Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.127

[1] When Brasidas had made his exhortation, he led away his army. And the barbarians, seeing it, pressed after them with great cries and tumult, as supposing he fled.

[2] But seeing that those who were appointed to run out upon them [did so, and] met them which way soever they came on, and that Brasidas himself, with his chosen band, sustained them where they charged close and endured the first brunt beyond their expectation, and seeing also that afterwards continually when they charged, the other received them and fought, and when they ceased the other retired, then at length the greatest part of the barbarians forbore the Grecians that with Brasidas were in the open field, and leaving a part to follow them with shot, the rest ran with all speed after the Macedonians which were fled, of whom as many as they overtook they slew; and withal prepossessed the passage, which is a narrow one between two hills, giving entrance into the country of Arrhibaeus, knowing that there was no other passage by which Brasidas could get away. And when he was come to the very strait, they were going about him to have cut him off.

[1] With this brief address Brasidas began to lead off his army. Seeing this, the barbarians came on with much shouting and hubbub, thinking that he was flying and that they would over take him and cut him off.

[2] But wherever they charged they found the young men ready to dash out against them, while Brasidas with his picked company sustained their onset. Thus the Peloponnesians withstood the first attack, to the surprise of the enemy, and afterwards received and repulsed them as fast as they came on, retiring as soon as their opponents became quiet. The main body of the barbarians ceased therefore to molest the Hellenes with Brasidas in the open country, and leaving behind a certain number to harass their march, the rest went on after the flying Macedonians, slaying those with whom they came up, and so arrived in time to occupy the narrow pass between two hills that leads into the country of Arrhabaeus. They knew that this was the only way by which Brasidas could retreat, and now proceeded to surround him just as he entered the most impracticable part of the road, in order to cut him off.

Nachdem Brasidas seine Leute also ermutigt hatte, trat
er den Rückzug an. Als die Barbaren das sahen, drangen sie
mit gewaltigem Lärm und lautem Geschrei auf ihn ein in der
Meinung, er fliehe vor ihnen, und sie könnten ihn nun mit
seinem Heere nur so ohne weiteres über den Haufen werfen.
Da man jedoch ihren Angriffen überall durch Ausfälle be­
gegnete und Brasidas selbst mit seiner auserwählten Schar
den Rücken deckte, stießen sie gleich beim ersten Anlauf auf
unerwarteten Widerstand, und auch ihre weiteren Angriffe
wurden sämtlich aufgenommen und abgeschlagen; inzwischen
aber, wenn sie sich vershcnauften, setzte man den Rückzug fort.
Darauf ließ die Masse der Barbaren von den Griechen deS
Brasidas in der Ebene ab, und nur ein Teil von ihnen blieb
zurück, um sie weiter zu verfolgen und zu beunruhigen. Die
übrigen setzten den flüchtigen Makedoniern nach, machten alles
nieder, was ihnen in den Wurf kam, und eilten voraus, um
den Engpaß zwischen den beiden Höhenzügen zu besetzen, durch
den die Straße in das Land des Arrhibaios führt, die einzige,
auf der, wie sie wußten, Brasidas seinen Rückzug nehmen konnte,
wo sie ihn, im Begriff, in den gefährlichen Paß einzurücken,
zu umstellen und abzufangen dachten.

CXXVII. Après cette exhortation, Brasidas commença la retraite. Les Barbares, à cette vue, se précipitèrent à grands cris et en tumulte, persuadés qu’il fuyait et qu’il suffisait de l’atteindre pour l’anéantir. Mais quand les éclaireurs firent face partout où ils se présentaient ; quand ils virent que Brasidas, avec sa troupe d’élite, résistait à leurs attaques ; que l’armée, après avoir, contre leur attente, reçu leur premier choc, continuait à tenir tête quand ils avançaient et à opérer sa retraite lorsqu’ils cessaient de l’inquiéter, alors ils renoncèrent pour la plupart à attaquer en plaine les Grecs de Brasidas ; ils laissèrent seulement une partie de leur monde pour les suivre et les harceler ; les autres coururent à la poursuite des Macédoniens fugitifs et tuèrent tout ce qu’ils rencontrèrent. Ils allèrent occuper à l’avance une gorge étroite entre deux collines, sur la route qui mène aux États d’Arrhibée, sachant qu’il n’y avait pas d’autre issue pour Brasidas. A son approche, ils prirent position tout autour du défilé, dans sa partie la plus difficile, afin de l’envelopper.

