The hystory writtone by Thucidides the Athenyan of the warre, whiche was betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenyans, translated oute of Frenche into the Englysh language by Thomas Nicolls citezeine and goldesmyth of London

The speakinge and exhortation of Nycias to his souldyars.

LOrdes Athenyans, and youe other our allyes, that be here, Thys bat∣taille, that we muste presently make, ys common to vs all, for that, that euery man laboreth here for the welth of himself, & of hys coun∣trey, lyke as also our ennemys do. For if we haue the vyctorie in thys battaille, that we muste make by sea, we maye retourne fromthence euerye one into hys countreye: wherefore we oughte to goo vnto yt ioyfully, and not to be astonyed and dyscouraiged, nother do, as men do that haue no experyence: who whan they bene vainquished in one battaille, haue no more hope to ouercomme: but rather thynke that it shall alwayes so chance vnto them. But youe, that be here Athenyans, men experymented in so many warres, and also youe other our allyes and perpetuall frendes: ought to consyder that the yssues and chances of warres, be vncertayne, and to thynke that the fortune may aswell comme in our fauour, as she hath bene of the other. And vpon thys hope, trustinge in the pro∣mes of so greate nomber of people, as youe be here, to prepare yourselfe to ren∣der vnto thennemys that, whyche they haue done to youe in theire former bat∣taille: and so farre as toucheth vs your capytains and heddes, be ye assured and certayne that we omytt not to do any thynge, that may be necessary or conueny∣ent for the affayre, but rather hauynge regarde to the qualytie of the poarte, whi∣che is straicte, wherby at the other tyme, the disorder chanced vnto vs, and also to the castelles and tables of theire shippes, wherewyth they dyd greate euilles vnto vs, we haue prouyded for all wyth the patrons & capytayns of the ships, accordinge to the opyrtunytie of the tyme, the beste, that hath bene possible. And also we haue put wythin our shipps a multitude of Archers & slyngers of darts, muche more greate than we shulde haue done if we shulde haue fought at large in the sea: for that, that to kepe and obserue the discipline and order of the sea. yt is muche contrary to ouercharge the shippes wyth people: but that same shal be here proffitable for vs, forsomuche as we shall fyght in our ships as thoughe that we were on lande. And also we haue deuysed, that it is nedeful (for that, that we haue not had tyme to make agayne and tacle our shippes anewe, for to re∣siste the thickenes of the poyncts of theirs, and of the pieces of tymbe, that come fourth of theirs: whyche was the pryncypall cause of our ouerthrowe) to haue graspes of yrone, yf we maye fynishe them, for to fasten and wythholde theyme whan they shall comme to schocke vpon vs, to the intente that they shalle not

retyre. For we be brought vnto thys, that it is conuenyent for vs to fyght with our shipps, as if that we were in the mayne lande. Wherfore it is expedient that we do not disseuer ourselues from the shippes of our ennemys whan we shalbe ones assembled, and also that we suffre not theym to departe from ours, consy∣dered specially that all the lande is our ennemye, resarued that same lytle parte nigh vnto the poarte, whyche we haue garnyshed wyth our people. The whiche thynges hauynge in memory, ye oughte to fyght so longe as youe shall haue ai∣ther force or strengthe, and not to suffre youreselfe to be repoulsed to the lande. And after that youe shall haue accroched any shippe, determyne not to suffre yt to eskape vntyll youe haue destroyed all the warryours wythin yt. And I ex∣horte youe all so to do, not onely the maronners: but also the men of armes, and somuche the more, that this is the worke rather of those that haue for to fyght in the shippes, than of those, that muste conducte and gouerne them: and for you it is conuenient to vainquishe at this instante, lyke as ye haue done many other tymes, fayghtinge on lande. And as touchinge youe maronners, I pray and re∣quyre youe, that ye be not faynte harted nother discourayged for the losse, which youe haue made at the other battaille, seynge that youe haue greater preparatiō for warre in shyppes, than youe at that tyme had: and muche greater nomber of people, but rather be myndefull to go couraygyously to the busynes, and to repute yourselues woorthy for to conserue youre honnor. And those among you that be holden for Athenyans by the talke of the language, and also for the selfe fourme of lyuinge, though that ye be not of them, and by that meane haue bene in greate reputac••on in all Grece, and besydes that, partakers of our empire eue∣ry one in hys parsone, in somuche as was expedyent for hys proffitt, to wytt, for to haue obeyssance of your subiectes, and for to be in suertie of your neyghbours: ye ought nowe to take good hede, not to habandone and forsake at thys stroake our empyre and seygnyorye, wherof youe onely be parttakers and compaygny∣ons, and to contempne those, whome you haue so oftymes vaynquished, to wyt, the Corynthians and the Syracusayns. None of whome haue euer had anny audacytie for to resiste vs, so longe as our armye by sea was in his vigeur and force, and to shewe them, that your hardynes and scyence of saillinge, is greater in your parsons (although you be diseased, and that you haue bene vaynquished) than in theirs, that be hoole, and also haue had the victorie. And for those, amōge youe, that be Athenyans, I brynge to remembrance that we haue nother more here in our arce••all or ha••on, nor other shippes lyke to thies, whyche we haue here, nother other warryours on lande: but that small nomber, whyche we haue lefte there wyth oure baguages. wherfore if we haue not the victorie, oure enne∣myes wyll go incontynently agaynste theym, who shall not be hable for to de∣fende both agaynst those, that shal descende out of the ships of the ennemys, and agaynst the other, that shall come from of the lande. And by that meane ye shall come partly into the power of the Syracusains, agaynste whome ye know wel for what intent ye be come, and partly of the Lacedemonyans, whyche be wyth them. Wherfore beynge brought to suche termes or yssue that youe muste chose aither to vainquishe, or ells to come to this extremytie, I praye youe, that if euer in tymes passed youe haue shewed your vertue and hardynes, be wyllyng to par∣force yourself to shewe it nowe, and to haue remembrance all togiders, and eue∣ry one for hymself, that here ys and lyeth all the armye by sea, all the shippes, all the force of men: and for effecte all the cytie, all the empyer: and fynallye, all the greate renomme of the Athenyans. For to warrante and defende all the whyche thinges, if there be any of youe, that excedeth and surmounteth the other, be he of

any industrie or experyence, or of hardynes, he shall neuer shewe himself in bet∣ter tyme, than in this iourney, nor more vnto the nede of himself and of othere. After that Nycias had thus spoken, he caused his people incontynently to moūte into their shyppes, wherof Gylippus & the Syracusains were suffycyently ad∣uertysedde for that, that they perceyued theyme wyth the eye to prepare for to fyghte: and were aduysedde of the graspes of yronne, that they dydde putt into their shyppes. Wherfore they prouyded themselfe of remedyes, aswell agaynste that, as also agaynste all the other preparations of the ennemys. For they coue∣red the former parte, and the mooste parte of their deckes w^t Copper, to the ende that the graspes shulde not fasten in them, but rather shulde slippe and slyde a∣boue of the copper. And after that all their case was putt in order, Gylippus and the other capytains exhorted their souldyars or warryours wythe thies or lyke woordes.