42 Facts About Nicias

Nicias was an Athenian politician and general, who was prominent during the Peloponnesian War.

Nicias' goal was to conclude a peace with Sparta on terms favourable to Athens, and he was largely responsible for negotiating the short-lived Peace of Nicias in 421 BC.

In 415 BC, Nicias was appointed commander of Athens' ill-fated Sicilian Expedition.

Nicias inherited a fortune from his father, Niceratus, and had considerable interests in the silver mines of Laurion.

Xenophon wrote that Nicias owned a thousand men in the silver mines, whom he let out to Sosias, a Thracian, for a return of one obol per head daily.

Nicias' rise to prominence occurred while Pericles was at the head of the Athenian government, and as a noted member of the aristocracy, he became a frequent military and political colleague of Pericles.

Classical historian J B Bury argued that Nicias was unsuitable for the role, since he "had not the qualities of a leader or a statesman".

Nicias was considered to be respectable, given his family background, and well acquainted with military details; but he was particularly admired for his unscrupulous devotion to religion.

Nicias patronised various charitable causes and city services, especially if there was a religious connection.

Nicias donated 10,000 drachma, so the Delians could continue to stage the event, and pray on his behalf.

Politically and militarily, Nicias was one of Athens' key figures in the Peloponnesian War.

Nicias desired to reverse this situation so that Athens could spy on Peloponnesian vessels, and effectively blockade Nisaea, the port of Megara.

The expedition was a success and, having built additional fortifications on Minoa, Nicias left a garrison there.

Nicias countered the criticism of himself by offering to resign his command so Cleon could lead reinforcements to Sphacteria.

Cleon tried to back down but Nicias had swayed the assembly, and Cleon had no choice but to accept the command.

Nicias suffered some loss of credibility after Cleon's success on Sphacteria, but he quickly recovered by leading a force into Corinthian territory, where he carried out a number of raids before seizing the peninsula of Methone in the Argolis, between Troezen and Epidaurus.

The isthmus was fortified and Nicias left a garrison in Methone.

Plutarch held that "Nicias declined all difficult and lengthy enterprises; if he took a command, he was for doing what was safe".

However, Plutarch noted that, on the battlefield, Nicias was recognised as a fair combatant, fighting as courageously as any other soldier.

The Athenian general Laches, supported by Nicias, sought to counter this by calling on the ecclesia to seek an armistice.

Nicias supported Cleon's counter-argument that Athens should not have pursued peace "until the success of Brasidas had been decisively checked", and some degree of prestige restored.

Nicias met with Spartan envoys and the two states agreed entrance into a defensive alliance.

Still endeavouring to preserve the treaty, Nicias led a diplomatic mission to Sparta.

In 418, the political scene in Athens changed yet again, and Nicias was re-elected general at the expense of Alcibiades.

Nicias was excluded from the expedition because he opposed the Argive alliance.

Bury observed that Nicias had hitherto been Athens' "champion of peace", but the machinations of Hyperbolos had brought him into co-operation, if not outright collaboration, with Alcibiades.

Nicias was then roused to undertake fresh military enterprises, and he led an expedition to Chalcidice with the intention of retaking Amphipolis, but the attempt failed because Perdiccas, his supposed ally, changed sides.

Nicias was wary of the enormous cost of a really efficient expedition, which would need to be large-scale, and the fact that Athens would be entering unknown territory.

Hammond says that to send Nicias against his will, and in the company of Alcibiades, was "an act of military folly".

Nicias says there were 134 triremes, plus a host of attendant vessels carrying food, tools and tradesmen.

Nicias agrees with Plutarch that there were 5,100 hoplites, but says the total number of combatants was 30,000.

Nicias convinced the Spartans that Athens planned to invade the Peloponnese after the army returned from Sicily.

Crucially, Nicias neglected the northern arm of the wall to concentrate on the southern blockade, despite knowing that aid for Syracuse was coming from Sparta and the Peloponnese.

Nicias's army and fleet held territory to the west and south of Syracuse, and Nicias was satisfied to remain in his headquarters on the fortified promontory of Plemmyrium, which is a few miles south of Syracuse.

Nicias was aware of the Syracusan build-up and sent an urgent appeal to Athens for extra forces.

Nicias led his land forces to their fortifications west of Syracuse and waited there for the reinforcements.

Nicias had been averse to attack Syracuse in the first place when, unprepared, it could have been easily defeated; now, with victory out of the question, he would not leave because he feared disgrace.

One characteristic of the pious Nicias was his blind faith in omens.

Nicias was foremost in pronouncing the eclipse as an evil omen, and again delayed the Athenian withdrawal, this time fatally.

Nicias surrendered to Gylippus, but the Spartan could not alter the intent of the Syracusans.

Nicias was a pious conservative who invariably put caution first because he was indecisive, vacillating, and feared the consequences of failure.

Nicholas Hammond said Nicias "paraded his sincere belief in oracles and omens" as the basis of his military successes to 415.