Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.109

[1] All this while the Athenians stayed still in Egypt and saw much variety of war. First the Athenians were masters of Egypt;

[2] and the king of Persia sent one Megabazus, a Persian, with money to Lacedaemon to procure the Peloponnesians to invade Attica, and by that means to draw the Athenians out of Egypt.

[3] But when this took no effect, and money was spent to no purpose, Megabazus returned with the money he had left into Asia.

[4] And then was Megabazus the son of Zopyrus, a Persian, sent into Egypt with great forces, and coming in by land overthrew the Egyptians and their confederates in a battle, drave the Grecians out of Memphis, and finally inclosed them in the isle of Prosopis. There he besieged them a year and a half, till such time as having drained the channel and turned the water another way, he made their galleys lie aground and the island for the most part continent, and so came over and won the island with land soldiers.

[1] Meanwhile the Athenians in Egypt and their allies were still there, and encountered all the vicissitudes of war.

[2] First the Athenians were masters of Egypt , and the king sent Megabyzus, a Persian, to Lacedaemon with money to bribe the Peloponnesians to invade Attica and so draw off the Athenians from Egypt .

[3] Finding that the matter made no progress, and that the money was only being wasted, he recalled Megabazus with the remainder of the money, and sent Megabuzus, son of Zopyrus, a Persian, with a large army to Egypt .

[4] Arriving by land he defeated the Egyptians and their allies in a battle, and drove the Hellenes out of Memphis , and at length shut them up in the island of Prosopitis, where he besieged them for a year and six months. At last, draining the canal of its waters, which he diverted into another channel, he left their ships high and dry and joined most of the island to the mainland, and then marched over on foot and captured it.

Die Athener aber und ihre Bundesgenossen, welche in
Aegypten geblieben waren, mußten vielerlei Wechsel des Kriegsglücks
ertragen. Im Anfang war ganz Aegypten in die Hände der Athener
gegeben. Da schickte der König den MegabazoS, einen Persischen
Mann, nach Lakedämon, daß er durch Geld die Peloponnesier zu einem
Einfall in Attika bewege und so die Athener zwinge, Aegypten zu
verlassen. Wie ihm aber das nicht gelang, und sein Geld vergebens
aufging, so kehrte MegabazoS mit dem Reste seiner Geldsummen nach
Asien zurück. Nun schickte der König den Megabyzos, des Zopyros
Sohn, einen Perser, mit einem großen Heere nach Aegypten. Dieser
kam zu Lande, besiegte die Aegypter und ihre Bundesgenossen in einer
Schlacht, vertrieb die Hellenen aus Memphis und schloß sie endlich
aufder Insel Prosopitis ein und belagerte sie dort ein Jahr und sechs
Monate, bis er den Kanal trocken legte und das Wasser ableitete. So
'kamen die Schiffe auf's Trockene zu sitzen, und da nun die Insel auf
dieser Seite mit dem Festland zusammenhing, so ging er hinüber und
eroberte sie mit feinen Landtruppen

CIX. Les Athéniens et les alliés qui se trouvaient en Égypte s’y étaient maintenus ; mais la guerre avait eu pour eux bien des alternatives ; d’abord ils s’étaient emparés de l’Égypte. Le roi ¹ avait envoyé alors à Lacédémone le Perse Mégabaze, avec de l’argent, pour déterminer les Péloponnésiens à envahir l’Attique, et forcer ainsi les Athéniens à évacuer l’Égypte ; mais l’affaire échoua : Mégabaze, voyant que l’argent était dépensé en pure perte, retourna en Asie avec le reste de ses trésors. Le Perse Mégabyse, fils de Zopyre ² , fut alors envoyé en Égypte à la tête d’une nombreuse armée ; il arriva par terre, vainquit dans un combat les Égyptiens et leurs alliés, chassa les Grecs de Memphis et finit par les enfermer dans l’île de Prosopitès ³ . Après les y avoir assiégés dix-huit mois, il dessécha le lit du fleuve en détournant les eaux, mit les vaisseaux à sec et joignit la plus grande partie de l’île au continent ; il y passa alors à pied et s’en empara.

Cependant ceux des Athéniens et de leurs alliés qui étaient en Égypte s’y maintenaient encore ; mais cette guerre fut mêlée pour eux de chances diverses. D’abord ils avaient été les maîtres du pays, si bien que le roi Artaxerxès avait envoyé à Lacédémone le Perse Mégabaze avec de l’argent, pour engager les Péloponésiens à faire invasion dans l’Attique, et forcer ainsi les Athéniens à .évacuer l’Égypte. Mais, comme l’affaire n’avançait pas et que les fonds se dépensaient en pure perte, Mégabaze s’en retourna en Asie avec le reste de son argent. Alors le roi envoya en Égypte le Perse Mégabyze, fils de Zopyre, avec une grande armée. Celui-ci arriva par terre, défit en bataille les Égyptiens et leurs alliés, chassa de Memphis les Grecs, et finit par les enfermer dans l’île de Prosopitis ¹ , où il les tint assiégés pendant dix-huit mois, jusqu’à ce qu’ayant vidé le canal et détourné l'eau,Nil mit les vaisseaux à sec, changea en terre ferme la majeure partie dç l’île, y passa à pied et s’en rendit maître.

