Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.26

[1] Demosthenes, as soon as his forces which he was to carry to the succour of those in Sicily were gotten together, put to sea from Aegina, and sailing into Peloponnesus, joined with Charicles and the thirty galleys that were with him. And having taken aboard some men of arms of the Argives, came to Laconia, and first wasted part of the territory of Epidaurus Limera.

[2] From thence going to that part of Laconia which is over against the island Cythera, where there is a temple of Apollo, they wasted a part of the country and fortified an isthmus there, both that the Helotes might have a refuge in it running away from the Lacedaemonians and that freebooters from thence, as from Pylus, might fetch in prizes from the territory adjoining.

[3] As soon as the place was taken in, Demosthenes himself went on to Corcyra, to take up the confederates there, with intent to go thence speedily into Sicily. And Charicles, having stayed to finish and put a garrison into the fortification, went afterwards with his thirty galleys to Athens; and the Argives also went home.

[1] While the contending parties in Sicily were thus engaged, Demosthenes, having now got together the armament with which he was to go to the island, put out from Aegina , and making sail for Peloponnese , joined Charicles and the thirty ships of the Athenians. Taking on board the heavy infantry from Argos they sailed to Laconia ,

[2] and after first plundering part of Epidarus Limera, landed on the coast of Laconia , opposite Cythera , where the temple of Apollo stands, and laying waste part of the country, fortified a sort of isthmus, to which the Helots of the Lacedaemonians might desert, and from whence plundering incursions might be made as from Pylos .

[3] Demosthenes helped to occupy this place, and then immediately sailed on to Corcyra to take up some of the allies in that island, and so to proceed without delay to Sicily ; while Charicles waited until he had completed the fortification of the place, and leaving a garrison there, returned home subsequently with his thirty ships and the Argives also.

Unterdessen hatte sich Demotshenes, sobald die Flotte, mit
der er nach Sizilien sollte, beisammen war, von Agina nach
dem Peloponnes aufgemacht und mit den dreißig athenischen
Schiffen unter Charikles vereinigt. Darauf waren beide, nach­
dem man die Hopliten in Argos an Bord genommen, nach
Lakonien weitergefahren. Hier verheerten sie zuerst die Um­
gegend Epidauros-Limera und landeten dann an der lakonischen
Küste Kythera gegenüber beim Tempel des Apollon, wo sie einen
Strich Landes verwüsteten. Auch legten sie auf einer vor­
springenden Landspitze ein Festungswerk an, damit die den
Lakedämoniern entlaufenen Heloten sich dahin flüchten und ¹
von dort ihr Räuberhandwerk treiben und wie von Pylos
Streifzüge machen könnten. Demosthenes fuhr gleich, nachdem
er den Platz erst selbst noch mit in Besitz genommen hatte,
mit seiner Flotte nach Kerkyra weiter, um dort noch Bundes­
genossen an Bord zu nehmen und dann die Fahrt nach Sizilien
so schnell wie möglich fortzusetzen. Charikles aber blieb dort,
bis der Platz befestigt war, ließ eine Besatzung darin zurück
und fuhr dann mit seinen dreißig Schiffen und den Argeiern
wieder nach Hause.

XXVI. Démosthènes, lorsqu’il eut sous la main l’armée de renfort qu’il devait conduire en Sicile, leva l’ancre d’Égine, fit voile pour le Péloponnèse, et sejoignit à Chariclès et aux trente vaisseaux athéniens. Ils embarquèrent les hoplites d’Argos, et cinglèrent vers la Laconie. Après avoir ravagé d’abord une partie du territoire d’Épidaure-Liméra, ils abordèrent sur la côte de Laconie, en face de Cythère, là où est le temple d’Apollon, et dévastèrent une portion du territoire; ensuite ils fortifièrent une pointe en forme d’isthme, pour servir de refuge aux Hilotes fugitifs de Lacédémone, et de point d’appui, comme à Pylos, pour exercer le brigandage. Démosthènes, aussitôt après avoir occupé cet emplacement avec Chariclès, cingla vers Corcyre pour y prendre les alliés de cette île et se diriger au plus vite vers la Sicile. Chariclès resta à terminer les fortifications, y laissa une garnison, et revint de son côté à Athènes avec ses trente vaisseaux. Les Argiens s’en retournèrent en même temps.

