NICIAS

Crassus, in my opinion, may most properly be set against Nicias,

and the Parthian disaster compared with that in Sicily. But here

it will be well for me to entreat the reader, in all courtesy, not

to think that I contend with Thucydides in matters so pathetically,

vividly, and eloquently, beyond all imitation, and even beyond

himself, expressed by him; nor to believe me guilty of the like

folly with Timaeus, who, hoping in his history to surpass

Thucydides in art, and to make Philistus appear a trifler and a

novice, pushes on in his descriptions, through all the battles,

sea-fights, and public speeches, in recording which they have been

most successful, without meriting so much as to be compared in

Pindar's phrase, to

One that on his feet

Would with the Lydian cars compete.

He simply shows himself all along a half-lettered, childish writer;

in the words of Diphilus,

-- of wit obese,

O'erlarded with Sicilian grease.

Often he sinks to the very level of Xenarchus, telling us that he

thinks it ominous to the Athenians that their

general, who had victory in his name, was unwilling to take

command in the expedition; and that the defacing of the Hermae was

a divine intimation that they should suffer much in the war by

Hermocrates, the son of Hermon; and, moreover, how it was likely

that Hercules should aid the Syracusans for the sake of Proserpine,

by whose means he took Cerberus, and should be angry with the

Athenians for protecting the Egesteans, descended from Trojan

ancestors, whose city he, for an injury of their king Laomedon, had

overthrown. However, all these may be merely other instances of

the same happy taste that makes him correct the diction of

Philistus, and abuse Plato and Aristotle. This sort of contention

and rivalry with others in matter of style, to my mind, in any

case, seems petty and pedantic, but when its objects are works of

inimitable excellence, it is absolutely senseless. Such actions in

Nicias's life as Thucydides and Philistus have related, since they

cannot be passed by, illustrating as they do most especially his

character and temper, under his many and great troubles, that I may

not seem altogether negligent, I shall briefly run over. And such

things as are not commonly known, and lie scattered here and there

in other men's writings, or are found amongst the old monuments and

archives, I shall endeavor to bring together; not collecting mere

useless pieces of learning, but adducing what may make his

disposition and habit of mind understood.

First of all, I would mention what Aristotle has said of Nicias,

that there had been three good citizens, eminent above the rest for

their hereditary affection and love to the people, Nicias the son

of Niceratus, Thucydides the son of Melesias, and Theramenes the

son of Hagnon, but the last less than the others; for he had his

dubious extraction cast in his teeth, as a foreigner from Ceos, and

his inconstancy, which made him side sometimes with one party,

sometimes with another in public life, and which obtained him the

nickname of the Buskin.

Thucydides came earlier, and, on the behalf of the nobility, was a

great opponent of the measures by which Pericles courted the favor

of the people.

Nicias was a younger man, yet was in some reputation even whilst

Pericles lived; so much so as to have been his colleague in the

office of general, and to have held command by himself more than

once. But on the death of Pericles, he presently rose to the

highest place, chiefly by the favor of the rich and eminent

citizens, who set him up for their bulwark against the presumption

and insolence of Cleon; nevertheless, he did not forfeit the

good-will of the commonalty, who, likewise, contributed to his

advancement. For though Cleon got great influence by his exertions

-- to please

The old men, who trusted him to find them fees.

Yet even those, for whose interest, and to gain whose favor he

acted, nevertheless observing the avarice, the arrogance, and the

presumption of the man, many of them supported Nicias. For his was

not that sort of gravity which is harsh and offensive, but he

tempered it with a certain caution and deference, winning upon the

people, by seeming afraid of them. And being naturally diffident

and unhopeful in war, his good fortune supplied his want of

courage, and kept it from being detected, as in all his commands he

was constantly successful. And his timorousness in civil life, and

his extreme dread of accusers, was thought very suitable in a

citizen of a free State; and from the people's good-will towards

him, got him no small power over them, they being fearful of all

that despised them, but willing to promote one who seemed to be

afraid of them; the greatest compliment their betters could pay

them being not to contemn them.

