History of the Peloponnesian War

To the aid of the Syracusans, on the other hand, came the Camarinaeans, who lived on their borders; the Geloans, who lived next to them;

and then (for the Acragantines were neutral) the Selinuntines, who were situated on the farther side of the island. These occupied the part of Sicily opposite to Libya, but the Himeraeans the side towards the Tyrrhenian sea, in which they are the only Greek inhabitants, and from which they were the only auxiliaries of the Syracusans.

Such then were the Grecian communities in Sicily that joined in the war, being all Dorians and independent. Of the barbarians,. there were the Sicels alone, such of them as had not gone over to the Athenians. Of the Greeks beyond the limits of Sicily, there were the Lacedaemonians, who supplied a Spartan leader, while the rest of the troops were Neodamodes and Helots; (the term Neodamode being now equivalent to free;) the Corinthians, who alone of all the allies joined with both sea and land forces; the Leucadians, also, and Ambraciots, for the sake of their connexion with them; while mercenaries were sent from Arcadia by the Corinthians, and some Sicyonians, who were pressed into the service. From beyond the Peloponnese, some Boeotians joined them.

Compared, however, with these who came as auxiliaries, the Siceliots themselves supplied larger numbers in every branch of the service, inasmuch as they were powerful states; for numerous heavy-armed, ships, and horses, and an abundant [*](ὅμιλος,] i. e. of light-armed irregulars.) crowd besides, were collected by them. And compared, again, with all the rest pot together, as one may say, the Syracusans by themselves furnished more numerous levies, both from the greatness of their city, and because they were in the greatest peril.