Quant à Démosthène, dès qu’il eut recueilli les renforts qu’il y devait conduire, il leva l’ancre d’Égine, fit voile pour le Péloponèse et rejoignit Chariclès, ainsi que les trente vaisseaux athéniens. Ils prirent à bord les hoplites d’Argos et cinglèrent vers la Laconie. Après avoir dévasté une partie du territoire d'Épidaure-Liméra, ils allèrent aborder sur la côte de Laconie qui fait face à l’île de Cythère, près du temple d’À-pollpn, et ravagèrent une certaine étendue du pays. Ensuite ils fortifièrent une langue de terre ¹ pour servir d'asile aux Hilotes fugitifs, et de repaire aux brigands qui sortiraient de là, comme de Pylos, pour commettre des déprédations. Ce point solidement occupé, Démosthène cingla vers Corcyre pour y prendre des auxiliaires et se diriger au plus tôt vers la Sicile. Chariclès demeura jusqu’à ce qu’il eût mis la dernière main aux ouvrages. Il y laissa garnison , et revint à Athènes avec ses trente vaisseaux. Lee Argiens rentrèrent également.

[1] But as for Demosthenes, ¹ when the army was collected with which he was to bring aid to Sicily, he set out from Aegina, and sailing to the Peloponnesus effected a junction with Charicles and the Athenian fleet of thirty ships. Then taking on board some Argive hoplites, they sailed against Laconia, ravaging first a part of Epidaurus Limera;

[2] then landing on the coast of Laconia opposite Cythera, where the sanctuary of Apollo is, they ravaged portions of the land and fortified a place shaped like an isthmus, in order that the Helots of the Lacedaemonians might desert thither and that at the same time marauders might make it, as they had made Pylos, a base for their operations.

[3] Immediately afterwards, when he had taken part in occupying this place, Demosthenes sailed on toward Corcyra, in order that he might first take aboard some allied troops there, and then make the voyage to Sicily as quickly as possible. As for Charicles, he waited until he had completed the fortification of the place, and then, leaving a garrison there, sailed back home with his thirty ships, as did the Argives also at the same time.

[1] Demosthenes, on the other hand, when the armament had been collected by him with which he was to sail to Sicily to the aid of the force there, having put to sea from Aegina and sailed to the Peloponnese, joined Charicles and the thirty ships of the Athenians.

[2] After receiving the heavy-armed troops of the Argives on board their ships, they sailed to Laconia, and in the first place ravaged a part of Epidaurus Limera. Then, landing on the coast of Laconia opposite Cythera, where stands the temple of Apollo, they fortified a certain place in the form of an isthmus, in order that the Lacedaemonian helots might desert to them there, and at the same time foraging parties might make incursions from it, as from Pylus.

[3] And now, immediately after assisting to occupy this spot, Demosthenes sailed on for Corcyra, that he might take up some of the allies there also, and proceed as quickly as possible on his voyage to Sicily. Charicles, on the other hand, waited until he had entirely fortified the place; when, having left a garrison there, he, too, afterwards returned home with his thirty ships, and the Argives at the same time.

[1] Demosthenes vero, postquam exercitum collegit, cum quo in Siciliam ad opem suis ferendam erat trajecturus, AEgina digressus in Peloponnesum navigavit, et cum Charide et triginta Atheniensium navibus se conjunxit, et Argivorum militibus in naves assumptis, agrum Laconicum petebant;

[2] ac primum quidem Epidauri Limerm agrum in quadam parte vastarunt, deinde appulsi ad agri Laconici oram, quae est e regione Cytherorum, ubi est Apollinis templum, nonnulla illius agri loca vastarunt, et quemdam locum isthmo similem muniverunt, ut et Lacedaemoniorum servitia illuc transfugerent, et inde latrones, ut ex Pylo, praedatum irent.

[3] Atque Demosthenes quidem statim postquam eum locum conjuncta opera cepit, in Corcyram trajiciebat, ut assumptis illius quoque regionis sociis in Sid-liam quam celerrime navigaret; Cbariclee vero remansit, donec locum munivisset, et praesidio illic relicto postea et ipse cum triginta navibus se domum redpiebat, et Argii i simul.

Ma Demostene poiché ebbe accolto Tesercito col quale doveva andare a soccorrer la Sicilia, salpò da Egina, e rivolto il corso verso il Peloponneso si riunì aCaricle ed alle trenta navi ateniesi. E presi su le navi pochi soldati gravi degli Argivi, navigarono entrambi alla volta della Laconia ; e primieramente scorrazzarono parte del territorio d’Epidauro Limera, quindi approdarono su le coste della Laconia di faccia a Citerà, dove è il tempio d’Apollo, saccheggiarono alcuni luoghi di quelle terre, e presero a munire un posto fatto a forma d’istmo , acciocché gli Iloti che disertassero da’Lacedemoni vi avessero un ridotto; e a modo di ladroni uscendo da quello, come da Pilo, vi praticassero il ladroneccio. Demostene , gettate che vi furono le fondamenta , parti subito per Corfù, volendo at più presto possibile proseguire la sua gita in Sicilia , dopo aver presi seco anehe gli alleati di quei luoghi. E Caricle trattenutosi finché non ebbe condotto a fine le fortificazioni di quel luogo, vi lasciò un presidio, e poi anche egli ritornò a casa con le trenta navi, e con esso gli Argivi.