When this act of worship was ended, the crews
raised the paean, and at a given signal the whole fleet was set in
motion, and passed, in single file, out of the harbour. On reaching
the open water, they quitted this order, and engaged in a friendly
contest of speed as far as Aegina. Then the crews settled down to
their work, and the great armament swept on, high in heart and hope,
to join the allied contingents, and commissariat fleet, now assembled
at Corcyra.
As yet only general rumours of the intended invasion had reached
Syracuse, and few of the citizens were aware of the imminent peril in
which they stood. Among those who were better informed was
Hermocrates, a Syracusan of high rank, who for many years had been the
guiding spirit in Sicilian politics. Speaking at a public assembly,
about the time when the Athenian fleet sailed from Peiraeus, he urged
the necessity of taking prompt measures for placing the city in a
thorough state of defence. He had no fear, he said, of the ultimate
triumph of Syracuse in the approaching struggle: only let them be on
their guard, and not underrate the power of the enemy whom they would
have to face. The words of Hermocrates, who enjoyed a high reputation
for valour, patriotism, and sagacity, were not without their effect,
and it was resolved that the generals should at once set about
organizing the military resources of Syracuse, and providing all
things necessary for the public safety.
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