Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.25

[1] In this strait then the Syracusians and their confederates, with somewhat more than thirty galleys, were constrained in the latter end of the day to come to a sea-fight, having been drawn forth about the passage of a certain boat to undertake sixteen galleys of Athens and eight of Rhegium, and being overcome by the Athenians, fell off with the loss of one galley and went speedily each [side] to their own camp at Messana and Rhegium;

[2] and the night overtook them in the action.

[3] After this the Locrians departed out of the territory of the Rhegians, and the fleet of the Syracusians and their confederates came together to an anchor at Peloris and had their land-forces by them.

[4] But the Athenians and Rhegians came up to them and, finding their galleys empty of men, fell in amongst them; and by means of a grapnel cast into one of their galleys they lost that galley, but the men swam out.

[5] Upon this the Syracusians went aboard, and whilst they were towed along the shore towards Messana the Athenians came up to them again; and the Syracusians, opening themselves, charged first and sunk another of their galleys.

[6] So the Syracusians passed on to the port of Messana, having had the better in their passage by the shore and in the sea-fight, which were both together in such manner as is declared.

[7] The Athenians, upon news that Camarina should by Archias and his complices be betrayed to the Syracusians, went thither. In the meantime the Messanians, with their whole power by land and also with their fleet, warred on Naxos, a Chalcidique city and their borderer.

[8] The first day, having forced the Naxians to retire within their walls, they spoiled their fields; the next day they sent their fleet about into the river Acesine, which spoiled the country [as it went up the river], and with their land-forces assaulted the city.

[9] In the meantime many of the Siculi, mountaineers, came down to their assistance against the Messanians, which when they of Naxos perceived, they took heart and, encouraging themselves with an opinion that the Leontines and all the rest of the Grecians their confederates had come to succour them, sallied suddenly out of the city and charged upon the Messanians and put them to flight with the slaughter of a thousand of their soldiers, and the rest hardly escaping home.

[10] For the barbarians fell upon them and slew the most part of them in the highways. And the galleys that lay at Messana not long after divided themselves and went to their several homes. Hereupon the Leontines and their confederates, together with the Athenians, marched presently against Messana, as being now weakened, and assaulted it, the Athenians with their fleet by the haven and the land-forces at the wall to the field.

[11] But the Messanians and certain Locrians with Demoteles, who after this loss had been left there in garrison, issuing forth and falling suddenly upon them, put a great part of the Leontines' army to flight and slew many. But the Athenians, seeing that, disbarked and relieved them and, coming upon the Messanians now in disorder, chased them again into the city.

[12] Then they erected a trophy and put over to Rhegium. After this, the Grecians of Sicily warred one upon another without the Athenians.

[1] In this strait the Syracusans and their allies were compelled to engage, late in the day, about the passage of a boat, putting out with rather more than thirty ships against sixteen Athenian and eight Rhegian vessels.

[2] Defeated by the Athenians they hastily set off, each for himself, to their own stations at Messina and Rhegium , with the loss of one ship; night coming on before the battle was finished.

[3] After this the Locrians retired from the Rhegian territory, and the ships of the Syracusans and their allies united and came to anchor at Cape Pelorus in the territory of Messina , where their land forces joined them.

[4] Here the Athenians and Rhegians sailed up, and seeing the ships unmanned, made an attack, in which they in their turn lost one vessel, which was caught by a grappling iron, the crew saving themselves by swimming.

[5] After this the Syracusans got on board their ships, and while they were being towed along shore to Messina , were again attacked by the Athenians, but suddenly got out to sea and became the assailants, and caused them to lose another vessel.

[6] After thus holding their own in the voyage along shore and in the engagement as above described, the Syracusans sailed on into the harbour of Messina .

[7] Meanwhile the Athenians, having received warning that Camarina was about to be betrayed to the Syracusans by Archias and his party, sailed thither; and the Messinese took this opportunity to attack by sea and land with all their forces their Chalcidian neighbor, Naxos .

[8] The first day they forced the Naxians to keep their walls, and laid waste their country; the next they sailed round with their ships, and laid waste their land on the river Akesines, while their land forces menaced the city.

