Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.64

[1] Presently upon this the Athenians raised a wall before the city on the part toward the isthmus which they kept with a garrison, but the part to Pallene-ward they left unwalled. For they thought themselves too small a number both to keep a guard in the isthmus and withal to go over and fortify in Pallene, fearing lest the Potidaeans and their confederates should assault them when divided.

[2] When the people of Athens understood that Potidaea was unwalled on the part toward Pallene, not long after they sent thither sixteen hundred men of arms under the conduct of Phormio the son of Asopius, who arriving in Pallene left his galleys at Aphytis, and marching easily to Potidaea wasted the territory as he passed through. And when none came out to give him battle, he raised a wall before the city on that part also that looketh towards Pallene.

[3] Thus was Potidaea on both sides strongly besieged, and also from the sea by the Athenian galleys that came up and rode before it.

[1] The wall on the side of the isthmus had now works at once raised against it, and manned by the Athenians. That on the side of Pallene had no works raised against it. They did not think themselves strong enough at once to keep a garrison in the isthmus, and to cross over to Pallene and raise works there; they were afraid that the Potidaeans and their allies might take advantage of their division to attack them.

[2] Meanwhile the Athenians at home learning that there were no works at Pallene , sometime afterwards sent off sixteen hundred heavy infantry of their own citizens under the command of Phormio, son of Asopius. Arrived at Pallene , he fixed his headquarters at Aphytis , and led his army against Potidaea by short marches, ravaging the country as he advanced. No one venturing to meet him in the field, he raised works against the wall on the side of Pallene .

[3] So at length Potidaea was strongly invested on either side, and from the sea by the ships cooperating in the blockade.

Die Athener führten der Stadtmauer gegenüber auf der Seite
nach der Landenge sogleich eine zweite Mauer auf und besetzten
sie. Auf der Seite nach Pallene dagegen hatten sie keine Mauer.
Denn sie fühlten sich nicht stark genug, um die Landenge be­
setzt zu halten und gleichzeitig nach Pallene hinüberzugehen
und auch dort eine Mauer herzustellen, da sie im Fall einer
solchen Teilung ihrer Kräfte einen Überfall der Potidäer und
ihrer Verbündeten zu gewärtigen gehabt hätten. Als man
aber in Athen hörte, daß auf der Seite von Pallene noch
keine Mauer wäre, schickte man bald darauf sechzehn hundert
athenische Hopliten unter Phormion, Asopios' Sohn, von dort
noch nach. Der setzte sich nach seiner Ankunft auf Pallene
von Amphytis, das er zum Stützpunkt nahm, mit seinem Heere
in Bewegung und rückte, das Land beizu verwüstend, langsam
gegen Potidäa vor und führte, als sich ihm niemand zur Schlacht
stellte, auch auf der Seite von Pallene der Stadtmauer gegen­
über eine Mauer auf. So wurde Potidäa nunmehr zu Lande
von beiden Seiten hart belagert, während es zugleich durch
die Flotte von der See abgeschnitten war.

LXIV. Aussitôt les Athéniens entourèrent d'une contre-enceinte la muraille qui regarde l’isthme ¹ ; mais celle du côté de Pallène resta libre et sans contre-mur ; car ils ne se croyaient pas en mesure de garder l’isthme et de passer en même temps du côté de Pallène pour y établir leurs lignes ; ils craignaient, une fois partagés, d’être attaqués par les Potidéates et leurs alliés. Lors- qu’on apprit à Athènes que du côté de Pallène il n’y avait pas de circonvallation, on envoya plus tard seize cents hoplites sous les ordres de Phormion, fils d’Asopius. Phormion arriva à Pallène, et, partant d’Aphytis ² , il s’avança lentement vers Potidée tout en ravageant le pays. Personne n’étant sorti pour le combattre, il éleva la contre-enceinte du côté de Pallène, et, de cette façon, Potidée se trouva investie et serrée des deux côtés, en même temps que les vaisseaux la bloquaient par mer.

