Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.38

[1] Having spent much of the day in charging and retiring and trying each other, and performed nothing worth the mentioning, save that the Syracusians sank a galley or two of the Athenians, they parted again; and the land soldiers retired at the same time from the wall of the Athenian camp.

[2] The next day the Syracusians lay still without showing any sign of what they meant to do. Yet Nicias, seeing that the battle by sea was with equality and imagining that they would fight again, made the captains to repair their galleys, such as had been torn, and two great ships to be moored without those piles which he had driven into the sea before his galleys, to be instead of a haven enclosed.

[3] These ships he placed about two acres' breadth asunder, to the end, if any galley chanced to be pressed, it might safely run in and again go safely out at leisure. In performing of this the Athenians spent a whole day from morning until night.

[1] After spending a great part of the day in advancing and retreating and skirmishing with each other, without either being able to gain any advantage worth speaking of, except that the Syracusans sank one or two of the Athenian vessels, they parted, the land force at the same time retiring from the lines.

[2] The next day the Syracusans remained quiet, and gave no signs of what they were going to do; but Nicias, seeing that the battle had been a drawn one, and expecting that they would attack again, compelled the captains to refit any of the ships that had suffered, and moored merchant vessels before the stockade which they had driven into the sea in front of their ships,

[3] to serve instead of an enclosed harbor, at about two hundred feet from each other, in order that any ship that was hard pressed might be able to retreat in safety and sail out again at leisure. These preparations occupied the Athenians all day until nightfall.

Nachdem beide den Tag über lange vor- und rückwärts
gerudert und ihre Kräfte gemessen hatten, ohne einen nennens­
werten Erfolg zu erzielen, nur daß die Syrakuser den Athenern
ein paar Schiffe versenkt hatten, stellten sie den Kampf ein.
Gleichzeitig zog sich auch ihr Landheer von der Mauer zurück.
Am folgenden Tage ließen sich die Syrakuser nicht blicken,
und man merkte nicht, was sie vorhatten. Da Nikias sah,
daß die Schlacht unentshcieden geblieben war, und sich auf
einen neuen Angriff gefaßt machte, wies er die Trierarchen
an, ihre Schiffe, soweit sie beschädigt waren, wieder auszu­
bessern, und verankerte Lastschiffe vor dem Pfahlwerke der
Athener, das er in Ermangelung eines umshclossenen Hafens
zum Schutze der Schiffe in der See angelegt hatte. Die
Lastschiffe wurden in Abständen von zwei Plethren verlegt^
damit die etwa gefährdeten Kriegsschiffe sich in Sicherheit
zurückziehen und ungehindert wieder auskaufen könnten. Mit
diesen Zurüstungen waren die Athener bis in die Nacht be­
schäftigt.

XXXVIII. Pendant la plus grande partie du jour on manoeuvra en avant, en arrière, on se tâta mutuellement, mais sans rien de décisif de part ni d’autre; seulement les Syracusains coulèrent un ou deux bâtiments et on se sépara. L’armée de terre s’éloigna en même temps des murailles. Le lendemain, les Syracusains se tinrent en repos sans rien manifester de leurs desseins. Néanmoins Nicias, voyant que dans le combat naval les chances s’étaient balancées et s’attendant à une nouvelle attaque, enjoignit aux triérarques de réparer ceux des vaisseaux qui pouvaient avoir souffert, et fit mouiller des bâtiments de charge en avant des pilotis que les Athéniens avaient plantés en mer ¹ devant leur flotte, pour leur tenir lieu de port fermé. Ces bâtiments furent espacés à une distance de deux plèthres ² , afin que, si quelque vaisseau était serré de trop près, il trouvât en arrière une retraite sûre d’où il pût à loisir ^{3 4} retourner à la charge. Ces dispositions occupèrent les Athéniens tout le jour, jusqu’à la nuit.

Une bonne partie du jour fut employée à manœuvrer en avant, en arrière, à se tâter réciproquement, sans aucun avantage prononcé ni d’un côté ni de l’autre, si ce n’est que'les Syracusains coulèrent un ou deux vaisseaux athéniens : ensuite, on se sépara. L’année de terre se retira aussi de devant les murs.

