Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.54

[1] When the Athenians had given them this answer, the Corinthians made ready to go home and set up a trophy in Sybota of the continent. And the Corcyraeans also both took up the wreck and bodies of the dead which, carried every way by the waves and the winds that arose the night before, came driving to their hands, and, as if they had had the victory, set up a trophy likewise in Sybota the island. The victory was thus challenged on both sides upon these grounds.

[2] The Corinthians did set up a trophy because in the battle they had the better all day, having gotten more of the wreck and dead bodies than the other and taken no less than a thousand prisoners and sunk about seventy of the enemies' galleys. And the Corcyraeans set up a trophy because they had sunk thirty galleys of the Corinthians and had, after the arrival of the Athenians, recovered the wreck and dead bodies that drove to them by reason of the wind; and because the day before, upon sight of the Athenians, the Corinthians had rowed astern and went away from them; and lastly, for that when they went to Sybota, the Corinthians came not out to encounter them. Thus each side claimed victory.

[1] Receiving this answer from the Athenians, the Corinthians commenced preparations for their voyage home, and set up a trophy in Sybota, on the continent; while the Corcyraeans took up the wrecks and dead that had been carried out to them by the current, and by a wind which rose in the night and scattered them in all directions, and set up their trophy in Sybota, on the island, as victors.

[2] The reasons each side had for claiming the victory were these. The Corinthians had been victorious in the sea-fight until night; and having thus been enabled to carry off most wrecks and dead, they were in possession of no fewer than a thousand prisoners of war, and had sunk close upon seventy vessels. The Corcyraeans had destroyed about thirty ships, and after the arrival of the Athenians had taken up the wrecks and dead on their side; they had besides seen the Corinthians retire before them, backing water on sight of the Athenian vessels, and upon the arrival of the Athenians refuse to sail out against them from Sybota.

Auf diese Antwort der Athener rüsteten die Korinther zur
Heimfahrt und errichteten auf dem festen Lande bei Sybota ein
Siegeszeichen. Die Kerkyräer aber sammelten die Schiffstrümmer und
Leichname, welche Wind und Wellen an's User geworfen.hatten; denn
während der Nachd hatte ein Sturm sie nach allen Seiten zerstreut;
und dann errichteten auch sie ein Siegeszeichen zu Sybota aus der
Insel, gleich als ob sie die Schlacht gewonnen hätten. Daß aber
beide Theile sich den Sieg zuschrieben, geschah aus folgenden
Gründen. Die Korinther waren in der Seeschlacht bis zum Anbruche
der Nacht im Vortheil gewesen, weßhalb sie auch die meisten Schiffs,
trümmer und Leichen sammelten; dann waren ihnen auch nicht
weniger als tausend Kriegsgefangene in die Hände gefallen, und Schiffe hat- ¹
ten sie siebenzig versenkt. Aus diesen Gründen errichteten sie ein
Siegeszeichen. Die Kerkyräer aber thaten dasselbe, weil sie an dreißig
Schiffe vernichtet und nach der Athener Ankunft ihre Schiffstrümmer
und Todte gesammelt hatten, dann auch, weil die Korinther beim
Anblick der Attischen Schiffe zuerst vor ihnen rückwärts gerudert und
den Rückzug genommen hatten und nach Ankunft der Athener ihnen
nicht mehr von Sybota aus entgegen gefahren waren. So legten
sich beide Theile des Sieges Ehre bei.

LIV. Sur cette réponse des Athéniens, les Corinthiens se disposèrent à faire voile pour leur pays et élevèrent un trophée à Sybota du continent. Les Corcyréens, de leur côté, recueillirent les débris des vaisseaux et leurs morts ; car le courant et le vent qui s’était élevé la nuit les avaient poussés vers eux et dispersés de toutes parts sur le rivage ; ils élevèrent aussi, comme vainqueurs, un trophée dans l’ile de Sybota. Voici, du reste, sur quels fondements les deux partis s’attribuaient la victoire : les Corinthiens, supérieurs dans le combat naval jusqu’à la nuit, avaient pu recueillir la plus grande partie des débris et enlever leurs morts ; ils avaient fait au moins mille prisonniers et coulé environ soixante-dix navires ; ils élevèrent donc un trophée. Les Corcyréens avaient détruit trente vaisseaux ; après l’arrivée des Athéniens ils avaient recueilli les débris des navires et les morts qui étaient de leur côté ; la veille, les Corinthiens avaient rétrogradé devant eux, à la vue des vaisseaux d’Athènes, et, après l’arrivée des Athéniens, ils n’avaient point osé quitter Sybota pour venir à leur rencontre : c’est pourquoi ils éle- vèrent aussi un trophée. Ainsi les deux partis s’attribuaient la victoire.