[9] Meanwhile the Sicels came down from the high country in great numbers, to aid against the Messinese; and the Naxians, elated at the sight, and animated by a belief that the Leontines and their other Hellenic allies were coming to their support, suddenly sallied out from the town, and attacked and routed the Messinese, killing more than a thousand of them; while the remainder suffered severely in their retreat home, being attacked by the barbarians on the road, and most of them cut off.

[10] The ships put in to Messina , and afterwards dispersed for their different homes. The Leontines and their allies, with the Athenians, upon this at once turned their arms against the now weakened Messina , and attacked, the Athenians with their ships on the side of the harbour, and the land forces on that of the town.

[11] The Messinese, however, sailing out with Demoteles and some Locrians who had been left to garrison the city after the disaster, suddenly attacked and routed most of the Leontine army, killing a great number; upon seeing which the Athenians landed from their ships, and falling on the Messinese in disorder chased them back into the town, and setting up a trophy retired to Rhegium .

[12] After this the Hellenes in Sicily continued to make war on each other by land, without the Athenians.

In diesem Sunde wurden nun die Syrakuser und ihre
Bundesgenossen mit etwas über dreißig Schiffen spät abends
wegen eines SchiffeS, das hindurchfahren wollte, mit sechzehn
athenischen und acht rhegischen Schiffen in eine Schlacht ver­
wickelt. Von den Athenern besiegt, fuhren sie schleunigst ab
und suchten jeder auf gut Glück wieder an seinen bisherigen
Standort bei Messene oder Rhegion zu gelangen, wobei sie ein
Schiff verloren; die Nacht machte der Sache ein Ende. Hierauf
zogen die Lokrer aus dem Gebiete von Rhegion ab, die Schiffe
der Syrakuser und ihrer Bundesgenossen aber sammelten sich
beim Vorgebirge Peloris im Messenischen und gingen dort vor
Anker, wo auch ihr Landheer in der Nähe stand. Als die
Athener und die Rhegier hier an sie herankamen und die
Schiffe leer sahen, griffen sie an, verloren dabei aber selbst
ein Schiff, das durch eiserne Hände erfaßt wurde, dessen
Mannschaft sich jedoch durch Schwimmen rettete. Die Syra­
kuser gingen darauf wieder an Bord und ließen ihre Schiffe
am Strande entlang an der Leine nach'Messene ziehen. Nun
griffen die Athener sie abermals an, verloren dabei aber, da
jene in See ausholten und auf sie einschwenkten, noch ein
zweites Schiff. So waren die Syrakuser bei ihrer Strand-
fahrt und in dem dabei vorgefallenen Gefechte gut weggekommen
und gelangten glücklich in den Hafen von Messene. Die Athener
aber fuhren auf die Nachricht, daß Kamarina von Archias und
seiner Partei den Syrakusern in die Hände gespielt werden
sollte, mit ihrer Flotte dorthin. Unterdessen zogen die Messenier
zu Lande mit ihrem ganzen Heere und zugleich mit ihrer Flotte
gegen ihre Nachbarstadt, das chalkidische Naxos. Am ersten
Tage trieben sie die Naxier in die Stadt hinein und verheerten
ihr Land; am folgenden Tage fuhren sie mit ihren Schiffen
um die Stadt herum nach dem Flusse Akesines und verheerten
auch hier das Land, während sie mit dem Landheere einen
Angriff auf die Stadt machten. Unterdessen aber kamen die
Sikeler in hellen Haufen über ihre Berge herab und fielen
über die Messenier her. Als die Naxier das sahen, faßten sie
neuen Mut, und da sie sich darauf trösteten, daß auch die
Leontiner und andere griechische Bundesgenossen jeden Augen­
blick zu ihrem Entsatz eintreffen würden, machten sie plötzlich
einen Ausfall aus der Stadt, überfielen die Messenier und
schlugen sie in die Flucht, wobei sie über tausend niedermachten.
Auch den übrigen ging es auf dem Rückzüge schlimm genug;
denn die Eingeborenen fielen unterwegs noch über sie her und
rieben sie fast völlig auf. Auch die bei Messene liegenden
Schiffe fuhren darauf alle wieder nach Hause. Da die
Messenier so gründlich geschlagen waren, zogen die Leontiner
und ihre Bundesgenossen mit den Athenern sogleich vor Messene
und machten mit dem Landheer einen Angriff auf die Stadt,
während die Athener sich mit der Flotte gegen den Hafen
wandten. Die Messenier aber und eine Anzahl Lokrer unter
Demoteles, die nach der Niederlage dort als Besatzung ge­
blieben waren, machten einen Ausfall, griffen das leontinische
Heer unvermutet an, schlugen es größtenteils in die Flucht
und töteten viele. Als die Athener das sahen, kamen sie auch
von ihren Schiffen herbei, warfen sich auf die in Unordnung
geratenen Messenier und trieben sie wieder in die Stadt.
Darauf errichteten sie ein Siegeszeichen und kehrten nach
Rhegion zurück. Von nun an setzten die Griechen in Sizilien
den Krieg zu Lande ohne die Athener untereinander fort.

