Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/409

DISAPPOINTMENT AT SYRACLSE. 387 In recounting this battle, I cited the brief and rude despatch, addressed to the Lacedaemonians by Hippokrates, surviving second officer of the slain Mindarus, describing the wretched condition of the defeated armament " Our honor is gone. Mindarus is slain. The men are hungry. "We know not what to do." J This curious despatch has passed into history, because it was intercepted by the Athenians, and never reached its destination. But without doubt the calamitous state of facts, which it was intended to make known, flew rapidly, under many different forms of words, both to Peloponnesus and to Syracuse. Sad as the reality was, the first impression made by the news would probably be yet sadder ; since the intervention of Pharnabazus, whereby the sufferers were so much relieved, would hardly be felt or authenticated until after some interval. At Syracuse, the event on being made known excited not only powerful sympathy with the sufferers, but also indignant displeasure against Hermokrates and his colleagues ; who, having instigated their countrymen three years before, by sanguine hopes and assurances, to commence a foreign expedition for the purpose of finally putting down Athens, had not only achieved nothing, but had sustained a series of reverses, ending at length in utter ruin, from the very enemy whom they had pro- nounced to be incapable of farther resistance. It was under such sentiment of displeasure, shortly after the defeat of Kyzikus, that a sentence of banishment was passed at Syracuse against Hermokrates and his colleagues. The sentence was transmitted to Asia, and made known by Hermokrates him self to the armament, convoked in public meeting. While lament- ing and protesting against its alleged injustice and illegality, he entreated the armament to maintain unabated good behavior for the future, and to choose new admirals for the time, until the suc- cessors nominated at Syracuse should arrive. The news was heard with deep regret by the trierarchs, the pilots, and the mari- time soldiers or marines; who, attached to Hermokrates from his popular manner, his constant openness of communication with them, and his anxiety to collect their opinions, loudly proclaimed that they would neither choose, nor serve under, any other lead- 1 Hen. Hellen. i. 1, 23. "Efifiei ra aAd. Mivdapot; inreaaoiia.' Kf'.vuv'i ruvfipsr cnropf )[*(: ri %