History of the Peloponnesian War

​Nicias, having thus exhorted them, led the army forward immediately. The Syracusans, on their part, did not expect that they would have to fight immediately at this very moment, and some of them, since the city was near, had even gone away; others, though coming to the rescue in haste and at a run, were late indeed, but as each one joined the main body at some point, they took their places. For they were certainly not lacking in zeal or daring, either in this battle or in the others, but in courage they were not inferior as far as their knowledge held out, but because of their lack of it, they against their will betrayed even their resolve. Nevertheless, since they had not thought that the Athenians would attack them first, and were forced to defend themselves in haste, they took up their arms and immediately advanced to meet them.

​And first, on both sides, the stone-throwers, slingers, and archers skirmished in front, and forced each other to turn back, as was natural for light-armed troops; then, prophets brought forward the customary sacrifices, and trumpeters urged the hoplites on to the clash, ​and they advanced. The Syracusans, fighting for their fatherland, and each for his own safety in the immediate present and freedom in the future; of their opponents, the Athenians fighting to acquire another’s land as their own, and not to damage their own by being defeated; the Argives and the independent allies to help them win what they had come for, and to see their own existing fatherland again after conquering; and the subject portion of the allies had their zeal aroused, most of all, for their immediate safety, which would be hopeless unless they conquered, and secondarily, as a side-matter, in the hope that if they helped to subdue others, their own obedience to Athens would be easier.