Aussitôt les Athéniens tracèrent des lignes et bloquèrent la ville du côté de l’isthme ¹ ; mais ils laissèrent libre le côté qui regarde la Pallène. Il leur semblait impossible de passer dans cette presqu’île pour y établir des lignes obsidionales, tout en continuant à garder l’isthme; se diviser ainsi, n’eût été prêter le flanc aux attaques des ennemis. Lorsqu’on sut à Athènes que Potidée n’était pas investie du côté de la Pallène, on envoya un renfort de seize cents hoplites athéniens, sous les ordres de Phormion, fils d’Asopios. Ce général arriva dans la Pallène; et, prenant Aphytis ² comme point de départ; il s’avança lentement vers Potidée en ravageant le pays. Personne ne se présenta pour le combattre, et il éleva une circonvallation du côté de la Pallène. Ainsi Potidée se trouva étroitement cernée de part et d’autre, en même temps que la flotte la bloquait par mer.

[1] The city wall on the isthmus side ¹ the Athenians immediately cut off by a transverse wall and set a guard there, but the wall toward Pallene was not shut off. ² For they thought their numbers were insufficient to maintain a garrison on the isthmus and also to cross over to Pallene and build a wall there too, fearing that, if they divided their forces, the Potidaeans and their allies would attack them.

[2] Afterwards, when the Athenians at home learned that Pallene was not blockaded, they sent sixteen hundred of their own hoplites under the command of Phormio son of Asopius; and he, when he arrived at Pallene, making Aphytis his base, brought his army to Potidaea, marching leisurely and ravaging the country at the same time. And as no one came out against him to give battle he built a wall to blockade the Pallene wall.

[3] And so Potidaea was at length in a state of siege, which was prosecuted vigorously on both sides of it as well as by sea, where a fleet blockaded it.

[1] Now against the wall on ¹ the side of the isthmus the Athenians immediately raised works, and manned them. But that towards Pallene had no works raised against it; for they did not think themselves strong enough both to keep a garrison on the isthmus, and to cross over to Pallene and raise works there; fearing that the Potidaeans and their allies might attack them when divided.

[2] And the Athenians in the city, hearing that Pallene had no works on it, some time after send sixteen hundred heavy-armed of their own, and Phormio, the son of Asopius, as general; who reached Pallene, and setting out from Aphytis, ² led his army to Potidaea, advancing by short marches, and ravaging the country at the same time: and when no one came out to offer him battle, he threw up works against the wall on the side of Pallene.

[3] And thus Potidaea was now besieged with all their power, on both sides, and from the sea at the same time by ships that were blockading it.

[1] Murum autem, qui isthmum spectabat, stalim Athenienses circumvallarunt, et praesidio custodire cupe-runt. At murus, qui Pallenen versus spectabat, nullo vallo cinctus erat; nec enim existimabant, se posse simul et in isthmo excubias agere, et in Pallenen transgressos murum exstruere, veriti, ne Potidaeataeeorumque socii se, in duas partes diductos, invaderent.

[2] Cum autem cognoscerent Athenienses, qui domi erant, Pallenen nuitis muris' cinctam esse, aliquanto post mille et sexcentos gravis armaturae milites de suis, et Phormionem Asopii filium, ducem miserunt; qui cum Pallenen pervenisset, ab Aphytide procedens copias Polidaeae admovit, paulatim progrediens, et simul agrum vastans. Sed cum nemo ad proelium occurreret, murum, qui Pallenen versus spectabat, vallo cinxit

[3] Atque ita Potidaea jam utrinque vehementer oppugnabatur, simul etiam a mari navibus stationem prope habentibus. *

Gli Ateniesi tirarono subito il muro dalla parte dell’ istmo, e vi tenevano presidio : ma ne restava sguarnita la parte verso Pallene ; poiché non si credevano in forze da guardar l’istmo, e insieme passare in Pallene per fabbricare il muro ; temendo che i Potideati con gli alleati gli assalirebbero se fossero divisi in due parti. Quando però riseppero gli Ateniesi che la parte che guarda Pailene non aveva muro , spediscono poco dopo milleseicento dei loro di grave armatura capitanati da Formione figliolo di Asopio. Giunto egli a Pailene, movendo da Afitide avvicinava lentamente l' esercito a Potidea , dando nel tempo stesso il guasto alla campagna. E poiché nissuno usciva incontro a combatterlo, tirò il muro dalla parte di Pailene. Così Potidea restava rigorosamente ristretta da due lati, e insieme dalla parte di mare per le navi che v’ erano di stazione.