314 HISTORY OF GREECE. should be circulated through the camp, as privately as possible, to be ready for departure at a given signal. Intimation was sent to Katana that the armament was on the point of coming away, with orders o forward no farther supplies. 1 This plan was proceeding successfully : the ships were made ready, much of the property of the army had already been con- veyed aboard without awakening the suspicion of the enemy, the signal would have been hoisted on the ensuing morning, and within a few hours this fated armament would have found itself clear of the harbor, with comparatively small loss, 2 when the gods themselves I speak in the language and feelings of the Athenian camp interfered to forbid its departure. On the very night before, the 27th August, 413 B.C., which was full moon, the moon was eclipsed. Such a portent, impressive to the Athenians at all times, was doubly so under their present despon- dency, and many of them construed it as a divine prohibition against departure until a certain time should have elapsed, with expiatory ceremonies to take off the effect. They made known their wish for postponement to Nikias and his colleagues ; but their interference was superfluous, for Nikias himself was more deeply affected than any one else. He consulted the prophets, who declared that the army ought not to decamp until thrice nine days, a full circle of the moon, should have passed over. 3 And Nikias took upon himself to announce, that until after the inter- 1 Thncyd. vii, 60. 2 Diodor. xiii, 12. Oi arpaTiurai ru OKEVT/ EVETi&evTo, etc. Plutarch, Nik- ias, c. 23. 3 The moon was totally eclipsed on this night, August 27, 413 B.C., from twenty-seven minutes past nine to thirty-four minutes past ten P.M. (Wurm DePonderib. Grsecor. sect, xciv, p. 184), speaking with reference to an ob- server in Sicily. Thucydides states that Nikias adopted the injunction of the prophets, to tarry thrice nine days (vii, 50). Diodorus says three days. Plutarch inti- mates that Nikias went beyond the injunction of the prophets, who only insisted on three days, while he resolved on remaining for an entire lunar period (Plutarch, Nikias. c. 23). I follow the statement of Thucydides : there is no reason to believe that Nikias would lengthen the time beyond what the prophets prescribed. The erroneous statement respecting this memorable event, in so respect-
xble an author as Polybius, is not a little surprising (Polyb. ix, 19).
