登陆注册
5541300000093

第93章

On the return of the Peloponnesians from Attica, the Spartans themselves and the nearest of the Perioeci at once set out for Pylos, the other Lacedaemonians following more slowly, as they had just come in from another campaign. Word was also sent round Peloponnese to come up as quickly as possible to Pylos; while the sixty Peloponnesian ships were sent for from Corcyra, and being dragged by their crews across the isthmus of Leucas, passed unperceived by the Athenian squadron at Zacynthus, and reached Pylos, where the land forces had arrived before them. Before the Peloponnesian fleet sailed in, Demosthenes found time to send out unobserved two ships to inform Eurymedon and the Athenians on board the fleet at Zacynthus of the danger of Pylos and to summon them to his assistance. While the ships hastened on their voyage in obedience to the orders of Demosthenes, the Lacedaemonians prepared to assault the fort by land and sea, hoping to capture with ease a work constructed in haste, and held by a feeble garrison. Meanwhile, as they expected the Athenian ships to arrive from Zacynthus, they intended, if they failed to take the place before, to block up the entrances of the harbour to prevent their being able to anchor inside it. For the island of Sphacteria, stretching along in a line close in front of the harbour, at once makes it safe and narrows its entrances, leaving a passage for two ships on the side nearest Pylos and the Athenian fortifications, and for eight or nine on that next the rest of the mainland: for the rest, the island was entirely covered with wood, and without paths through not being inhabited, and about one mile and five furlongs in length. The inlets the Lacedaemonians meant to close with a line of ships placed close together, with their prows turned towards the sea, and, meanwhile, fearing that the enemy might make use of the island to operate against them, carried over some heavy infantry thither, stationing others along the coast. By this means the island and the continent would be alike hostile to the Athenians, as they would be unable to land on either; and the shore of Pylos itself outside the inlet towards the open sea having no harbour, and, therefore, presenting no point which they could use as a base to relieve their countrymen, they, the Lacedaemonians, without sea-fight or risk would in all probability become masters of the place, occupied as it had been on the spur of the moment, and unfurnished with provisions. This being determined, they carried over to the island the heavy infantry, drafted by lot from all the companies. Some others had crossed over before in relief parties, but these last who were left there were four hundred and twenty in number, with their Helot attendants, commanded by Epitadas, son of Molobrus.

Meanwhile Demosthenes, seeing the Lacedaemonians about to attack him by sea and land at once, himself was not idle. He drew up under the fortification and enclosed in a stockade the galleys remaining to him of those which had been left him, arming the sailors taken out of them with poor shields made most of them of osier, it being impossible to procure arms in such a desert place, and even these having been obtained from a thirty-oared Messenian privateer and a boat belonging to some Messenians who happened to have come to them.

Among these Messenians were forty heavy infantry, whom he made use of with the rest. Posting most of his men, unarmed and armed, upon the best fortified and strong points of the place towards the interior, with orders to repel any attack of the land forces, he picked sixty heavy infantry and a few archers from his whole force, and with these went outside the wall down to the sea, where he thought that the enemy would most likely attempt to land. Although the ground was difficult and rocky, looking towards the open sea, the fact that this was the weakest part of the wall would, he thought, encourage their ardour, as the Athenians, confident in their naval superiority, had here paid little attention to their defences, and the enemy if he could force a landing might feel secure of taking the place. At this point, accordingly, going down to the water's edge, he posted his heavy infantry to prevent, if possible, a landing, and encouraged them in the following terms:

"Soldiers and comrades in this adventure, I hope that none of you in our present strait will think to show his wit by exactly calculating all the perils that encompass us, but that you will rather hasten to close with the enemy, without staying to count the odds, seeing in this your best chance of safety. In emergencies like ours calculation is out of place; the sooner the danger is faced the better. To my mind also most of the chances are for us, if we will only stand fast and not throw away our advantages, overawed by the numbers of the enemy. One of the points in our favour is the awkwardness of the landing. This, however, only helps us if we stand our ground. If we give way it will be practicable enough, in spite of its natural difficulty, without a defender; and the enemy will instantly become more formidable from the difficulty he will have in retreating, supposing that we succeed in repulsing him, which we shall find it easier to do, while he is on board his ships, than after he has landed and meets us on equal terms. As to his numbers, these need not too much alarm you. Large as they may be he can only engage in small detachments, from the impossibility of bringing to.

