The city, he argued, would be
found unprepared, and if they acted at once, in the first terror of
their presence, they were certain of victory; but if they waited,
their men would lose heart, the efficiency of the fleet would be
impaired, and the Syracusans would gather strength and courage from
the delay.
How true was the forecast of Lamachus was proved by the event; but his
bold plan was distasteful alike to the timid temper of Nicias, and to
the tortuous, intriguing spirit of Alcibiades. Finding, therefore,
that he had no hope of convincing his colleagues, he voted for the
middle course, and accordingly the plan of Alcibiades, unquestionably
the worst of the three, was adopted.
In pursuance of this fatal policy Alcibiades crossed over to Messene,
and tried to win over that city to the side of Athens. Meeting with no
success, he returned to Rhegium, and immediately afterwards he and one
of his colleagues sailed with a force of sixty triremes to Naxos. Here
the Athenians found a hearty welcome, but at Catana, which was then
under the influence of Syracuse, their overtures were rejected, so
they continued their voyage southwards, and made their camp for the
night at the mouth of the river Terias. Starting early next day, they
proceeded along the coast, and, crossing the bay of Thapsus, came in
sight, for the first time, of their great enemy, Syracuse.
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