Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.12

[1] Thus he urged others; and having compelled the steersman of his own galley to run her ashore, he came to the ladders, but attempting to get down was by the Athenians put back, and after he had received many wounds, swooned; and falling upon the ledges of the galley, his buckler tumbled over into the sea. Which brought to land, the Athenians took up, and used afterwards in the trophy which they set up for this assault.

[2] Also the rest endeavoured with much courage to come aland; but the place being ill to land in, and the Athenians not budging, they could not do it.

[3] So that at this time fortune came so much about, that the Athenians fought from the land, Laconique land, against the Lacedaemonians in galleys; and the Lacedaemonians from their galleys fought against the Athenians, to get landing in their own now hostile territory. For at that time there was an opinion far spread, that these were rather landmen and expert in a battle of foot, and that in maritime and naval actions the other excelled.

[1] Not content with this exhortation, he forced his own steersman to run his ship ashore, and stepping on to the gangway, was endeavoring to land, when he was cut down by the Athenians, and after receiving many wounds fainted away. Falling into the bows, his shield slipped off his arm into the sea, and being thrown ashore was picked up by the Athenians, and afterwards used for the trophy which they set up for this attack.

[2] The rest also did their best, but were not able to land, owing to the difficulty of the ground and the unflinching tenacity of the Athenians.

[3] It was a strange reversal of the order of things for Athenians to be fighting from the lands and from Laconian land too, against Lacedaemonians coming from the sea; while Lacedaemonians were trying to land from shipboard in their own country, now become hostile, to attack Athenians, although the former were chiefly famous at the time as an inland people and superior by land, the latter as a maritime people with a navy that had no equal.

Während er die anderen auf solche Weise anfeuerte, zwang
er seinen eigenen Steuermann, sein Schiff auf den Strand zu
setzen, trat selbst auf die Schiffsleiter und versuchte, hinabzu­
steigen, wurde aber von den Athenern daran verhindert und
stürzte, mehrfach verwundet, bewußtlos vorn auf das Schiff,
wobei sein Schild über Bord fiel, der dann ans Land getrieben
und von den Athenern geborgen, später auch an dem Sieges­
zeichen angebracht wurde, welches sie zu Ehren dieses Strand­
gefechts errichteten. Die übrigen machten dann zwar noch
weitere Versuche, ans Land zu kommen, scheiterten damit aber
an den örtlichen Schwierigkeiten und der Ausdauer der Athener,
die keinen Schritt rückwärts wichen. So wunderbar hatte sich
das Blatt gewandt, daß die Athener jetzt zu Lande, und oben­
drein in Lakonien, gegen eine Flotte der Lakedämonier kämpfen
mußten, die Lakedämonier aber in ihrem eigenen, in Feindes­
hand geratenen Lande den Athenern gegenüber eine Landung
versuchten, während sie beide doch damals grade stolz darauf
waren, jene zu Lande und diese zur See die Ersten zu sein.

XII. Après avoir excité les autres par ces paroles, il force son pilote à s’échouer et court à l’échelle. Mais au moment même où ils s’efforce de descendre, il est frappé par les Athéniens, criblé de blessures, et s’affaisse privé de sentiment. En tombant à l’extrémité de la proue, il laissa échapper son bouclier qui coula dans la mer et fut porté à la côte ; les Athéniens le recueillirent et le firent ensuite figurer dans le trophée qu’ils élevèrent à l’occasion de cette attaque. Les autres, malgré leurs efforts, ne purent non plus débarquer, arrêtés par l’escarpement de la côte et la résistance des Athéniens qui ne reculèrent pas un instant. Par une étrange interversion des rôles, c’était sur terre, et sur une terre lacédémonienne, que les Athéniens repoussaient les Spartiates attaquant par mer ; et ceux-ci venaient avec leurs vaisseaux tenter sur leur propre territoire, devenu pays ennemi, une descente contre les Athéniens. Car les Lacédémoniens étaient surtout renommés, à cette époque, comme peuple continental, pour l’excellence de leurs armées de terre, et les Athéniens, comme nation maritime, pour la supériorité de leurs flottes.

