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letra de nicias - xiphos

nicias first rose to prominence at a time of plague and pestilence
when the city of athens – citadel of philosophy and cradle of civilisation
– finally withdrew from the edge of the precipice
and began to bask in the wondrous splendour of pericles
and his great rallying cry for h-llenic rebirth

a generous man, nicias used his inherited wealth for the benefit of society and the arts; the rebuilding of temples and architecture;
and the construction of roads and bridges
this proud military general became a veteran fighter with a reputation for undaunted courage and leadership
unwavering justice and fortitude

it was he who, once the truce of laches had collapsed
ventured into the black heart of mende to release his people from the iron grip of spartan oppression
when cleon tried to do the same in amphipolis
general brasidas won a great victory for the spartans
and yet both men were slain beneath the fierce clash of swords and the frantic cries of battle
nicias, realising that the two main protagonists of the peloponnesian war were no longer able to fan the eternal flames of conflict
quickly campaigned for an immediate end to hostilities
in agreement with king pleistoanax of sparta, as well as his main allies
the so-called peace of nicias brought an end to war
or so they had thought
wildly jealous, alcibiades believed that he had been overlooked on account of his youth
and attempted to keep his athenian rival in check by pushing for a senseless continuation of struggle
alcibiades was not interested in peace
the blood and fury of the battlefield was the only way that he could make his name at nicias’ expense
by intercepting a spartan delegation on its way to negotiate terms
alcibiades was able to deceive them into thinking that he could represent their interests among the athenians
and yet on the following day he lied to his own people and told them that the spartans were insincere and untrustworthy
embarrassed, nicias was no longer taken seriously and alcibiades was made general in his stead
with the peace talks scuppered, the new leader was able to convince argos
mantinea, elis and various other states that spartan dominance must be ended once and for all
but alcibiades’ plans were dashed when the athenians and their allies suffered a crushing defeat at the battle of mantinea
when alcibiades turned his attention to sicily, hoping to damage spartan hegemony by defeating the syracusans and corinthians
nicias stole his thunder and it was he who oversaw the construction of an enormous athenian fleet
embittered and outmaneuvered
alcibiades tried to damage the credibility of the sicilian expedition by arranging for his minions to deface the religious statues of hermes that were scattered around the capital
nonetheless, the dye was cast and nicias – a general once again – set sail with both alcibiades and lamachus
three generals charged with bringing the rebellious allies of sparta to heel

this time, the gods were not on nicias’ side and the ultimate victory went to the spartan general, gylippus
refusing to return to athens and caught up in the siege of syracuse
nicias preferred death to the terrible humiliation of an ignominious retreat and for that he was finally captured in the churning waters of the sicilian harbour
reminding gylippus that he had spared the life of his counterpart on a number of occasions
the spartan general – remembering the kind treatment he had received in former times – ordered that nicias be spared
it is said, however, that either the order was ignored or that the athenian leader simply committed suicide. regardless
it is thanks to plutarch that nicias, commander of legend, found his way into the timeless annals of ancient history

- xiphos

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