[1] Meanwhile the Athenians and their allies stayed on in Egypt and the war took on many forms.

[2] At first the Athenians had the mastery in Egypt, and the King sent to Lacedaemon Megabazus a Persian with a supply of money, in order that the Lacedaemonians might be induced to invade Attica and the Athenians thus be drawn away from Egypt.

[3] But when he found that matters did not advance and the money was being spent in vain, Megabazus betook himself back to Asia with the money that was left, and Megabyzus son of Zopyrus, ¹ a Persian, was despatched with a large army. ²

[4] He marched thither by land, and defeated the Egyptians and their allies in battle, drove the Hellenes out of Memphis, and finally shut them up in the island of Prosopitis, where he besieged them for a year and six months, then finally, by diverting the water into another course, drained the canal and left the ships high and dry, converting the greater part of the island into mainland; then he crossed over dry-shod and took the island.

[1] The Athenians in Egypt and their allies were still remaining there, and hostilities assumed many different phases with them.

[2] For at first the Athenians were masters of Egypt; and the king sent Megabazus, a Persian, to Lacedaemon with a sum of money, that he might cause the recall of the Athenians from Egypt by the Peloponnesians being persuaded to invade Attica.

[3] But when he did not succeed, and the money was being spent to no purpose, Megabazus with the remainder of it went back to Asia; and he sent Megabyzus, son of Zopyrus, a Persian, with a large force;

[4] who, having arrived by land, defeated the Egyptians and their allies in a battle, and drove the Greeks out of Memphis, and at last shut them up in the island of Prosopis, and besieged them in it a year and six months, till by draining the canal and turning off the water by another course, he left their ships on dry ground, and joined most of the island to the mainland, and crossed over and took it on foot.

[1] Qui vero, in AEgypto erant Athenienses et socii, adhuc ibi manebant, cl varia bellorum genera experti sunt.

[2] Primo enim Athenienses .Egypto potiebantur, et Persarum rex misit Lacedaemona Megabazum, virum Persam, cum pecuniis, ut, Peloponnesiis ad irruptionem in agrum Atticum faciendam impulsis, ab Aegypto Athenienses averteret.

[3] Sed quum res ipsi non succederet, et pecuniae frustra consumerentur, Megabazus quidem cum pecuniis , quae reliquae erant, in Asiam rediit; Megabyzum vero Zopyri filium, virum Persam, cum ingentibus copiis misit;

[4] qui terrestri itinere profectus et Aegyptios et socios proplio vicit, et Graecos Memphide expulit, tandemque in Prosopitide insula eos inclusit; atque in ea annum integrum et sex menses obsidebat donec, exsiccato fossae alveo et aqua alio aversa, effecit, ut naves in sicco considerent, et magna insulae pars continentis instar esset; insulamque cum peditatu eo trajiciens cepit.

[1] Diesen Grundsätzen, die wir von unsern Vätern überkommen und selber stets bewährt erfunden haben, lasst uns nicht ungetreu werden und nicht binnen weniger Stunden über so viel Menschenleben und Eigenthum, über Staatenglück und Ehre einen übereilten Beschluss fassen, sondern uns Zeit nehmen. Wir haben den Vortheil der Macht, um nichts zu versäumen. Nach Athen also sendet wegen Potidäas und wegen der Beschwerden der Bundesgenossen, besonders da sie eine gerichtliche Entscheidung nicht ablehnen. Wer diese anbietet, den hat man kein Recht als bereits Verurtheilten anzugreifen. Aber zugleich rüstet euch auch zum Kriege. Dies ist das Beste, was ihr beschliessen könnt, und wird bei dem Feind am meisten Eindruck machen.

L’esercito ateniese che con gli alleati che era in Egitto vi restava tuttora, e la guerra avea preso per loro molte forme diverse. Conciossiachè da prima essendo gli Ateniesi padroni dell’ Egitto, il re Artaserse spedisce a Sparta Megabazzo gentiluomo persiano con buona somma di denaro, per confortare i Lacedemoni ad invadere l’Attica e così divertire gli Ateniesi dall' Egitto. Ma vedendo Megabazzo che l’affare non si incamminava a buon fine, e che spendeva senza prò, si ricondusse in Asia col resto del denaro. Allora Artaserse spedisce in Egitto con molta gente un altro Megabazzo signore persiano figliolo di Zopiro, il quale andato colà per terra superò in battaglia i ribelli Egiziani co’ loro alleati, e cacciò da Memfi i Greci, cui finalmente riserrò nell’ isola Prosopitide. Ivi li teneva assediati diciotto mesi, sino a che dissecò il canale voltandone altrove le acque , e ridotte le navi in secco e la maggior parte dell’ isola in terraferma, vi passò colla fanteria e se ne fece padrone.