C’est ainsi que Brasidas encourageait les siens. Lui-même contraignit son pilote d'échouer son vaisseau et s'avança vers l’échelle; mais il fut repoussé par les Athéniens. Couvert de blessures, il tomba en défaillance sur l’avant du navire; son bouclier glissa dans la mer ; les Athéniens s’en saisirent et le placèrent ensuite dans le trophée élevé en commémoration de ce combat. Le reste de la flotte faisait les derniers efforts pour toucher terre, sans pouvoir y parvenir, à cause de l’escarpement de la côte et de l’obstination des Athéniens, qui ne cédaient pas un pouce de terrain. Étrange intervertissement des rôles I Ces mêmes Athéniens qui avaient porté si haut la gloire de leur marine, combattaient sur terre, en Laconie, pour repousser les Lacédémoniens. Ceux-ci au contraire, si renommés pour leur tactique continentale, venaient sur des vaisseaux tenter contre des Athéniens une descente dans leur propre territoire, devenu pour eux un pays ennemi.

[1] And he not only urged on the rest in this way, but, compelling his own pilot to beach his ship, he made for the gangway; and in trying to land he was knocked back by the Athenians, and after receiving many wounds fainted away. As he fell into the forward part of the ship his shield slipped off into the sea, and, being carried ashore, was picked up by the Athenians, who afterward used it for the trophy which they set up in commemoration of this attack.

[2]
  The crews of the other Peloponnesian ships showed no lack of zeal, but were unable to land, both by reason of the difficulty of the ground and because the Athenians stood firm and would not give way at all.

[3] In such fashion had fortune swung round that the Athenians, fighting on land, and Laconian land at that, were trying to ward off a Lacedaemonian attack from the sea, while the Lacedaemonians, fighting in ships, were trying to effect a landing upon their own territory, now hostile, in the face of the Athenians. For at this time it was the special renown ot the Lacedaemonians that they were a land power and invincible with their army, and of the Athenians that they were seamen and vastly superior with their fleet.

[1] In this way he urged on the rest, and having compelled his own steersman to run the ship ashore, he stepped on the gang-board, and was endeavouring to land when he was cut down by the Athenians, and fainted away after receiving many wounds. Having fallen into the ship's bows, his shield slipped from around his arm into the sea; and on its being thrown ashore, the Athenians picked it up, and afterwards used it for the trophy which they erected for this attack.

[2] The rest were eager to land, but unable, both from the difficulty of the ground and from the Athenians standing firm and not giving way.

[3] And such was the revolution of fortune, that Athenians fighting from land, and that a part of Laconia, were repelling Lacedaemonians when sailing against them; while Lacedaemonians were landing from ships, and on their own country, now hostile to them, to attack Athenians. [I call it a revolution of fortune,] for it formed at that time the main glory of the Lacedaemonians, that they were an inland people, and most powerful by land; and of the Athenians, that they were a maritime people, and had by far the most powerful navy.

[1] Atque ipse quidem his verbis alios instigabat, et quum suum gubernatorem navem in littus impingere coegisset, ad navis pontem pergebat, et dum descendere conatur, ab Atheniensibus est rejectus, multisque vulneribus acceptis animi deliquium passus est, coque collapso in illud spatium, quod est inter ipsos remiges et proram, clypeus ejus in mare decidit, qui quum in terram delatus esset, Athenienses eum susceperunt, et postea in tropaeum adhibuerunt, quod de hac hostium oppugnatione erexerunt.

[2] Ceteri vero magna quidem animi alacritate exscendere conabantur, sed non poterant, quum propter locorum difficultatem, tum etiam quod Athenienses hostium impressionem sustinebant, neque loco cedebant.