XXV. Ce fut dans ce détroit que les Syracusains et leurs alliés, avec un peu plus de trente vaisseaux, furent amenés à combattre, à une heure avancée de la journée, à propos d’une barque qui traversait. Ils s’a- vancèrent contre seize vaisseaux d’Athènes et huit de Rhégium. Mais, vaincus par les Athéniens, ils perdirent un vaisseau ; chacun regagna, comme il put, sa station, les uns à Messène, les autres à Rhégium. La nuit mit fin à l’action.

Les Locriens sortirent ensuite du territoire de Rhégium. Les vaisseaux de Syracuse et des alliés se réunirent et abordèrent à Péloris ¹ , dépendance dé Messine, où se trouvait aussi l’armée de terre. Les Athéniens et ceux de Rhégium ayant fait voile de ce côté virent les vaisseaux vides et les attaquèrent. Mais un de leurs bâtiments fut accroché par une main de fer ² et l’équipage dut l’abandonner pour se sauver à la nage. Les Syracusains remontèrent sur leurs vaisseaux et se dirigèrent vers Messène en les remorquant le long de la côte avec des câbles. Attaqués de nouveau par les Athéniens, ils prirent le large, fondirent sur eux, et leur firent perdre un second bâtiment. Ils effectuèrent ainsi leur retraite le long des côtes, et rentrèrent au port de Messène, après avoir combattu sans désavantage.

Les Athéniens, sur l’avis que Camarina ³ allait être livrée aux Syracusains par Archias et ses adhérents, firent voile vers cette place. En même temps, les Mes- séniens se portèrent en masse, par terre et par mer, contre Naxos ⁴ Chalcidique, qui leur est limitrophe. Le premier jour ils forcèrent les Naxiens à s’enfermer dans leur ville, et ravagèrent le pays. Le lendemain ils remontèrent avec leurs vaisseaux le fleuve Acésine ⁵ , et dévastèrent la campagne, pendant que leurs troupes de terre attaquaient la ville. Mais sur ces entrefaites, les Sicules ⁶ descendirent en grand nombre des montagnes, et attaquèrent les Messéniens. Les Naxiens prirent confiance, à cette vue ; ils s’exhortèrent mutuellement, dans la pensée que les Léontins et d’autres Grecs alliés venaient à leur secours ; ils sortirent précipitamment de la ville, tombèrent sur les Messéniens. les mirent en fuile et en tuèrent plus de mille. Les autres eurent grand’peine à rentrer chez eux : car les barbares, tombant sur eux, dans les chemins, en massacrèrent le plus grand nombre. La flotte revint mouiller à Messène ; elle se sépara ensuite, et chacun rentra chez soi. Aussitôt les Léontins et leurs alliés, unis aux Athéniens, profitèrent des désastres de Messène pour l’attaquer. Les Athéniens dirigèrent leurs efforts sur le port, et l’armée de terre contre la ville. Mais les Messéniens firent une sortie, avec quelques Locriens sous les ordres de Démotèle, qui, après leur échec, étaient restés en garnison dans la place. Ils tombèrent à l’improviste sur l’armée des Léontins, les mirent en fuite, et en tuèrent un grand nombre. Les Athéniens, à cette vue, descendirent de leurs vaisseaux, se portèrent au secours de leurs alliés, tombèrent sur les Messéniens en désordre et les poursuivirent jusqu’à la ville. Après avoir élevé un trophée, ils retournèrent à Rhégium.

