Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.103

[1] After this they besieged Elaeus the same day with those galleys of Abydos which were with them, and with the rest, being now altogether fourscore and six sail. But seeing it would not yield, they went away to Abydos.

[2] The Athenians, who had been deceived by their spies, and not imagining that the enemy's fleet could have gone by without their knowledge, and attended at leisure the assault of Eressos, when now they knew they were gone, immediately left Eressos and hasted to the defence of Hellespont.

[3] By the way they took two galleys of the Peloponnesians that, having ventured into the main more boldly in following the enemy than the rest had done, chanced to light upon the fleet of the Athenians. The next day they came to Elaeus and stayed; and thither from Imbros came unto them those other galleys that had escaped from the enemy. Here they spent five days in preparation for a battle.

[1] After this the Peloponnesians were joined by the squadron from Abydos , which made up their fleet to a grand total of eighty-six vessels; they spent the day in unsuccessfully besieging Elaeus, and then sailed back to Abydos .

[2] Meanwhile the Athenians, deceived by their scouts, and never dreaming of the enemy's fleet getting by undetected, were tranquilly besieging Eresus. As soon as they heard the news they instantly abandoned Eresus, and made with all speed for the Hellespont ,

[3] and after taking two of the Peloponnesian ships which had been carried out too far into the open sea in the ardour of the pursuit and now fell in their way, the next day dropped anchor at Elaeus, and bringing back the ships that had taken refuge at Imbros, during five days prepared for the coming engagement.

Hierauf fuhren sie mit ihrer ganzen, jetzt, nachdem auch
die Schiffe aus Abydos zu ihnen gestoßen waren, sechsund­
achtzig Segel starken Flotte nach Elaius und legten sich den
Tag über vor die Stadt; da sie sich aber nicht ergab, zogen
sie ab nach Abydos. Als die Athener bei Eresos, die sich in
ihren Wachen geirrt hatten und in der Meinung, die feind­
liche Flotte würde nicht unbemerkt vorbeikommen können, ruhig
fortfuhren, die Stadt zu berennen, hiervon Nachricht erhielten,
brachen sie sogleich von dort auf, um ihren Landsleuten am
Hellespont unverzüglich zu Hilfe zu kommen; auch nahmen sie
zwei peloponnesische Schiffe, die sich bei der Verfolgung zu
weit in die See hinausgewagt hatten und ihnen in den Wurf
kamen. Am folgenden Tage gelangten sie nach Elaius, wo sie
vor Anker gingen, die nach Imbros entkommenen Schiffe an sich
zogen und sich fünf Tage auf eine Seeschlacht vorbereiteten.

CIII Les Péloponnésiens réunirent ensuite les deux flottes, comprenant en tout quatre-vingt-six vaisseaux, et assiégèrent ce même jour Éléous; mais l’entreprise échoua et ils se retirèrent à Abydos. Les Athéniens, mal servis par leurs vigies et persuadés que la flotte ennemie ne pouvait passer à leur insu, continuaient à battre à loisir les murs d’Éressos. A la première nouvelle, ils abandonnèrent le siége et se dirigèrent en toute hâte vers l’Hellespont. Deux vaisseaux péloponnésiens qui, dans l’ardeur de la poursuite ¹ , s’étaient trop avancés en mer, tombèrent au milieu d’eux et furent pris. Ils arrivèrent le lendemain à Éléous, y mouillèrent, recueillirent tous ceux de leurs bâtiments qui s’étaient réfugiés à Imbros, et pendant cinq jours se préparèrent au combat.

Ensuite les Péloponésiens, ayant rallié les vaisseaux d’Abydos et porté leur flotte au nombre de quatre-vingt-six voiles, assiégèrent Ëléonte le même jour; mais n’ayant pu s’en rendre maîtres, ils se retirèrent à Abydos.

Cependant les Athéniens, trompés par leurs vigies et ne présumant guère que la flotte ennemie passât à leur insu, battaient à loisir les murailles d’Érésos. Mieux informés, ils levèrent à l’instant le siège et se portèrent en toute hâte vers l’Hellespont. Deux vaisseaux péloponésiens qui Ί dans l’ardeur de la poursuite , s’étaient aventurés en pleine mer, vinrent donner au milieu d’eux et furent pris. Arrivés un jour trop tard, les Athéniens mouillèrent à Ëléonte, recueillirent les bâtiments réfugiés à Imbros et se préparèrent au combat pendant cinq jours.

[1] After this Mindarus took all his ships, including those which had been at Abydus and were now united with his fleet, eighty-six vessels in all, and for that day invested Elaeus;

[2] but when it would not yield they all sailed back to Abydus.
  The Athenians at Eresus, on the other hand, misled by their scouts and never imagining that the enemy could sail past them unobserved, were assaulting the walls at their leisure; but when they learned the truth they abandoned Eresus at once and hastened with all speed to the defence of the Hellespont.

[3] And they captured two of the Peloponnesian ships, which fell in with them at that moment, having put out into the open sea too boldly in their pursuit. A day later they reached Elaeus and cast anchor; then they brought thither the ships at Imbros that had taken refuge there and spent the next five days preparing for the battle.

[1] After this, with the vessels which had joined them from Abydus and the rest, amounting in all to eighty-six, they besieged Elaeus that day, and when it did not surrender, sailed back to Abydus.

[2] As for the Athenians, they had been deceived by their scouts, and did not imagine that the passage of the enemy's fleet could ever escape their vigilance, but were leisurely assaulting the walls of Eresus. When, how ever, they were aware of it, they immediately left Eresus, and proceeded with all haste to the defence of the Hellespont.

[3] And they took two of the Peloponnesian ships, which having on that occasion put out into the open sea more boldly than the rest, fell in with them. The next day they arrived and cast anchor at Elaeus, and bringing in from Imbros such ships as had taken refuge there, they were five days making preparations for the battle.

[1] Postea vero conjunctis et iis, quas ex Abydo secum duxerant, et cum reliquis universis, sex et octoginta, hoc ipso die Ekeuniem oppugnaverunt; sed quum haec deditionem facere nollet, Abydum redierunt.

[2] Athenienses vero a speculatoribus frustrati, et existimantes hostium classem nequaquam clam se praeterituram , sed per otium moenia oppugnantes, postquam rem cognoverunt, protinus omissa Eresso celeriter in Hellespontum proficiscebantur;

[3] atque simul et duas Peloponnesiorum naves capiunt, quae tunc in hostibus persequendis audaeius ni altam provectae in ipsos inciderant, et postero die Elaeuntem profecti», stationem illic habuerunt, et ex Imbrunaves, quotquot eo confugerant, receperunt, et per quinque dies ad proelium navale se parabant.

Dopo questo i Peloponnesi, riunitisi con le navi d’Adibo ed altre, sicché in tutte erano ottantasei, il giorno stesso si misero intorno ad Eieunte ; e siccome non facea vista di rendersi, ri navigarono ad Abido. Gli Ateniesi poi ingannati dai loro speculatori, e persuasi che la flotta nemica non potrebbe tragittar furtivameute, stavano fermi a batter le mura di Ereso. Ma appena si avvidero che i Peloponnesi eran passati, abbandonata subito Ereso corsero prestamente a soccorso nell’ Ellesponto, e presero due navi de’ Peloponnesi, che trasportatesi troppo arditamente nell alto nell’inseguire i nemici, come innanzi dicemmo, s’imbatterono in loro. Il giorno appresso arrivano ad Eieunte, ove fermarono il corso, e ricondussero da Imbro quelle navi che vi si erano rifugiate ; e per cinque giorni si preparavano alla battaglia navale.