312 HISTORY OF GREECE. extent as to counterbalance all the pressing motives for depar tuie, motives enforced by discerning colleagues as well as by the complaints of the army, aad brought home to his own observation by the experience of the late naval defeat. At any rate, it served as an excuse for that fatal weakness of his character which made him incapable of taking resolutions founded on prospective cal- culations, and chained him to his actual position until he was driven to act by imminent necessity. But we discern on the present occasion another motive, which counts for much in dictating his hesitation. The other generals think with satisfaction of going back to their country and rescu- ing the force which yet remained, even under circumstances of disappointment and failure. Not so Nikias : he knows too well the reception which he had deserved, and which might possibly be in store for him. Avowedly, indeed, he anticipates reproach from the Athenians against the generals, but only unmerited reproach, on the special ground of bringing away the army without orders from home ; adding some harsh criticisms upon the injustice of the popular judgment and the perfidy of his own soldiers. But in the first place, we may remark, that Demos- thenes and Eurymedon, though as much responsible as he was for this decision, had no such fear of popular injustice ; or, if they had, saw clearly that the obligation of braving it was here imperative. And in the next place, no man ever had so little reason to complain of the popular judgment as Nikias. The mistakes of the people in regard to him had always been those of indulgence, over-esteem, and over-constancy. But Nikias foresaw too well that he would have more to answer for at Ath- ens than the simple fact of sanctioning retreat under existing circumstances. He could not but remember the pride and san- guine hopes under which he had originally conducted the expe- dition out of Peiraeus, contrasted with the miserable sequel and ignominious close, even if the account had been now closed, without worse. He could not but be conscious, more or less, how much of all this was owing to his own misjudgment ; and under .such impressions, the idea of meeting the free criticisms and scrutiny of his fellow-citizens even putting aside the chance of judicial trial must have been insupportably humiliating. To
Nikias, a perfectly brave man, and HifTering withal under an