Les Grecs de Sicile continuèrent ensuite la lutte sur terre, sans l’intervention des Athéniens.

Ce fut dans ce détroit que les Syracusains et leurs alliés, avec un peu plus de trente vaisseaux, furent contraints d’engager, à une heure tardive, un combat pour un bâtiment qui traversait. Us s’avancèrent contre seize vaisseaux d’Athènes et huit de Rhégion; ils furent vaincus par les Athéniens et perdirent un vaisseau; après quoi, chacun n’eut rien de pins pressé que de regagner sa station de Messine ou de Rhégion. Le combat avait duré jusqu’à la nuit.

Les Locriens évacuèrent ensuite le paye de Rhégion, tandis que la flotte des Syracusains et de leurs alliée alla mouiller à Péloris, place appartenant à Messine, et où se trouvait leur armée de terre. Les Athéniens et les Rhégiens firent voile de ce côté. Voyant les vaisseaux désarmés, ils les attaquèrent ; mais ils perdirent un de leurs bâtiments, qui fut accroché par une main de fer ¹ ; l’équipage se sauva à la nage. Là-dessus les Syracusains remirent en mer et se halèrent le long de la côte jusqu’à Messine. Attaqués derechef par les Athéniens, ils virèrent au large, fondirent sur eux et leur firent perdre un second vaisseau. Ainsi les Syracusains rentrèrent dans le portée Messine, sans avoir eu le désavantage ni dans le trajet ni dans ce combat.

Les Athéniens einglèrent vers Camarine, sur la nouvelle que cette ville allait être livrée aux Syracusains par Archias et ses adhérents. En même temps les îiessiniens se portèrent en masse, par terre et par mer, sur Naxos-la-Chalddique ² , .dont le teiri-toire confine au leur. Le premier jour, ils renfermèrent les Naxiens dans leurs murailles et coururent le pays. Le lendemain, l’armée navale s’avança jusqu’à l'embouchure de l’Acésinès ³ et ravagea la campagne, pendant que rtonée de terre assaillait la ville. Mais, sur ces entrefaites, les Sicules descendirent en forces de leurs montagnes pour attaquer les Messi-niens. A leur aspect, les Naxiens reprirent courage, et s’exhortant mutuellement, dans la pensée que c’étaient les Léontins et d’autres Grecs alliés qui venaient à leur secours, ils firent une brusque sortie, tombèrent sur les Messiniens, les mirent en fuite et en tuèrent plus de mille. Les autres eurent bien de la peine à s’échapper; les Barbares leur coupèrent la retraite et les massacrèrent pour la plupart. La flotte revint à Messine; après quoi elle fut dissoute , et chacun regagna ses foyers.

Aussitôt les Léontins, croyant Messine hors d’état de se défendre, firent une expédition contre elle, de concert avec leurs alliés et les Athéniens. Cenx-ci dirigèrent leurs attaques contre le port, l’armée de terre contre la ville. Les Messiniens filent une sortie avec quelques Loc riens que commandait Démotélès, et qui, après là défaite précédente, avaient été laissés en garnison dans la place. Us fondirent à Timproviste sur les Léontine, les culbutèrent et en tuèrent un grand nombre. À cette vue, les Athéniens descendirent de leurs vaisseaux pour secourir leurs alliés, et, tombant sur les Messiniens en désordre, ils les rejetèrent dans la ville. Puis ils dressèrent un trophée et retournèrent à Rhégiôn.

Depuis ce moment, les Grecs de Sicile continuèrent leurs luttes intestines sur terre et sur mer, sans la coopération des Athéniens.

