Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.11

[1] "Athenians, you know by many other my letters what hath passed formerly; nor is it less needful for you to be informed of the state we are in, and to take counsel upon it, at this present.

[2] When we had in many battles beaten the Syracusians, against whom we were sent, and had built the walls within which we now lie, came Gylippus a Lacedaemonian, with an army out of Peloponnesus, and also out of some of the cities of Sicily, and in the first battle was overcome by us; but in the second, forced by his many horsemen and darters, we retired within our works.

[3] Whereupon giving over our walling up of the city for the multitude of our enemies, we now sit still. Nor can we indeed have the use of our whole army, because some part of the men of arms are employed to defend our walls. And they have built a single wall up to us, so that now we have no more means to enclose it, except one should come with a great army and win that cross wall of theirs by assault.

[4] And so it is that we who seemed to besiege others are besieged ourselves for so much as concerneth the land; for we cannot go far abroad by reason of their cavalry.

[1] ‘Our past operations, Athenians, have been made known to you by many other letters; it is now time for you to become equally familiar with our present condition, and to take your measures accordingly.

[2] We had defeated in most of our engagements with them the Syracusans, against whom we were sent, and we had built the works which we now occupy, when Gylippus arrived from Lacedaemon with an army obtained from Peloponnese and from some of the cities in Sicily . In our first battle with him we were victorious; in the battle on the following day we were overpowered by a multitude of cavalry and darters, and compelled to retire within our lines.

[3] We have now, therefore, been forced by the numbers of those opposed to us to discontinue the work of circumvallation, and to remain inactive; being unable to make use even of all the force we have, since a large portion of our heavy infantry is absorbed in the defence of our lines. Meanwhile the enemy have carried a single wall past our lines, thus making it impossible for us to invest them in future, until this cross wall be attacked by a strong force and captured.

[4] So that the besieger in name has become, at least from the land side, the besieged in reality; as we are prevented by their cavalry from even going for any distance into the country.

„Die bisherigen Ereignisse sind euch aus zahlreichen
früheren Berichten bekannt, Athener. Augenblicklich aber ist
es für eure weiteren Entschließungen vollends von Bedeutung,
zu erfahren, in welcher Lage wir hier sind. Nachdem wir die
Syrakuser, gegen die wir ausgesandt waren, in einer Reihe
von Gefechten besiegt und die Festungswerke, in denen wir
uns gegenwärtig befinden, erbaut hatten, kam der Lakedämonier
Gylippos mit Truppen auS dem Peloponnes und einigen sizi­
lischen Städten hier an. In der ersten Schlacht wurde er von
uns besiegt, in der am folgenden Tage aber konnten wir gegen
seine zahlreichen Reiter und Scharfschützen nicht aufkommen
und mußten uns in unsere Werke zurückziehen. Jetzt haben
wir infolge der Menge unserer Feinde die Arbeit an unserer
Ringmauer eingestellt und seitdem nichts weiter unternommen.
Denn unser ganzes Heer würden wir dabei doch nicht ver­
wenden können, da ein Teil des schweren Fußvolks durch den
Wachdienst an der Mauer in Anspruch genommen wird. Auch
haben sie gegen uns eine neue einfache Mauer gebaut, so daß
wir nicht mehr imstande sind, sie ganz einzuschließen, eS sei
denn, daß man diese ihre Mauer mit überlegenen Kräften an­
greifen und erobern könnte. Anstatt, wie wir dachten, sie zu
belagern, müssen wir nun erleben, daß es uns, wenigstens auf
der Landseite, selbst so geht. Denn wegen ihrer Reiterei dürfen
wir uns nicht weit ins Land hinauswagen.

XI « Les faits antérieurs vous sont connus, Athéniens, par beaucoup d’autres lettres : il est opportun que vous ne connaissiez pas moins bien aujourd’hui la situation où nous nous trouvons, pour prendre une décision. Nous avions vaincu dans de nombreux combats les Syracusains contre qui vous nous avez envoyés, et nous avions élevé les retranchements où nous sommes maintenant, lorsque est arrivé le Lacédémonien Gylippos, ¹ avec une armée tirée du Péloponnèse et de quelques villes de Sicile. Nous l’avons vaincu dans une première action; mais le lendemain, forcés par un grand nombre de cavaliers et de gens de trait, nous avons dû rentrer dans nos lignes; et maintenant, contraints parla multitude de nos adversaires à interrompre noire circonvallation, nous y sommes dans l’inaction. Car nous ne pouvons mettre en ligne toute notre armée, la garde des murs occupant une partie des hoplites. D’ailleurs l’ennemi a élevé à côté de nous un mur simple qui ne nous permet plus de les enfermer d’une circonvallation, à moins d’enlever cette barrière, dont l’attaque exige une nombreuse armée; nous paraissons assiéger les autres, et il arrive que c’est plutôt nous qui sommes assiégés, du moins du côté de terre; car la cavalerie ne nous laisse guère nous écarter dans la campagne.

« Mes Nombreux rapports vous ont tenus au courant'de nos opérations précédentes ; aujourd’hui il est à propos que vous soyez également instruits de la situation où nous sommes, afin de prendre un parti décisif.

