Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.128

[1] He, when he saw this, commanded the three hundred that were with him to run every man as fast as he could to one of the tops, which of them they could easliest get up to, and try if they could drive down those barbarians that were now going up to the same, before any greater number was above to hem them in.

[2] These accordingly fought with and overcame those barbarians upon the hill, and thereby the rest of the army marched the more easily to the top. For this beating of them from the vantage of the hill made the barbarians also afraid, so that they followed them no further, conceiving withal that they were now at the confines and already escaped through.

[3] Brasidas, having now gotten the hills and marching with more safety, came first the same day to Arnissa, of the dominion of Perdiccas.

[4] And the soldiers of themselves, being angry with the Macedonians for leaving them behind, whatsoever teams of oxen or fardles fallen from any man (as was likely to happen in a retreat made in fear and in the night) they lighted on by the way, the oxen they cut in pieces and took the fardles to themselves.

[5] And from this time did Perdiccas first esteem Brasidas as his enemy, and afterwards hated the Peloponnesians, not with ordinary hatred for the Athenians' sake, but being utterly fallen out with him about his own particular interest, sought means as soon as he could to compound with these and be disleagued from the other.

[1] Brasidas, perceiving their intention, told his three hundred to run on without order, each as quickly as he could, to the hill which seemed easiest to take, and to try to dislodge the barbarians already there, before they should be joined by the main body closing round him.

[2] These attacked and overpowered the party upon the hill, and the main army of the Hellenes now advanced with less difficulty towards it; the barbarians being terrified at seeing their men on that side driven from the height, and no longer following the main body, who, they considered, had gained the frontier and made good their escape.

[3] The heights once gained, Brasidas now proceeded more securely, and the same day arrived at Arnisa, the first town in the dominions of Perdiccas.

[4] The soldiers, enraged at the desertion of the Macedonians, vented their rage on all their yokes of oxen which they found on the road, and on any baggage which had tumbled off (as might easily happen in the panic of a night retreat), by unyoking and cutting down the cattle and taking the baggage for themselves. From this moment

[5] Perdiccas began to regard Brasidas as an enemy and to feel against the Peloponnesians a hatred which could not be congenial to the adversary of the Athenians. However, he departed from his natural interests and made it his endeavour to come to terms with the latter and to get rid of the former.

Er aber merkte ihre Absicht und befahl seinen dreihundert
Mann, den Hügel, welchen er vornehmlich besetzen zu müssen glaubte,
im Laufund ausgelöster Ordnung, so schnell Jeder könne, zu ersteigen
und die schon gegen denselben anrückenden Barbaren wo möglich
herabzuwerfen, ehe noch die zu ihrer Umzingelung bestimmte Mann-'
schast heranrücke. Diese nun stürmten den Hügel hinauf und warfen
die oben Stehenden, so daß das hellenische Heer seinen Marsch nach
demselben leichter fortsetzen konnte; denn die Barbaren waren durch
ihre Vertreibung von der Anhöhe in Schrecken versetzt worden und
folgten ihrem Marsche nicht weiter, zumal sie auch jene schon auf den
Grenzen angekommen und in Sicherheit glaubten. Brasidas aber,
nachdem er erst die Höhen erreicht hatte, marschirte nun in größerer ¹
Sicherheit weiter und gelangte noch desselben TagS auf dem Gebiete,
des Perdjlk.is zuerst nach Anissa. Seine Soldaten, selbst erzürnt
über den voreiligen Rückzug der Makedonier, wann sie unterwegs
deren Nindcrgespanne antrafen oder herausgefallene Gepäckstücke, wie.
eS ja bei einem nächtlichen Rückzug, den der Schreck veranlaßt hat,
nothwendig vorkommen muß, so spannten sie jene auS und hieben sie
nieder, und eigneten sich diese als gute Beute an. Diese Vorfälle
waren die erste Veranlassung, daß Perdikkas den Brasidas seitdem
als seinen Feind ansah und von da an gegen die Peloponnesier
einen Haß hegte, der seinen Absichten und seinem Verhältnisse zu den
Athenern durchaus nicht entsprechend war; und im Widersprüche mit
dem, was seine dringendsten Vortheile geboten, trachtete er, sich so
geschwind als möglich mit Athen auszusöhnen und die Peloponnesier
sich vom HalS zu schaffen.