[1] Now it was in this strait that the Syracusans and their allieswere compelled one day toward evening to fight for a vessel which was making the passage; and with thirty odd ships they put out against sixteen Athenian and eight Rhegian ships.

[2] They were defeated by the Athenians, and hastily sailed back, each contingent as best it could, to their own camps, having lost one ship; and night came on while they were in action. After this the Locrians left the territory of the Rhegians;

[3] and the ships of the Syracusans and their allies assembled at Peloris in Messene, where they anchored and were joined by their land-forces. The Athenians and the Rhegians sailed up, and seeing that the Syracusan ships were unmanned attacked them;

[4] but they themselves lost one ship, which was caught by a grappling-iron cast upon it, the crew having leaped overboard.

[5] After this the Syracusans embarked and their ships were being towed along the shore by ropes toward Messene when the Athenians attacked again, but lost another ship, since the Syracusans made a sudden turn outwards and charged them first.

[6] In the passage along the shore, then, and in the sea-fight that followed in this unusual fashion, the Syracusans had the best of it, and at length gained the harbour at Messene.
  But the Athenians, on the report that Camarina was to be betrayed to the Syracusans by Archias and his faction, sailed thither.

[7] The Messenians meanwhile took all their land-forces and also the allied fleet and made an expedition against Naxos, the Chalcidian settlement on their borders.

[8] On the first day they confined the Naxians within their walls and ravaged their lands; on the next day, while their fleet sailed round to the river Acesines and ravaged the land there, their army assaulted the city of Naxos.

[9] Meanwhile the Sicels came down over the heights in large numbers to help in resisting the Messenians. When the Naxians saw them coming, they took heart, and calling to each other that the Leontines and their other Hellenic allies were approaching to defend them rushed suddenly out of the city and fell upon the Messenians, putting them to flight and killing over a thousand of them. The rest got back home with difficulty; for the barbarians attacked them in the roads and killed most of them. And the allied fleet, after putting in at Messene, dispersed to their several homes.

[10] Thereupon the Leontines and their allies, in company with the Athenians, immediately made an expedition against Messene, believing it to be weakened, and attempted an assault upon it, the Athenians attacking with their ships on the side of the harbour, while the land forces moved against the town.

[11] But the Messenians and some of the Locrians, who, under the command of Demoteles, had been left there as a garrison after the disaster at Naxos, made a sortie, and falling suddenly upon them routed the larger part of the army of the Leontines and killed many of them. Seeing this the Athenians disembarked and came to their aid, and attacking the Messenians while they were in disorder pursued them back into the city; they then set up a trophy and withdrew to Rhegium.

[12] After this the Hellenes in Sicily, without the cooperation of the Athenians, continued to make expeditions against one another by land.

[1] In this strait then the Syracusans and their allies, with rather more than thirty ships, were compelled to engage, late in the day, about the passage of a boat, and put out to meet sixteen vessels from Athens and eight from Rhegium.

[2] Being defeated by the Athenians, they sailed off with all speed, as they severally happened, to their own camps, the one at Rhegium, the other at Messana, after the loss of one ship, night having overtaken them in the action. After this, the Locrians withdrew from the Rhegian territory;

[3] and the fleet of the Syracusans and their allies united and came to anchor at Cape Pelorus in the Messanian territory, their land-forces having also joined them.

[4] The Athenians and Rhegians sailed up to them, and seeing their ships unmanned, attacked them, and now on their side lost a ship, through an iron grapple having been thrown on it, but the men swam out of it.

[5] Afterwards, when the Syracusans had gone on board their ships, and were being towed along shore to Messana, the Athenians again advanced against them, and lost another vessel, the enemy having ¹ got their ships out into the open sea, and charged them first.

[6] Thus the Syracusans had the advantage in the passage along shore and in the engagement, which was such as has been described, and passed on to the port of Messana.

[7] The Athenians, on receiving tidings that Camarina was going to be betrayed to the Syracusans by Archias and his party, sailed thither; while the Messanians, in the mean time, with all their forces made an expedition, at once by land and by sea, against Naxos, a Chalcidian town near their borders.