Pericles, who by solid virtue and the pure force of argument ruled

the commonwealth, had stood in need of no disguises nor persuasions

with the people. Nicias, inferior in these respects, used his

riches, of which he had abundance, to gain popularity. Neither had

he the nimble wit of Cleon, to win the Athenians to his purposes by

amusing them with bold jests; unprovided with such qualities, he

courted them with dramatic exhibitions, gymnastic games, and other

public shows, more sumptuous and more splendid than had been ever

known in his, or in former ages. Amongst his religious offerings,

there was extant, even in our days, the small figure of Minerva in

the citadel, having lost the gold that covered it; and a shrine in

the temple of Bacchus, under the tripods, that were presented by

those who won the prize in the shows of plays. For at these he had

often carried off the prize, and never once failed. We are told

that on one of these occasions, a slave of his appeared in the

character of Bacchus, of a beautiful person and noble stature, and

with as yet no beard upon his chin; and on the Athenians being

pleased with the sight, and applauding a long time, Nicias stood

up, and said he could not in piety keep as a slave, one whose

person had been consecrated to represent a god. And forthwith he

set the young man free. His performances at Delos are, also, on

record, as noble and magnificent works of devotion. For whereas

the choruses which the cities sent to sing hymns to the god were

wont to arrive in no order, as it might happen, and, being there

met by a crowd of people crying out to them to sing, in their hurry

to begin, used to disembark confusedly, putting on their garlands,

and changing their dresses as they left the ships, he, when he had

to convoy the sacred company, disembarked the chorus at Rhenea,

together with the sacrifice, and other holy appurtenances. And

having brought along with him from Athens a bridge fitted by

measurement for the purpose, and magnificently adorned with gilding

and coloring, and with garlands and tapestries; this he laid in the

night over the channel betwixt Rhenea and Delos, being no great

distance. And at break of day he marched forth with all the

procession to the god, and led the chorus, sumptuously ornamented,

and singing their hymns, along over the bridge. The sacrifices,

the games, and the feast being over, he set up a palm-tree of brass

for a present to the god, and bought a parcel of land with ten

thousand drachmas which he consecrated; with the revenue the

inhabitants of Delos were to sacrifice and to feast, and to pray

the gods for many good things to Nicias. This he engraved on a

pillar, which he left in Delos to be a record of his bequest. This

same palm-tree, afterwards broken down by the wind, fell on the

great statue which the men of Naxos presented, and struck it to the

ground.

It is plain that much of this might be vainglory, and the mere

desire of popularity and applause; yet from other qualities and

carriage of the man, one might believe all this cost and public

display to be the effect of devotion. For he was one of those who

dreaded the divine powers extremely, and, as Thucydides tells us,

was much given to arts of divination. In one of Pasiphon's

dialogues, it is stated that he daily sacrificed to the gods, and

keeping a diviner at his house, professed to be consulting always

about the commonwealth, but for the most part, inquired about his

own private affairs, more especially concerning his silver mines;

for he owned many works at Laurium, of great value, but somewhat

hazardous to carry on. He maintained there a multitude of slaves,

and his wealth consisted chiefly in silver. Hence he had many

hangers-on about him, begging and obtaining. For he gave to those

who could do him mischief, no less than to those who deserved well.

In short, his timidity was a revenue to rogues, and his humanity to

honest men. We find testimony in the comic writers, as when

Teleclides, speaking of one of the professed informers, says: --

Charicles gave the man a pound, the matter not to name,

That from inside a money-bag into the world he came;

And Nicias, also, paid him four; I know the reason well,

But Nicias is a worthy man, and so I will not tell.

So, also, the informer whom Eupolis introduces in his Maricas,

attacking a good, simple, poor man: --

How long ago did you and Nicias meet?