同类推荐
  • 通玄真经缵义

    通玄真经缵义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Daughter of an Empress

    The Daughter of an Empress

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞玄济众经

    太上洞玄济众经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说尊那经

    佛说尊那经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新石头记

    新石头记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 下一站彩虹

    下一站彩虹

    舒楝,二十九岁半,自负盈亏的工作狂。正当她创办新刊准备大展拳脚时,霉运却不期而至,撞了劳斯莱斯幻影,寄托了满满事业爱的新刊被人偷偷卖掉。这还没完,让她身背巨债的劳斯车主竟然是新刊的背后买家,孽缘啊孽缘!好男不娶新闻女,好女不嫁投行男,当前记者遇到前投资分析师,是负负得正,还是火星撞地球?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 观自在菩萨说普贤陀罗尼经

    观自在菩萨说普贤陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 闪电窗(残本)

    闪电窗(残本)

    《闪电窗》,清代世情小说,酌玄亭主人著。本书仅存6回残本,原书回数不详。小说叙述福建漳州,举人林鹍化为人正直,与新举人邬云汉等三人不投缘。林进京会试,船停苏州,富户陆家失火,其家小姐匆忙中赤体逃入林船,为林救护。陆未婚夫沈天孙亦为举人,闻此退亲……
  • 天顺日录

    天顺日录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陌守城瑰

    陌守城瑰

    一场战乱,新皇登基。风月国里,右相权倾朝野,新皇怕他威胁到自己的统治地位,就逼迫他们承认是帝国的叛徒。一个小女娃逃了出来,长大之后展开浓烈的复仇计划。
  • 巴赫金的狂欢

    巴赫金的狂欢

    卧室兼书房。简单的家具、单人床、书桌。地板和书桌上摞满了一堆堆书籍。巴赫金此时正趴在书桌旁写作。房东太太上。她抻了抻衣服、围裙,故意干咳了两声。房东太太对不起,巴赫金先生。我不得不打断您的工作,如果您整天待在屋里也算工作的话。巴赫金噢,我亲爱的房东太太,您好!您的到来正好能让我飞速旋转的大脑暂时休息一下。我确实是在工作,一点儿都没偷懒。这种工作和在工厂车间、集体农庄里的集中劳动有些不同,但实质上是一样的。
  • 鹿鼎记(第二卷)(纯文字新修版)

    鹿鼎记(第二卷)(纯文字新修版)

    这是金庸先生最后一部武侠小说,也是登峰造极之作!小说讲的是一个从小在扬州妓院长大的小孩韦小宝,他以不会任何武功之姿态闯江湖各大帮会、周旋皇帝朝臣之间并奉旨远征云南、俄罗斯之故事,书中充满精彩绝倒的对白及逆思考的事件!金庸先生将韦小宝的个人经历与历史密密切合,大玩历史哈哈镜的手法,令人赞叹,几乎信以为真,而小宝的做人方法及毫不留情的揭出人生各阶层黑暗面这种做法,使得这部书成了不是武侠小说的武侠小说,到了无剑胜有剑的境地。韦小宝是个最最普通的人,好像也就是在你我身边的那些人一样。
  • Grass of Parnassus

    Grass of Parnassus

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 余生微微甜

    余生微微甜

    江梓星喜欢时暮一整个青春,时暮喜欢江梓星一辈子。(娱乐圈甜饼男追女)
  • 独家记忆之致青春

    独家记忆之致青春

    最稳固的婚姻以最荒诞的方式被攻破。当丈夫从天而降的儿子和那个幕后的神秘女人秦佳璐浮出水面之前,小女人蒋欣瑜仍然惬意地徜徉在丈夫朱德义爱的谎言中。谎言一旦被戳穿,蒋欣瑜大受伤害,毅然选择离婚。接下来便是争夺女儿璇璇抚养权的一场大战,就在烽火连天、相执不下时,婆婆却代替朱德义突然宣布放弃抚养权。其实,优雅的放弃掩盖不了谎言和人性的自私——婆婆已然得知璇璇患了白血病!蒋欣瑜邂逅曾经暗恋过的同学甄鹏,在甄鹏的真诚帮助下,蒋欣渝准备开始新的生活,不料却发现甄鹏心中一直隐藏着不可告人的秘密。爱情就像镜中花水中月那样虚无飘渺和不堪一击。璇璇的白血病终于发作,无奈之下,蒋欣瑜只得去寻找朱德义,希望他能为女儿配型,不料却遭到秦佳璐的羞辱。朱德义转而让儿子去配型,却意外发现了儿子身世的秘密:原来儿子并不是他与秦佳璐所生,而是秦佳璐与丁一汉所生!收起