[8] The first day, having driven the Naxians within their walls, they ravaged the land, and the next day sailed round with their fleet, and did the same in the direction of the river Acesines, while with their land-forces they made their incursion towards the city.

[9] Meanwhile the Sicels came down from the highlands in great numbers to assist against the Messanians; and when the Naxians saw them, they took courage, and cheering themselves with the belief that the Leontines and other Grecian allies were coming to their aid, made a sudden sally from the town, and fell upon the Messanians, and having routed them, slew more than a thousand, the rest having a miserable return homeward; for the barbarians fell upon them on the road, and cut off most of them.

[10] The ships, having put in at Messana, subsequently dispersed for their several homes. Immediately after this, the Leontines and their allies, in conjunction with the Athenians, turned their arms against Messana, in the belief of its having been weakened; and attempted it by an attack, the Athenians with their ships on the side of the harbour, the land-forces on the side of the town.

[11] But the Messanians, and some Locrians with Demoteles, who after its disaster had been left in it as a garrison, suddenly fell upon them, and routed the greater part of the Leontine troops, and slew many of them. The Athenians, on seeing it, landing from their ships, went to their assistance, and drove the Messanians back again into the town, having come upon them while in confusion; they then erected a trophy and returned to Rhegium.

[12] After this, the Greeks in Sicily continued to make war on each other by land without the co-operation of the Athenians.

[1] In hoc igitur medio spatio Syracusani eorumque socii cum navibus paulo plus triginta sub serum diei proelium navale committere coacti sunt de navigio cursum illae tenente, obviam prodeuntes adversus sexdecim Atticas et octo Rheginas naves.

[2] Et victi ab Atheniensibus celeriter se receperunt, ut quibusque licuit, in castra sua et ad Messanam et ad Rhegium, una navi amissa; noxque suo interventu proelium diremit.

[3] Postea vero Locri quidem ex Rheginorum agro discesserunt, Syracusanorum vero so-ciorumque naves ad Peloridem, quae est agri Messanensis, coactae stationem habebant, iisque peditatus aderat.

[4] Advecti vero Athenienses et Rhegini, quum naves vacuas animadverterent, impressionem in eas fecerunt manuque ferrea injecta unam navem eorum depresserunt, viris ex ea natando elapsis.

[5] Postea vero, quum Syracusani naves ingressi essent et ad Messanam remulco tracti veherentur, Athenienses impetu rursus in eos facto, illis in gyrum conversis et prius aggressis, alteram navem amiserunt.

[6] Syracusani autem, quum in hac praetervectione, proelioquc navali, quod hujusmodi fuit, rem non deteriore conditione gessissent, in Messanae portum se receperunt

[7] Atque Athenienses quidem, quum per nuntios intellexissent, Camarinam Syracusanis ab Archia ejusque sociis prodi, eo navigarunt. Messanenses vero interea cum omnibus totius populi copiis terra marique simul expeditionem susceperuit adversus Naxum Chalcidicam, quae finitima erat

[8] Pri-moque die Naxiis intra moenia conclusis, agrum vastabant; postero vero die classe circumvecti per fluvium Acesinen agrum vastabant, cum peditatu autem ad urbem oppugnandam accesserunt

[9] Interea vero Siculi mulli, qui ia montibus habitabant, ad opem Naxiis contra Messanenses ferendam descenderunt. Quos ut conspexere Naxii, sumptis animis mutuo se adhortantur, quod Leontini oeterique socii Graeci ad opem sibi ferendam adventarent, ex urbe subito erumpentes impetum in Messanenses fecerunt, illis-que in fugam versis supra mille interfecerunt, ceterique domum aegre se receperunt; nam etiam barbari in viis impetum in eos fecerunt et maximam partem perdiderunt.

[10] Et naves, quae ad Messanam appulerant, postea diversae domum se receperunt. Leontini autem sociique cum Atheniensibus statim adversus Messanam, ut bello attritam, bellum suscipiebant, et oppugnantes eam, Athenienses quidem cum classe ad portum, peditatus vero ad urbem rem temptabant.

