THE IMAGES OF HERMES ARE DESTROYED
In the island of Sicily there were many different states. In some
of these dwelt Greeks who owned Corinth as their mother-city. Trade
between Sicily and Corinth was good, and because of this Corinth was
growing more powerful than Athens liked.
War broke out in 416 B.C. between Segesta and Selinus, two cities in
the west of Sicily. When Selinus was joined by another town named
Syracuse, the Segestans in dismay sent to the Athenians to ask for
their help.
It had long been the ambition of Alcibiades to conquer Sicily. He
believed, too, that it would add to the glory of Athens if the island
became part of the Athenian empire.
So he now urged the assembly to send a fleet to Sicily, reminding them
that if it could conquer Syracuse, it would then be in its power to
ruin the trade of Corinth with Sicily.
He did not tell the Athenians how great his ambitions were, but he told
them enough to make them wish to help the Segestans, that they might in
this way gain new territory for Athens.
The assembly made up its mind to send ambassadors to Segesta, to find
out if the town was able, as she said she was, to provide money to
carry on the war, if the Athenians provided soldiers.
When the ambassadors returned in the spring of 415 B.C. they brought
back with them a sum of money from the grateful Segestans. They
reported, too, that the wealth of the city was far greater than they
had dreamed. But although the ambassadors did not know until too late,
they had been deceived by the townsfolk.
For the rich plate and splendid ornaments with which the Segestans had
adorned each feast to which the ambassadors had been invited, were
taken secretly from house to house. So that the gold and silver dishes
that dazzled the eyes of the Athenians were always the same, although
they believed that each of their hosts owned the splendid dishes with
which his table was laden.
The sacred treasures of their temples, too, the Segestans pretended
were of gold, while in reality they were of silver.
But the ambassadors were convinced that the people they had visited
were rich, and their report made the Athenians ready to do as
Alcibiades and his party wished. So it was agreed that sixty vessels
should be sent to the help of Segesta.
Nicias, bent as ever on peace, did all he could to hinder the
expedition. But when, in spite of all he could say, the assembly still
determined to send a fleet to Sicily, he persuaded it at least to
increase the number of ships from sixty to a hundred. Nicias himself,
along with Lamachus and Alcibiades, was appointed commander of the
expedition.
But the night before the fleet was to sail a strange event took place.
All over the city, at the corner of streets, in some niche of a public
building, in front of the houses of the citizens, stood statues or
busts of the god Hermes, on short pedestals or pillars.
These figures were reverenced by the Athenians, just as the image
of the Madonna by the roadside or in villages and towns abroad is
worshipped by Roman Catholics.
On the night before the expedition the statues of Hermes were chipped
and broken, so that the god could no longer be recognised.
In the morning as the Athenians went along the streets of the city,
bent on their usual business, these poor defaced images stared them
in the face. Little groups gathered at street corners, before public
buildings, wherever they had been used to see the statues of Hermes. At
first they gazed at their mutilated god in fear, but fear soon changed
to anger.
Who had dared to do this impious thing, they asked one another.
It would surely bring down the wrath of the gods on the Sicilian
expedition.
It was perhaps natural that the people should suspect their favourite
Alcibiades. Was he not often reckless and ever a mischief maker? They
were too excited to remember that he was not likely to do anything to
delay the expedition on which his heart was set.
When he heard that the people thought that he had defaced the images,
Alcibiades demanded to be brought to trial. But no proof had yet been
found of his guilt, and it was decided that the fleet should sail, and
that Alcibiades should go with it.