History of the Peloponnesian War

They, however, paid no attention to him, and sent him back again without giving any answer. After this, they made their preparations against each other.

And Gylippus, seeing the Syracusans in disorder and not easily falling into line, drew off his forces more into the open ground; while Nicias did not lead the Athenians against them, but remained still near his own wall. When Gylippus found that they were not advancing, he withdrew his army to what is called the citadel of Temenites, and there they stationed themselves for the night.

The next day he took the greater part of his forces, and drew them up near the walls of the Athenians, to prevent their going to the relief of any other quarter, while he sent a detachment to the fort of Labdalum, and took it, and put to the sword all the men he found in it; the place not being within sight of the Athenians.

On the same day, too, a trireme of the Athenians, moored off the harbour, was taken by the Syracusans.

After this, the Syracusans and their allies, commencing at the city, began to build upwards along Epipolae a single wall in a cross direction, that the Athenians, if they could not stop their progress, might no longer be able to invest them.