[11] Sed eruptione facta Messanenses et ex Locris aliquot cum Demotele, qui post cladem acceptam urbis praesidio relicti erant, repente adorti exercitus Leontinorum magnam partem in fugam verterunt multos-que interfecerunt. Quod quum vidisseut Athenienses et ex navibus exscensum in terram fecissent, opem ferebant, et Messanenses insecuti intra urbis muros concluserunt, eos perturbatos aggressi; erectoque tropaeo Rhegium reverterunt.

[12] Post haec Graeci, qui erant in Sicilia, sine Atheniensibus alii alios mutuo bello terra infestabant.

[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

Pertanto in questo spazio tramezzo, al tardi del giorno, i Siracusani e i loro alleati con poco più di trenta navi furono costretti a combattere, per cagione di una barca che traversava, avanzandosi incontro a sedici navi ateniesi e otto di Reggio : e vinti dagli Ateniesi tornarono frettolosamente , come ognuno potè , ai propri alloggiamenti di Messina e di Reggio colla perdita di una sola nave. La notte sopraggiunta pose fine al conflitto , dopo il quale i Locresi si ritirarono dal territorio de’ Reggini ' e le navi di Siracusa e degli alleati riunitesi alla Peloride che fa parte del messinese , ove erano anche le genti da piè, vi presero stazione. Gli Ateniesi poi ed i Reggini, viste le navi vuote, vogarono ad assalirle ; e per un ronciglio di ferro scagliatovi sopra perderono una nave, dalla quale i soldati fuggirono a nuoto. Quindi i Siracusani montarono sulle navi, e costeggiando mediante Talzaia per alla volta di Messina, andavano gli Ateniesi nuovamente ad affrontarli : se non che i nemici tiratisi all’alto tornarono ad assalir loro i primi, sicché perdono un’altra nave. Dipoi i Siracusani si ricondussero nel porto di Messina senza aver avuta la peggio nè in questo tragitto, nè uel conflitto navale combattuto come dicemmo : e gli Ateniesi fecer vela per Camarina avuto lingua che Archia co’ suoi partigiani la renderebbe per tradimento ai Siracusani. Intanto i Messinesi con tutta l’oste andarono per la via di terra e di mare contro Nasso calcidico loro confinante. Il primo giorno, stretti i Nassii dentro le mura , saccheggiarono la campagna. Il dì seguente andando colle navi a seconda del tortuoso fiume Acesine guastavano la terra , e con la fanteria davano l’assalto a Nasso. Allora i Siciliesi di su i monti calavano in gran numero contro i Messinesi a soccorso dei Nassii, i quali a tal vista rinfrancandosi e animandosi tra loro , perchè credevano esser quelli i Leontini ed altri alleati greci che corressero in loro aiuto , si precipitano improvvisamente fuori di città, assaltano i Messinesi, gli sbaragliano e ne uccidono sopra mille : il resto penò a ritornarsene a casa ; perchè quei barbari scagliandosi loro addosso nelle strade ne trucidarono moltissimi. In seguito le navi che aveano preso porto a Messina tornarono ciascuna ai loro luoghi. I Leontini colla loro lega e con gli Ateniesi andarono drittamente contro Messina, profittando dello scoraggiamento di lei : e dandosi l’assalto gli Ateniesi fecero le loro prove dalla parte del porto colla fiotta, e la fanteria dall’altra parte della città. Ma i Messinesi, ed alcuni Locresi con Demotele, che dopo la ricevuta sconGlta v’erano stati lasciati di presidio, fecero una sortita , ed investendo repentinamente il nemico fugano gran parte dell’esercito de’ Leontini, coll’uccisione di molti. A tal vista gli Ateniesi scesero dalle navi per andare in soccorso, e piombando su i Messinesi disordinati gli perseguitarono fino alla città , ed eretto il trofeo ritornarono a Reggio. Dopo di che i Greci di Sicilia senza gli Ateniesi, seguitarono a guerreggiarsi in terra scambievolmente.