[3] Atque tanta fortunae commutatio facta est, ut Athenienses quidem ex terra eaque Laconica Lacedaemonios navibus infestis contra se venientes propulsarent, Lacedaemonii vero ex navibus et in suum agrum tunc hostilem contra Athenienses descendere conarentur; praecipue enim gloriam hoc addebat eo tempore his quidem, quod maxime mediterranei pedestribusque proeliis praestantissimi essent, illis vero, quod maritimi essentrerumque nauticarum peritia longe praestarent.

[1] Akanthier! Die Absicht Spartas bei Aussendung meines Heeres ist keine andere, als den Zweck unseres Krieges mit Athen, als welchen wir in der Kriegserklärung die Befreiung Griechenlands angekündigt, zur Wirklichkeit zu machen. An unserm späten Erscheinen aber ist die durch die bisherigen Feldzüge getäuschte Hoffnung schuld, euch den Kampf zu ersparen und in kurzer Zeit allein mit Athen fertig zu werden; und es kann uns dasselbe um so weniger zum Vorwurf gemacht werden, da wir jetzt die erste Gelegenheit ergreifen, hieher zu kommen und auch euch zur Theilnahme an dem Vernichtungskampfe einzuladen. Um so mehr befremdet es mich, aus dem Sperren der Thore auf eine unfreundliche Stimmung bei euch schliessen zu müssen. In dem guten Glauben, in euch längst, vor unserer Ankunft schon, entschiedene Bundesgenossen zu finden, denen wir nur willkommen sein würden, haben wir Lacedämonier die Gefahr nicht angesehen, die mit einem so weiten Marsch durch fremdes Gebiet verbunden war, und jedes mögliche Opfer gebracht, — und wie, ihr solltet ganz andere Gesinnungen hegen, solltet eurer eigenen und aller Griechen Befreiung euch widersetzen wollen? Denn nicht allein, dass ihr zu dem Feinde stehet, es müsste auch alle folgenden Städte zurückhaltend und besorgt machen, wenn gleich anfangs eine so ansehnliche und einflussreiche Stadt wie die eurige mich abwiese. Der Glaube an meine Sendung wäre dahin ¹ , man argwohnte nur Böses in der Freiheit, die ich bringe ² , oder sähe in meinem Heere einen zu schwachen und nichtssagenden Schutz gegen Athens drohende Rache. Zwar es war dasselbe Heer, mit dem ich vor Nisäa zog, wo die Athener trotz ihrer Uebermacht keinen Angriff wagten, und ein so zahlreiches Heer wie das nisäische würden sie ohnehin in keinem Fall gegen euch über's Meer schicken. ³

Nò già contento di incitare gli altri costrinse il suo nocchiero ad urtare in terra colla nave, e si avviava alla scaja : ed ingegnandosi di smontare fu retrospinto dagli Ateniesi con molte ferite, e cadde svenuto nello spazio che è di mezzo alla prua ed ai remiganti ; onde gli venne a calar nel mare lo scudo che trasportato a terra fu raccolto dagli Ateniesi , e se ne servirono dipoi per il trofeo che innalzarono in memoria di quest'assalto. Gli altri iutanto cou tutto che facessero ogni sforzo non valevano a sbarcare, perchè disagevole era quel sito , c gli Ateniesi persistevano senza retroceder d’un passo. Insomma a tale si ridusse il capriccio della fortuna, che gli Ateniesi da terra, e (che più rileva) da terra laconica respingevano i Lacedemoni che gli assaltavan dal mare ; e questi si sforzavano di sbarcare in una terra propria ma inimicata ad essi dagli Ateniesi. Accidente invero maraviglioso perchè in quel tempo a tal segno di reputazione eran giunti i Lacedemoni, che venivano reputati al tutto popoli mediterranei , e nelle battaglie terrestri valorosissimi ; gli Ateniesi all’opposto gente marittima che sulle flotte di grandissima lunga primeggiavano.