Le jour suivant les Syracusains Se tinrent tranquilles, sans manifester leurs intentions. Nicias, qui s’attendait à une nouvelle attaque après l’issue douteuse du combat naval, obligea les triérarques à réparer leurs avaries. Il fit mettre à l’ancre des bâtiments de charge en avant de l’estacade qu’il avait établie dans la mer, pour abriter la flotte et tenir lieu de port fermé. Les bâtiments furent placés de deux en deux plèthres ¹ , afin que le vaisseau qui serait pressé par l’ennemi pût se retirer en sûreté et ressortir à son aise. Ces opérations occupèrent les Athéniens tout le jour jusqu’à la nuit.

[1] But after they had skirmished with one another for a great part of the day, advancing and backing away, and neither side was able to win any advantage worth mentioning, except that the Syracusans sank one or two of the Athenian ships, they separated;

[2] and the land-force at the same time withdrew from the walls.
  On the next day the Syracusans kept quiet, giving no indication of what they would do next. Nicias, on the other hand, seeing that the issue of the sea-fight had been a draw and expecting the enemy to attack again, compelled the trierarchs to repair their ships, in case any had suffered damage, and anchored merchant-ships in front of the Athenian stockade, which had been planted in the sea in front of their ships to serve in place of an enclosed harbour.

[3] These merchant-ships he placed at intervals of about two hundred feet from one another, in order that any ships which should be hard pressed might find safe refuge inside and again sail out at leisure. In these preparations the Athenians spent the whole day until nightfall.

[1] For a great part of the day they continued advancing and retiring and making attempts upon one another; and when neither party could gain any advantage worth mentioning, except that the Syracusans sank one or two of the Athenians' ships, they separated; and the troops at the same time withdrew from the walls.

[2] The next day the Syracusans remained quiet, without showing at all what were their plans for the future. Nicias, on the other hand, seeing that the battle had been a drawn one, and expecting that they would attack them again, compelled the captains to refit their ships, whichever of them had at all suffered; and stationed merchantmen before the stockade which had been fixed in the sea in front of their ships, to serve the purpose of an enclosed harbour.

[3] These vessels he placed at intervals of two hundred feet from each other, that if any ship were hard pressed, it might have means of retreating in safety and sailing out again at leisure. The Athenians, then, continued to make these preparations during the whole day until the night.

[1] Quum autem ad multum illius diei spatium et invadendo et recedendo mutuo se temptassent et neutri aliquod memorabile detrimentum alteris inferre possent, nisi quod Syracusani unam aut alteram Atheniensium navem depresserunt, prcelio dirempto discesserunt; et peditatus simul a munitionibus abscessit.

[2] Postridie vero Syracusani quidem quiescebant, nullo modo declarantes, quidnam essent acturi; Nicias vero cernens , aequales fuisse in navali proelio vires et existimans, eos rursus impetum facturos, et trierarchos cogebat, ut naves reficerent, si qua damnum aliquod accepisset, et onerarias produxit ante suum vallum, quod ante naves suas, ut portus clausi loco esset, in mari defixum erat.

[3] Distantes vero onerarias binum circiter jugerum spatio alteram ab altera collocavit, ut si qua navis premeretur, tutum esset refugium, et rursus per otium exeundi facultas. Athenienses autem in his apparandis rebus totum diem ad noctem usque perstiterunt.

E dopo essersi investiti e respinti scambievolmente con la flotta per buona pezza del giorno, c dopo mutui sforzi, senza che veruna delle pa^ti potesse ottenere nulla che valga la pena d’esser narrato (se non fosse che i Siracusani affondarono una o due navi ateniesi), si separarono ; e le genti da pié partirono dai muri. Il giorno dopo i Siracusani stavano quieti non volendo dare a divedere quello che meditavano di fare. Ma Nicia, che avea visto bilanciato l’esito della battaglia, e che si aspettava che i nemici vorrebbero tentarla nuovamente, costringeva i trierarclii a racconciare le navi, se alcuna avesse in qualche cosa sofferto, e dinanzi alla propria palizzata piantata nel mare per servire alle navi a guisa di porto serrato , metteva all’ancora le onerarie, e le collocava alla distanza di dugento piedi tra loro ; acciocché qualunque nave venisse incalzata avesse un sicuro ricovero, e di bel nuovo potesse poi a bell’agio ritornare alla battaglia. Gli Ateniesi impiegarono tutto il giorno fino a notte perseverando in questi apparecchiamenti.