Er aber merkte das und befahl seinen Dreihundert, sie
sollten einzeln, jeder so schnell wie möglich, die Höhe erklimmen,
auf deren Besetzung es nach seiner Ansicht hauptsächlich an­
kam, und die Barbaren, die dort schon angelangt, wieder zu
vertreiben suchen, bevor sie zu seiner völligen Umzingelung
weitere Verstärkungen erhielten. Die gewannen auch die Höhe
und vertrieben die Feinde von dort, so daß das griechische
Heer seinen Marsch dahin nun leichter fortsetzen konnte. Denn
die Barbaren waren durch die auf der Höhe erlittene Nieder­
lage in Schrecken versetzt und gaben es auf, sein Heer weiter
zu verfolgen, zumal sie glaubten, daß eS schon an die Grenze
gelangt und glücklich durchgekommen sei. Nachdem Brasidas
sich der Höhen bemächtigt, setzte er seinen Marsch fort, ohne
weiter belästigt zu werden, und kam noch an demselben Tage
nach Arnissa, den ersten Ort im Reiche des Perdikkas. Wenn
aber seinen über den verfrühten Abzug der Makedonier er­
bitterten Leuten deren Ochsengespanne in den Weg kamen oder
ihnen Gepäck in die Hände fiel, das sie weggeworfen hatten,
wie das ja auf einem gefährlichen nächtlichen Rückzüge natür­
lich nicht ausbleibt, so spannten sie die Tiere aus und schlugen
sie tot oder eigneten sich die Sachen an. Seitdem erst be­
trachtete Perdikkas Brasidas als seinen Feind und warf auf
die Peloponnesier einen Haß, der seinen wahren Gefühlen gegen
die Athener keineswegs entsprach, suchte sich auch gegen seine
dringenden Interessen so schnell wie möglich mit den Athenern
zu stellen und von den Peloponnesiern loszumachen.

CXXVIII. Brasidas, voyant cela, ordonne aussitôt à ses trois cents soldats de courir sans ordre, le plus vite possible, à celle des collines qu’il lui semble le plus facile d’enlever, et de tâcher d’en déloger les Barbares qui déjà l’occupent, avant qu’ils l’aient investie en plus grand nombre. Les soldats, s’élançant, chassèrent l’ennemi de la colline. Le reste de l’armée des Grecs y parvint sans peine ; car les Barbares furent frappés d’épouvante, lorsqu’ils virent que l’ennemi les avait délogés des hauteurs ; ils renoncèrent à poursuivre les Grecs, qu’ils croyaient arrivés aux frontières et hors de toute atteinte. Brasidas, une fois maître des hauteurs, continua sa retraite avec plus de sécurité et arriva le même jour à Arnissa ¹ ; c’était la première ville de la domination de Perdiccas. Les soldats étaient profondément irrités de la retraite précipitée des Macédoniens : lorsqu’ils rencontraient sur la route des attelages de boeufs, ou quelques effets perdus (comme cela était inévitable dans une retraite opérée de nuit au milieu d’une panique), ils dételaient d’eux-mêmes les boeufs, les sabraient, et s’appropriaient les effets. Perdiccas regarda dès lors Brasidas comme son ennemi ; et par la suite, sans avoir au fond contre les Péloponnésiens une haine durable,—car il redoutait les Athéniens — il chercha tous les moyens, contrairement à ses intérêts les plus positifs ² pour se réconcilier au plus vite avec Athènes et se débarrasser des Péloponnésiens.

[1] But he perceived their intention and told his three hundred to break ranks and go at a run, each as fast as he could, to that one of the hills which he thought could be taken more easily and try to dislodge the barbarians already there before the larger outflanking body could come up.

[2] They accordingly attacked and overcame the men on the hill, and so the main body of the Hellenes now more easily made their way to it; for the barbarians, finding that their own men had been dislodged from the high ground, became alarmed and followed no further, thinking that the enemy were already on the frontier and had made good their escape.

[3] Brasidas, however, when he had gained the heights, proceeded in more security and arrived the same day at Arnisa, the first town in the dominions of Perdiccas.

[4] As for his soldiers, they were enraged at the Macedonians for having gone ahead in retreat, and whenever they came upon any ox-teams of theirs in the road or upon any baggage that had been dropped, as was likely to happen in a retreat made by night and in a panic, of their own accord they loosed the oxen and slaughtered them, but appropriated the baggage.

[5] And from this time Perdiccas began to regard Brasidas as an enemy, and thenceforth he cherished a hatred of the Peloponnesians, which was indeed not consistent with his feeling against the Athenians. However, disregarding his own urgent interests, he was devising how he might in the quickest way come to terms with the latter and get rid of the former.