Après cette exhortation, Brasidas mit son armée en retraite. A cet aspect, les Barbares se jetèrent sur lui avec grands cris et grand tumulte, persuadés qu’il fuyait et otfîl suffisait de l’atteindre pour l'anéantir. Mais quand, sur tous les points, ils rencontrèrent les coureurs; quand ils virent qoe Brasidas leur tenait tête avec sa troupe d’élite; que l’armée, après avoir contre leur attente essuyé leur premier choc, résistait s’ils devenaient plus pressants et se repliait s’ils ralentissaient leurs attaques; alors ils renoncèrent pour la plupart à assaillir en rase campagne les Grecs de Brasidas. Ils laissèrent seulement une partie des leurs pour inquiéter sa marche ; les autres coururent à la poursuite des Macédoniens et tuèrent tons ceux qu’ils purent atteindre. Ils réussirent aussi à occuper k défilé situé entre deux monticules à l’entrée du pays d’Arrhibéos. Ils savaient que Brasidas n’avait pas d’autre issue ; et, tandis qu’il s’engageait dans ce dangereux passage, ils se répandirent alentour, afin de l’envelopper.

[1] After such words of admonition, Brasidas began to withdraw his army. On seeing this the barbarians came on with a mighty shouting and uproar, thinking that he was fleeing and that they could overtake and destroy his army.

[2] But the troops who had been selected to dash out met them wherever they charged, and Brasidas himself with his picked men sustained their attack; and so the Peloponnesians to their surprise withstood their first onset and continued to receive their attacks and repulse them, but when they ceased, themselves retired. Thereupon most of the barbarians refrained from attacking the Hellenes under Brasidas in the open country, and leaving a portion of their force to follow and harass them, the rest, advancing on the run after the fleeing Macedonians, slew them as they came upon them, and getting ahead of them occupied the narrow pass between two hills which led into the country of Arrhabaeus, knowing that there was no other way of retreat for Brasidas. And just as he was coming to the most difficult part of the road, they began to encircle him with a view to cutting him off.

[1] In this way did Brasidas exhort them, and began to lead off his forces. When the barbarians saw it, they pressed on him with much shouting and uproar, thinking that he was flying, ¹ and being determined to overtake and cut him off.

[2] Then, when the reserve companies met them, at whatever point they charged; and Brasidas himself with his picked men withstood the pressure, and they had, contrary to their expectation, resisted their first rush, and, after that, received and repelled them when they came on, but retired themselves, when the enemy withdrew: then indeed the main body of the barbarians ceased attacking the Greeks with Brasidas in the the open country; and having left a portion of their forces to follow and harass them, the rest advanced at a run against the flying Macedonians, cutting down such as they fell in with; and got in time to preoccupy the narrow pass which runs between two hills, into the country of Arrhibaeus, knowing that there was no other way of retreat for Brasidas. And when he was coming to just where the road now became impassable, they proceeded to surround him, with a view to cutting him off.

[1] Brasidas suos his verbis adhortatus, exercitum pedetenlim reducebat. Barbari autem hoc animadverso magna vociferatione ac tumultu ingruebant, existimantes eum fugere, et a se, si eum assecuti essent, interfectum iri.

[2] Sed quum et excursores, quacunque impressionem facerent, iis occurrerent, et ipse cum delecta manu eos invadentes sustineret, ac praeter ipsorum opinionem adversus primum impetum restitissent, et quum deinceps ipsorum quidem irruentium impetum excipientes propulsarent, ipsis vero cessantibus pedem referrent, tunc vero plerique barbarorum avGraecis, qui cum Brasida in locis patentibuc erant, abstinuerunt, sed.quadam suarum copiarum parte relicta* quae eos abeuntes insectaretur, ceten cursu contenderunt in fugientes Macedones, quorum ut in quemque incidebant, eum trucidabant, et angustas fauces inter duos colles sitas, qua patet aditus in Arrhibaei fines , ocius praeoccuparunt , quia sciebant, nullam aliam esse viam, qua Brasidae se recipere posset. Atque quum accederet jam ad ipsam transitus difficultatem ut intercepturi circumsistunt.

Dopo questa esortazione Brasida ritirava le sue genti. Le videro quei barbari , e credendo che fuggissero e che raggiungendole ne farebbero strage furono loro addosso con alto urlo e tumulto. Ma gli scorridori paravansi loro davanti ovunque si presentassero ; e Brasida stesso colla milizia scelta ne sosteneva l' impeto ; talché con sorpresa de’ barbari poterono reggere a quella prima furia. Inóltre i Greci, quando i barbari li assaltavano, facendo alto K ributtavano , quando si fermavano ei proseguivano la loro ritirata. Ma pervenuti i Brasidiani in luoghi aperti, allora desisterono i barbari d' incalzarli : lasciarono però airone bande che seguitassero a tribolarli con frecce , e gli altri si misero a correr dietro ai (uggitivi Macedoni, ammazzandone quanti ne incontravano. Quindi occuparono i primi l’angusto sboccamento di una via tra due colli, che mette sulle terre d’Arribeo, sapendo non vi essere per Brasida altra strada di ritirata. E mentre ei si avvicinava , prendono a circondarlo appunto nel passo più scabroso della strada , tenendone per sicuro l’arresto.