Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.104

[1] Moreover Inarus, the son of Psammetticus, an African, king of the Africans that confine on Egypt, making war from Mareia above Pharus, caused the greatest part of Egypt to rebel against the king Artaxerxes;

[2] and when he had taken the government of them upon himself, he brought in the Athenians to assist him, who chancing to be then warring on Cyprus with two hundred galleys, part their own and part their confederates, left Cyprus and went to him. And going from the sea up the river of Nilus after they had made themselves masters of the river and of two parts of the city of Memphis, assaulted the third part called the White Wall. Within were of the Medes and Persians, such as had escaped, and of the Egyptians, such as had not revolted amongst the rest.

[1] Meanwhile Inaros, son of Psammetichus, a Libyan king of the Libyans on the Egyptian border, having his head-quarters at Marea, the town above Pharos, caused a revolt of almost the whole of Egypt from King Artaxerxes, and placing himself at its head, invited the Athenians to his assistance.

[2] Abandoning a Cyprian expedition upon which they happened to be engaged with two hundred ships of their own and their allies, they arrived in Egypt and sailed from the sea into the Nile , and making themselves masters of the river and two-thirds of Memphis , addressed themselves to the attack of the remaining third, which is called White Castle. Within it were Persians and Medes who had taken refuge there, and Egyptians who had not joined the rebellion.

Jnaros, PsammitichoS' Sohn, König der Libyer an der
ägyptischen Grenze, hatte von der Pharos gegenüberliegenden
Stadt Mareia aus in Ägypten einen Aufstand gegen König
Artaxerxes erregt, der sich über den größten Teil des Landes
verbreitete, und, nachdem er sich selbst dort zum Herrscher auf­
geworfen, die Athener zu Hilfe gerufen. Diese, die damals
mit ihren Bundesgenossen und zweihundert Schiffen einen Zug
nach Cypern unternommen hatten, gaben Cypern auf und
wandten sich nach Ägypten. Sie fuhren von der See den Nil
hinauf, machten sich zu Herren des Stromes und von zwei
Dritteln von Memphis und richteten nun ihren Angriff gegen
das letzte Drittel, die sogenannte weiße Mauer, wohin sich die
flüchtigen Perser und Meder und die dem König treugebliebenen
Ägypter zurückgezogen hatten.

CIV. Cependant, Inarus de Libye, fils de Psammétique, roi des Libyens qui continent à LÉgypte, partit de Marée ¹ , ville au-dessus de Pharos, et fit soulever la plus grande partie de l’Égypte contre le roi Artaxer- xès ² . Investi lui-même du commandement, il appela les Athéniens. Ceux-ci faisaient alors une expédition contre Cypre, avec deux cents vaisseaux tant d’Athènes que des alliés. Ils quittèrent Cypre à cet appel, remontèrent le Nil, et, maîtres du cours du fleuve, ainsi que des deux tiers de Memphis, ils assiégèrent la partie restée libre et qu’on appelait le Mur-Blanc. Là s’étaient réfugiés des Perses, des Mèdes et ceux des Égyptiens qui n’avaient pas pris part à la révolte.

Sur ces entrefaites, le Libyen Inaros, fils de Psammi-tichos et roi des Libyens qui confinent à l’Égypte, parti de Maréa, ville située au-dessus de Pharos ¹ , souleva contre' le roi Artaxerxès la majeure partie de l’Égypte; et, devenu souverain de cette contrée, il appela les Athéniens. Ceux-ci se trouvaient alors en Cypre avec deux cents vaisseaux d’Athènes et des alliés. Ils quittèrent cette île pour se rendrè à l’invitation d’Inaros, remontèrent le Nil, et, maîtres de ce fleuve ainsi qu£ des deux tiers de Memphis, ils attaquèrent le troisième quartier, nommé le Mur Blanc ² , où s’étaient retirés les Perses, les Mèdes et les Égyptiens qui n’avaient pas pris part à la révolte.

[1] Meanwhile Inaros, son of Psammetichus, a Libyan and king of the Libyans who are adjacent to Egypt, setting out from Mareia, the city just north of Pharos, caused the greater part of Egypt to revolt from King Artaxerxes, ¹ and then, when he had made himself ruler, he called in the Athenians.

[2] And they left Cyprus, ² where they happened to be on an expedition with two hundred ships of their own and of their allies, and went to Egypt, and when they had sailed up the Nile from the sea, finding themselves masters of the river and of twothirds of Memphis, they proceeded to attack the third part, which is called the White Fortress. And in this fortress were some Persians and Medes who had taken refuge there, and such Egyptians as had not joined in the revolt.

[1] Now Inarus, the son of Psammetichus, the Libyan king of the Libyans bordering on Egypt, having his headquarters at Maraea, the city above Pharos, caused the greater part of Egypt to revolt from king Artaxerxes, and being himself made ruler of it, invited the Athenians to his aid.

[2] They, happening to be engaged in an expedition against Cyprus with two hundred ships of their own and of the allies, left Cyprus and came to him; and having sailed up from the sea into the Nile, and being masters of the river and two thirds of Memphis, proceeded to hostilities against the third division, which is called the White-castle, and in which were those of the Persians and Medes who had fled there for refuge, and those of the Egyptians who had not joined in the revolt.

[1] Inaros autem Psammcticlii filius, Afer, rex Afrorum iGgypto finitimorum, ex urbe Marea, quae supra Pharum est sita, profectus, majorem jEgypti partem ad defectionem a rege Artaxerxe faciendam impulit, et ipse dux creatus Athenienses accivit.

[2] Illi vero (tunc enim forte cum ducentis navibus et suis et sociorum bellum Cypro intulerant) Cypro relicta venerunt, et ex mari Nilum ingressi, et flamine ipso et duabus Memphidis partibus potiti, ad tertiam partem, quae Murus albus appellatur, bellam gerebant. Ibi autem inerant Persae et Medi, qui eo confugerant, et quotquot ex iEgyptiis non defecerant.

[1] Diesen Grundsätzen, die wir von unsern Vätern überkommen und selber stets bewährt erfunden haben, lasst uns nicht ungetreu werden und nicht binnen weniger Stunden über so viel Menschenleben und Eigenthum, über Staatenglück und Ehre einen übereilten Beschluss fassen, sondern uns Zeit nehmen. Wir haben den Vortheil der Macht, um nichts zu versäumen. Nach Athen also sendet wegen Potidäas und wegen der Beschwerden der Bundesgenossen, besonders da sie eine gerichtliche Entscheidung nicht ablehnen. Wer diese anbietet, den hat man kein Recht als bereits Verurtheilten anzugreifen. Aber zugleich rüstet euch auch zum Kriege. Dies ist das Beste, was ihr beschliessen könnt, und wird bei dem Feind am meisten Eindruck machen.

Passando ora a parlare d’Inaro di Libia , figliolo di Psammetico re dei Libii confinanti coll’ Egitto, è da sapere , che partitosi egli da Marea città situata al disopra di Faro, ribellò al re Artaserse la maggior parte dell’Egitto, se ne fece capo, e chiamò ancora gli Ateniesi, i quali per avventura erano andati ad oste a Cipro con un' armata di dugento navi tra di loro e dei confederati. Abbandonarono essi quell7impresa, e recatisi colà, lasciando la marina navigarono pel Nilo, e restati padroni del fiume e di due parti di Memfi facevano guerra alla terza chiamata le MuraBianche , ove stanziavano i rifuggiti Persiani e Medi con quelli Egiziani che non si erano mescolati nella ribellione.