[1] He, on perceiving it, gave orders to his band of three hundred to advance at a run to that one of the hills which he thought they might take more easily, as quickly as each man could, without observing any order; and to endeavour to dislodge from it the barbarians who were already upon it, before their main force that was surrounding him should join them there.

[2] Accordingly, they charged, and overpowered the party on the hill, and the main force of the Greeks now advanced more easily up to it; for the barbarians were frightened on finding their men on that side dislodged from the height, and no longer followed the main body, considering that they were now on the borders, and had escaped them.

[3] When Brasidas had thus reached the heights, he proceeded with greater safety, and arrived the same day at Arnissa, the first town in the dominions of Perdiccas.

[4] And as the soldiers were enraged at the Macedonians' having retreated before them, whatever yokes of oxen belonging to them they fell in with on the road, or whatever baggage that had dropped off, (as was likely to happen in case of a retreat by night, and under an alarm,) on their own authority they unyoked and cut down the cattle, and appropriated the baggage.

[5] From this time Perdiccas first regarded Brasidas as an enemy, and cherished in future a hatred of the Lacedaemonians, which was not, indeed congenial with his feelings, because of his aversion for the Athenians; but he departed from his natural interests, and was contriving in what way he might soonest come to terms with the Athenians, and be rid of the Peloponnesians.

[1] Ille vero, hac re cognita, trecentis illis, quos secum ducebat, praecepit, ut in eum collem, quem facilius a se captum iri putabat, cursu contendentes, quanta maxima quisque celeritate posset, nullo ordine servato barbaros jam contra se venientes illinc deturbare conarentur, priusquam major numerus barbarorum, qui suos circumventurus erat, eo conflueret.

[2] Atque illi quidem eos qui in colle erant, impressione facta superarunt, atque reliquus Graecorum exercitus in eum collem jam facilius ibat; barbari enim territi sunt, suis illic in fugam ex editiore loco dejectis, nec ulterius Graecos sunt persecuti, quod eos in agri amici confiniis jam esse, et evasisse arbitrarentur.

Brasidas autem, ubi loca superiora nactus est, iter tutius faciens, eodem die primum pervenit Amissam in Perdices imperio.

[4] Ipsique milites irati, quod Macedones priores recesserant, ut in quaeque incidebant inter eundum vel plaustra boum, quae ad illos pertinebant, vel sarcinas, si quae deciderant, ut in nocturno et pavoris pleno receptu contigisse credibile erat, illa quidem concidebant solventes, has vero sibi vendicabant.

[5] Atque hinc primum Perdiccas Brasidam hostem judicavit, et in posterum animo concepit odium iu Peloponnesios, non consuetum illud quidem propter Athenienses, sed necessariis suis commodis derelictis agebat, quo modo quam primum cum iliis quidem compositionem faceret, ab his vero dissociaretur.

Egli accortosi di ciò comandò ai suoi trecento di correre al più presto possibile senza ordine veruno a quel dei due colli che credeva più facile ad occupare, e di sforzarsi a respingere quei barbari che già vi salivano, prima che maggior numero venisse a circondarli. Scagliatisi i trecento sopra i barbari saliti sul colle , gli vinsero ; onde al grosso dell’esercito greco riusciva oramai più agevole la montata sul colle stesso , essendo i barbari spaventati per la cacciata dall’altura toccata ai suoi. Così cessarono futuro che con chi regga al primo impeto, sì fatta marmaglia solo ostenta da lungi fortezza colle minacce prima di più inseguire i Greci , credendoli ormai sulle frontiere ed in luogo di salvamento. Brasida presa la via de’ monti marciava più al sicuro , ed il giorno stesso fece la sua prima fermata ad Antissa negli stati di Perdicca; ed i soldati stessi adirati contro i Macedoni, che se ne erano andati senza aspettarli, tutte le cose loro che incontravano per istrada o carri tirati da bovi od altro bagaglio caduto per terra (come naturalmente avviene in una ritirata paurosa e di notte) , staccandone i bovi parte mettevano in pezzi, parte appropriavano a sé stessi. Di qui Perdicca cominciò ad avere in odio Brasida , e d’allora in poi nutriva verso i Peloponnesi un odio non consueto , perchè già disamava gli Ateniesi. Nondimeno riavuto dalle sue gravi calamità cercava pronta via di accomodarsi con questi, e di spacciarsi da quelli.