« Dans la plupart des rencontres, nous avons défait les Sy-racusains, contre lesquels nous avons été envoyés. Déjà noos avions élevé les ouvrages que nous occupons présentement, lorsqu’est venu le Lacédémonien Gylippe, avec des troupes tirées du Péloponèse et de quelques villes de Sicile. Dans une première affaire, nous l’avons vaincu; mais le lendemain, accablés par une nuée de cavaliers et de gens de trait, nous sommes rentrés dans nos lignes. Aujourd’hui nous avons suspendu l’investissement à cause de la multitude de nos adversaires, et nous restons dans l’inaction ; aussi bien ne pourrions-nous faire usage de toutes nos forces, car la garde des ouvrages occupe une partie des hoplites. De plus les ennemis ont élevé, parallèlement à nous, un mur simple; en sorte qu’il n’y a plus moyen de les investir, à moins d’enlever à l’aide de forces supérieures cette nouvelle enceinte. Ainsi nous avons l’air d’assiégeants, et en réalité nous sommes assiégés, au moins du côté de la terre ; car la cavalerie ennemie ne nous permet pas de nous écarter. i

[1] "What has been done before this, Athenians, you have been informed in many earlier letters; but now it is more than ever the time for you to learn in what condition we are and then to take counsel.

[2] When in most of our battles we had beaten the Syracusans, against whom we were sent, and had built the fortifications in which we now are, there came Gylippus, a Lacedaemonian, with an army collected from the Peloponnesus and from some of the cities in Sicily. In the first battle he was defeated by us, but on the next day, under pressure from their numerous cavalry and javelin-men, we drew back within our walls.

[3] At the present time, then, we have discontinued our work of circumvallation on account of the superior numbers of the enemy and are keeping quiet; for we cannot use our whole army because the guarding of the walls has absorbed a part of our heavy-armed force. The enemy meanwhile have built a single wall past ours, so that it is no longer possible to invest them, unless one should assault this counter-wall with a large force and take it.

[4] So it has turned out that we, who are supposed to be besieging others, are rather ourselves under siege, at least by land; for we cannot even go far into the country because of their cavalry.

[1] "With our former operations, Athenians, you have been made acquainted by many other letters; but at present, it is especially seasonable that you should deliberate with a knowledge of the position we are in.

[2] When, then, we had in many engagements defeated the Syracusans, against whom we were sent, and had built the walls in which we are now lying, Gylippus, the Lacedaemonian, came with an army from the Peloponnese and some of the cities in Sicily. And though in the first battle he was beaten by us, in the one fought the next day we were driven from the field by numerous cavalry and dart-men, and retired within our walls.

[3] At present, therefore, we have ceased working at our line of circumvallation, in consequence of the enemy's numbers, and are lying still; (for we should not, indeed, be able to avail ourselves of all our force, since the guarding of our lines has exhausted a considerable part of our heavy-armed;) while they, on the other hand, have carried past us a single wall, so that it is no longer possible to invest them, unless one should assault this counter-work with a large force, and take it.

[4] And the consequence is, that we who are thought to be besieging others, are rather being besieged ourselves, as far as operations by land are concerned; for we cannot even go out far into the country because of their horse.

[1] « Res quidem ante gestas, Athenienses, ex [multis] aliis meis epistolis cognovistis; nunc vero tempus postulat longe magis, quam ante, ut in quo statu sint res nostrae, cognoscatis, et de eo deliberetis.

[2] Quum enim Syracusanos, adversus quos missi sumus, majore prcelioruni parte superassemus, et munitiones exstruxissemus, in qui- bus nunc sumus, venit Gylippus Lacedaemonius cum exercitu , quem ex Peloponneso duxit et ex quibusdam Sicili» civitatibus. Et primo quidem proelio a nobis superatus est, postridie vero ab equitum velitumque multitudine per vim coacti in munitiones nos recepimus.

[3] Nunc igitur nos quidem propter adversariorum multitudinem omissa urbis circumvallatione quiescimus (nec enim omnibus nostris copiis uti possemus, quod munitionum custodia magnam gravis armaturae partem absumit), hostes vero murum simplicem juxta nostrum excitaverunt, ita ut eos amplius circumvallare nequeamus, nisi quis hanc munitionem nostris vicinam cum magnis copiis adortus expugnet.

[4] Atque factum est, ut nos,, qui alios obsidere videbamur, ipsi potius, saltem quod ad terram attinet, hoc patiamur; neo enim in regionem circumjectam propter hostium equitatum procul progredimur.

« Ateniesi, voi avete contezza per molte altre mie lettere delle cose passate : ora poi è tempo che non men bene conosciate a che termine siamo, per poter deliberare. Dopo aver noi vinti in più battaglie i Siracusani contro i quali ci mandaste, e dopo aver fabbricato le mu. ra dentro cui ci troviamo, è venuto Gilippo lacedemone con esercito accolto dal Peloponneso e da alcune città di Sicilia. Nella prima battaglia ei restò superato da noi ; ma nella seconda, stretti da molti cavalli e laudatori, dovemmo ripararci dentro le mura. Laonde al presente sospeso il lavoro della circonvallazione, stante la moltitudine de’nemici, siamo inoperosi ; essendoché non possiamo pur valerci di tutto l’esercito, mentre non piccola parte delle geliti gravi si spendono alla guardia delle nostre fortificazioni, lungo le quali hanno i nemici alzato un semplice muro, che ci toglie il modo di poterli circonvallare , a meno che con molto esercito non si assalga, e si espugri questo muro oppostoci. Ed è avvenuto che dove credevamo di assediare gli altri, noi piuttosto ci troviamo a patir ciò, almeno per la parte di terra ; imperocché a causa della loro cavalleria non possiamo neppure allargarci molto per la campagna.