About the middle of summer the expedition started for Sicily. Orders
had been previously given to most of the allies, to the corn-ships,
the smaller craft, and generally to the vessels in attendance on the
armament that they should muster at Corcyra, whence the whole fleet
was to strike across the Ionian Gulf to the promontory of Iapygia.[29]
Early in the morning of the day appointed for their departure, the
Athenians and such of their allies as had already joined them went
down to the Piræus and began to man the ships. The entire population
of Athens accompanied them, citizens and strangers alike. The citizens
came to take farewell, one of an acquaintance another of a kinsman,
another of a son; the crowd as they passed along were full of hope and
full of tears; hope of conquering Sicily, tears because they doubted
whether they would ever see their friends again, when they thought of
the long voyage on which they were sending them. At the moment of
parting, the danger was nearer; and terrors which had never occurred
to them when they were voting the expedition now entered into their
souls. Nevertheless their spirits revived at the sight of the armament
in all its strength and of the abundant provision which they had made.
The strangers and the rest of the multitude came out of curiosity,
desiring to witness an enterprise of which the greatness exceeded
belief.
No armament so magnificent or costly had ever been sent out by any
single Hellenic power, tho in mere number of ships and hoplites that
which sailed to Epidaurus under Pericles and afterward under Hagnon to
Potidæa was not inferior. For that expedition consisted of a hundred
Athenian and fifty Chian and Lesbian triremes, conveying four thousand
hoplites, all Athenian citizens, three hundred cavalry, and a
multitude of allied troops. Still the voyage was short and the
equipments were poor, whereas this expedition was intended to be long
absent, and was thoroughly provided both for sea and land service,
wherever its presence might be required.
On the fleet the greatest pains and expense had been lavished by the
trierarchs and the state. The public treasury gave a drachma a day to
each sailor, and furnished empty hulls for sixty swift sailing
vessels, and for forty transports carrying hoplites. All these were
manned with the best crews which could be obtained. The trierarchs,
besides the pay given by the state, added somewhat more out of their
own means to the wages of the upper ranks of rowers and of the petty
officers. The figureheads and other fittings provided by the
trierarchs were of the most costly description. Every one strove to
the utmost that his own ship might excel both in beauty and
swiftness. The infantry had been well selected and the lists carefully
made up. There was the keenest rivalry among the soldiers in the
matter of arms and personal equipment.
And while at home the Athenians were thus competing with one another
in the performance of their several duties, to the rest of Hellas the
expedition seemed to be a grand display of their power and greatness,
rather than a preparation for war. If any one had reckoned up the
whole expenditure (1) of the state, (2) of individual soldiers and
others, including in the first not only what the city had already laid
out, but what was entrusted to the generals, and in the second what
either at the time or afterward private persons spent upon their
outfit, or the trierarchs upon their ships, the provision for the long
voyage which every one may be supposed to have carried with him over
and above his public pay, and what soldiers or traders may have taken
for purposes of exchange, he would have found that altogether an
immense sum amounting to many talents was withdrawn from the city. Men
were quite amazed at the boldness of the scheme and the magnificence
of the spectacle, which were everywhere spoken of, no less than at the
great disproportion of the force when compared with that of the enemy
against whom it was intended. Never had a greater expedition been sent
to a foreign land; never was there an enterprise in which the hope of
future success seemed to be better justified by actual power.
When the ships were manned and everything required for the voyage had
been placed on board, silence was proclaimed by the sound of the
trumpet, and all with one voice before setting sail offered up the
customary prayers; these were recited, not in each ship, but by a
single herald, the whole fleet accompanying him. On every deck both
officers and men, mingling wine in bowls, made libations from vessels
of gold and silver. The multitude of citizens and other well-wishers
who were looking on from the land joined in the prayer. The crews
raised the pæan, and when the libations were completed, put to sea.
After sailing out for some distance in single file, the ships raced
with one another as far as Ægina;[30] thence they hastened onward to
Corcyra, where the allies who formed the rest of the army were
assembling.
Meanwhile reports of the expedition were coming in to Syracuse from
many quarters, but for a long time nobody gave credit to them. At
length an assembly was held. Even then different opinions were
exprest, some affirming and others denying that the expedition was
coming. At last Hermocrates,[31] the son of Hermon, believing that he
had certain information, came forward, and warned the Syracusans....
Great was the contention which his words aroused among the Syracusan
people, some asserting that the Athenians would never come, and that
he was not speaking truth, others asking, "And if they should come,
what harm could they do to us nearly so great as we could do to them?"
while others were quite contemptuous, and made a jest of the whole
matter. A few only believed Hermocrates and realized the danger. At
last Athenagoras, the popular leader, who had at that time the
greatest influence with the multitude, came forward and spoke....
The Athenians and their allies were by this time collected at Corcyra.
There the generals began by holding a final review of the ships, and
disposed them in the order in which they were to anchor at their
stations. The fleet was divided into three squadrons, and one of them
assigned by lot to each of the three generals, in order to avoid any
difficulties which might occur, if they sailed together, in finding
water, anchorage, and provisions where they touched; they thought also
that the presence of a general in each division would promote good
order and discipline throughout the fleet. They then sent before them
to Italy and Sicily three ships, which had orders to find out what
cities in those regions would receive them, and to meet them again on
their way, that they might know before they put in.
At length the great armament proceeded to cross from Corcyra to
Sicily. It consisted of a hundred and thirty-four triremes in all,
besides two Rhodian vessels of fifty oars. Of these a hundred were
Athenian, sixty being swift vessels, and the remaining forty
transports; the rest of the fleet was furnished by the Chians and
other allies. The hoplites numbered in all five thousand one hundred,
of whom fifteen hundred were Athenians taken from the roll, and seven
hundred who served as marines were of the fourth and lowest class of
Athenian citizens. The remainder of the hoplites were furnished by the
allies, mostly by the subject states; but five hundred came from
Argos, besides two hundred and fifty Mantinean and other mercenaries.
The archers were in all four hundred and eighty, of whom eighty were
Cretans. There were seven hundred Rhodian slingers, a hundred and
twenty light-armed Megarians who were exiles, and one horse transport
which conveyed thirty horsemen and horses.
Such were the forces with which the first expedition crossed the sea.
For the transport of provisions thirty merchant-ships, which also
conveyed bakers, masons, carpenters, and tools such as are required in
sieges, were included in the armament. It was likewise attended by a
hundred small vessels; these as well as the merchant-vessels, were
prest into the service. Other merchant-vessels and lesser craft in
great numbers followed of their own accord for purposes of trade. The
whole fleet now struck across the Ionian Sea from Corcyra. They
arrived at the promontory of Iapygia and at Tarentum,[32] each ship
taking its own course, and passed along the coast of Italy. The
Italian cities did not admit them within their walls, or open a market
to them, but allowed them water and anchorage; Tarentum and Locri[33]
refused even these. At length they reached Rhegium,[34] the extreme
point of Italy, where the fleet reunited. As they were not received
within the walls, they encamped outside the city, at the temple of
Artemis; there they were provided by the inhabitants with a market,
and drawing up their ships on shore they took a rest. They held a
conference with the Rhegians, and prest them, being Chalcidians
themselves, to aid their Chalcidian kinsmen the Leontines. But the
Rhegians replied that they would be neutral, and would only act in
accordance with the decision of all the Italian Greeks. The Athenian
commanders now began to consider how they could best commence
operations in Sicily. Meanwhile they were expecting the ships which
had gone on and were to meet them from Egesta;[35] for they wished to
know whether the Egestæans really had the money of which the
messengers had brought information to Athens.