Sur cette réponse, les Corinthiens se disposèrent à retourner chez eux et dressèrent un trophée aux Sybota du continent. Les Corcyréens recueillirent les débris et les morts que la vague et un vent survenu pendant la nuit avaient dispersés et jetés sur leurs rivages. Ils dressèrent à leur tour un trophée aux Sybota de l’île, comme vainqueurs. Ainsi chacun des deux partis s’attribua la victoire: les Corinthiens, parce qu’ils avaient eu l’avantage dans le combat naval jusqu’à la nuit, à telles enseignes qu’ils avaient recueilli la majeure partie des débris et des morts, fait plus de mille prisonniers et coulé près de soixante-dix navires ; les Corcyréens, parce qu’ils en avaient détruit une trentaine, et qu’après l’arrivée des Athéniens, ils avaient recueilli les débris et les morts jetés sur leurs côtes ; parce qu'enfin, la veille, les Corinthiens avaient reculé devant eux à la vue de l’escadre athénienne, et n’avaient pas accepté le combat qui leur était offert. Telles furent les raisons pour lesquelles les. deux 'partis se prétendirent vainqueurs et dressèrent des trophées.

[1] When the Athenians had given this answer the Corinthians began preparations for the voyage homeward and set up a trophy at Sybota on the mainland; and the Corcyraeans took up the wrecks and dead bodies ¹ that had been carried in their direction by the current and by the wind, which had arisen in the night and scattered them in every direction, and set up, as being the victors, a rival trophy at Sybota on the island. Each side claimed the victory on the following grounds:

[2] The Corinthians set up a trophy because they had prevailed in the sea-fight up to nightfall, and had thus been able to carry off a greater number of wrecks and dead bodies, and because they held as prisoners not less than a thousand men and had disabled about seventy ships; and the Corcyraeans, because they had destroyed about thirty ships, and, after the Athenians came, had taken up the wrecks that came their way and the dead bodies, whereas the Corinthians on the day before had backed water and retreated at sight of the Attic ships, and after the Athenians came would not sail out from Sybota and give battlefor these reasons set up a trophy. So each side claimed the victory.

[1] The Athenians having made this reply, the Corinthians began to prepare for their voyage homewards, and erected a trophy at Sybota on the continent: while the Corcyraeans took up the wrecks and dead bodies which had been carried to them by the current and the wind, which had risen in the night, and scattered them in all directions; and erected a counter-trophy at Sybota on the island, considering that they had been victorious.

[2] It was on the following view of the case that each side claimed the victory.—The Corinthians erected a trophy, as having had the advantage in the battle until night, so that they got possession of most wrecks and dead bodies; as having no less than a thousand prisoners; and as having sunk more than seventy ships. The Corcyraeans erected a trophy for these reasons;—because they had destroyed about thirty ships; and after the Athenians were come, had taken up the wrecks and dead on their side; and because the Corinthians the day before had rowed sternwards and retreated from them, on seeing the Athenian ships; and after they were come, ¹ did not sail out from Sybota to oppose them. Thus each side claimed to be victorious.

[1] Quum autem Athenienses hoc responsum dedissent, Corinthii quidem se ad navigationem domum parabant, et in Sybotis, quae suut in continente, tropaeum statuerunt. At Corcyraei navium fragmenta et cadavera susceperunt ad se delata et fluctibus et vento, qui noctu ortus ea in varias partes disjecerat, et in Sybolis, quae sunt in insula, vicissim et ipsi tropaeum tanquam victores statuerunt.

[2] Argu- mento autem tali utrique victoriam sibi vindicarunt. Corinthii quidem, quod natali proelio ad noctem usque vicissent, ita ut plurima navium fragmenta et militum cadavera recepissent, et quod captivos non minus mille haberent, et septuaginta circiter naves demersissent, tropaeum statuerunt, Corcyraei vero, quod XXX ferme naves profligasscnt et post Atheniensium adventum navium fragmenta ad se delata mi· litumque cadavera sustulissent, quodque pridie Coriulbii in puppim remigantes ipsis cessissent, naves Atticae conspicati, et, cum Athenienses advenissent, ex Sybolis sibi non occurrissent, hisce de causis tropaeum statuerunt. Hoc igitur modo utrique se victores existimabant.

Per cotal risposta degli Ateniesi, i Corintii si preparavano per rinavigare a casa, ed ersero trofeo alle Sibote di terraferma. E i Corfuotti raccolsero i rottami ed i cadaveri che dalla marea e dal vento suscitatosi di notte erano stati sparpagliati qua e là sulla spiaggia, e contrapposero trofeo alle Sibote dell’isola, pretendendo d’esser rimasti vincitori. Gli uni e gli altri si appropriavano la vittoria con questo concetto. I Corintii ersero trofeo per essere stati vincitori fino a sera nella pugna navale, a segno d’aver ricuperati moltissimi rottami e cadaveri, e perchè ritenevano meglio di mille prigionieri, ed avevano mandate a fondo circa settanta navi. I Corfuotti lo ersero per aver disfatto circa trenta navi, ripresi, dopo l' arrivo degli Ateniesi, i rottami ed i cadaveri che erano nelle loro adiacenze , e perchè nel giorno precedente i Corintii, al veder le navi Ateniesi, aveano indietreggiato , e non erano dalle Sibote venute contro loro , quando essi vi si presentarono. Ecco come le due parti si attribuivano la vittoria.