they have weakened the authority of other eclipses where zones of totality have been deduced from records of the visibility of stars.
Eclipse of Nicias.
There is an old dispute among astrologers whether celestial phenomena cause events in this world or merely forewarn those who have the cunning to understand them. What may have been the relations of eclipses to other disasters I do not profess to say, but there can be no doubt that in the year B.C. 413 an eclipse of the Moon actually caused one of the most dramatic and appalling catastrophes recorded in human history. The Athenian fleet and army were engaged in the siege of Syracuse, both under the command of Nicias; the fleet lay in the great harbour, the army had attempted to blockade the city on the land side. The Syracusans had, however, succeeded in preventing circumvallation by carrying a wall of their own across the proposed Athenian line. Demosthenes had just arrived with large reinforcements to the Athenians; he had failed in an attempt to capture the enemy's cross wall and he had concluded that the reduction of Syracuse had become impossible, and urged immediate retreat. Nicias delayed, and meanwhile the Syracusans were reinforced and prepared for a general attack. The Athenians now determined to embark their whole force and sail away by night. The night of the full moon, August 27, was selected, and it was expected that the enemy would not discover the movement in time to resist. All preparations were ready, but the signal had not been given, when the Moon was eclipsed. The eclipse happened to be total, but I imagine that the Athenian soldiers and sailors did not wait for the total phase. They clamoured against
