaks of him very favourably, while Hesychius, Suidas, Longinus, and Plutarch appears to have considered him as an inferior author. Longinus however admits, that he is sometimes grand and sublime, Not like a footman by the Lydian car (2), as Pindar expresses it; but a shallow puerile writer, or (to use the words of the poet Diphilus) -A heavy animal Cased in Sicilian lard. Sometimes he falls into the dreams of Xenarchus 3: for instance, where he says, "He could not but consider it as a bad omen for the Athenians, that they had a general with a name derived from victory, who disapproved the expedition." As also, "That by the mu tilation of the Hermæ the gods presignified, they should suffer most in the Syracusan war from Hermocrates the son of Hermon "." And again, It is probable that Hercules assisted the Syracusans, because Proserpine had delivered up Cerberus to hin; and that he was offended at the Athenians for, having supported the Ægesteans, descended as they were from the Trojans his mortal enemies, whose city he had sacked in revenge for Laomedon's injuries." These fine observations he made with the same discernment, which induced him to find fault with the language of Philistus, and censure the writings of Plato and Aristotle. For my part, I cannot but think all emulation about expression and jealousy of others betrays a littleness of mind, and is the characteristic of a sophist: and, when that spirit of contest attempts things inimitable, it is perfectly absurd. Since therefore it is impossible to 2 A proverb, founded probably on the success of Pelops the Lydian for Phrygian) over Enomaus king of Pisa in the chariot race, by which he won Hippodamia, the daughter of that prince, and established himself in the peninsula, from him denominated Peloponnesus.* 3 Xenarchus the Peripatetic was the master of Strabo, and Xenarchus the comic poet was author of several pieces of humour (Arist. Poet. 1.); but we know no historian of that name. 4 That is, Nicias. Nix signifies' victory.' 5 Longinus (iii.) quotes this passage as an example of the frigid style, and of those puerilities which he had condemned in Timæus; (L.) and adds, he might as well have said of Dionysius the tyrant, that he was chased out of his kingdom by Dion and Heraclides, because of the disrespect which he had shown to Dios and Heracles; i. e. Jupiter and Hercules,* pass over in silence those actions of Nicias recorded by Thucydides and Philistus, especially such as indicate his manners and disposition which often lay concealed under the weight of his misfortunes, we shall give a brief abstract from them of what appears most necessary, lest we should be accused of indolence or neglect. As for other matters not generally known, which are found scattered in historians or in ancient inscriptions and decrees, we shall collect them with care; not to gratify useless curiosity, but by drawing from them the true lines of this general's character, to serve the purposes of real instruction. The first thing, which I shall mention relating to him, is the observation of Aristotle: That three of the most worthy men in Athens, who had a paternal regard and friendship for the people, were Nicias the son of Niceratus, Thucydides the son of Milesias, and Theramenes the son of Agnon. The last indeed was not so remarkable in this respect, as the other two. For he had been reproached with his birth, as a stranger come from the isle of Ceos; and from his want of firmness, or rather versatility in matters of government, he was called The Buskin'' Thucydides was the oldest of the three; and, when at any time Pericles was cajoling the people, he often opposed him in behalf of the superior classes. Though Nicias was much the younger man, he gained some reputation while Pericles lived; so that he was several times his collegue in the war, and often commanded alone. But when Pericles died, he was soon advanced to the head of the administration, particularly by the influence of the rich and great, who hoped that 6 The form of the buskin was such, that it might be worn indifferently upon either leg. (L.) (Xenoph. Hellen. ii.) Theramenes afterward became one of the Thirty Tyrants, but from an abhorrence of their atrocities incurred, through the accusation of Critias (the most violent of the number) the sentence of death, and was instantly led to execution; falling the victim of a savage power, which he had been one of the foremost to establish: -nec lex est justior ulla, he would prove a barrier against the daring insolence of Cleon'. He had moreover the good wishes of the people, and they contributed their share to his advance ment. It is true, Cleon had considerable interest, which he gained by making his court to the old men, and by his frequent donations to the poor citizens. Yet even many of those whom he studied to oblige, observing his avarice and arrogant effrontery, came over to Nicias. For the gravity of Nicias had nothing austere or morose in it, but was mixed with a reverence for the people, in which fear seemed a constituent part, and consequently was very agreeable to them. He was naturally, indeed, timid and cold-hearted; but this defect was concealed by the long course of success, with which fortune had favoured his expeditions. And his timidity in the assemblies of the people, with his dread of persons who made a trade of impeachments, was a popular thing. It contributed not a little to gain him the regard of the multitude, who fear those that despise, and promote those that fear them; because in general the highest honour, which they can hope to obtain is, not to be contemned by the great. As Pericles kept the reins of government in his hands by means of real virtue, and by the force of his eloquence, he had no need to hold out false colours, or to use any artifice with the people. In those great endowments Nicias was deficient, but he had greater wealth; and he applied it to the purposes of popularity. On the other hand, he could not, like Cleon, divert and attract the people by an easy manner and the sallies of buffoonery; and therefore he amused them with public shows, gymnastic exercises, and various exhibitions of the same kind, far exceeding in point of magnificence and elegance all that went before him, and those of his own times too. Two of his offerings to the gods are to be seen at this day; the one, a statue of Pallas dedicated in the citadel, which has lost part of its gilding; the other, a small chapel in the temple of Bacchus under 7 For some account of this man, see the Life of Pericles, Vol. II. R. 150. |