Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.63

[1] And Aristeus, when he came back from the execution, was in doubt what way to take, to Olynthus or to Potidaea. In the end he resolved of the shortest way, and with his soldiers about him ran as hard as he was able into Potidaea, and with much ado got in at the pier through the sea, cruelly shot at and with the loss of a few but the safety of the greatest part of his company.

[2] As soon as the battle began, they that should have seconded the Potidaeans from Olynthus (for it is at most but sixty furlongs off, and in sight) advanced a little way to have aided them; and the Macedonian horse opposed themselves likewise in order of battle to keep them back. But the Athenians having quickly gotten the victory, and the standards being taken down, they retired again, they of Olynthus into that city, and the Macedonian horsemen into the army of the Athenians. So that neither side had their cavalry at the battle.

[3] After the battle the Athenians erected a trophy and gave truce to the Potidaeans for the taking up of the bodies of their dead. Of the Potidaeans and their friends there died somewhat less than three hundred, and of the Athenians themselves one hundred and fifty, with Callias one of their commanders.

[1] Returning from the pursuit, Aristeus perceived the defeat of the rest of the army. Being at a loss which of the two risks to choose, whether to go to Olynthus or to Potidaea , he at last determined to draw his men into as small a space as possible, and force his way with a run into Potidaea . Not without difficulty, through a storm of missiles, he passed along by the breakwater through the sea, and brought off most of his men safe, though a few were lost.

[2] Meanwhile the auxiliaries of the Potidaeans from Olynthus , which is about seven miles off, and in sight of Potidaea , when the battle began and the signals were raised, advanced a little way to render assistance; and the Macedonian horse formed against them to prevent it. But on victory speedily declaring for the Athenians and the signals being taken down, they retired back within the wall; and the Macedonians returned to the Athenians. Thus there were no cavalry present on either side.

[3] After the battle the Athenians set up a trophy, and gave back their dead to the Potidaeans under truce. The Potidaeans and their allies had close upon three hundred killed; the Athenians a hundred and fifty of their own citizens, and Callias their general.

Als sich nun Aristeus von der Verfolgung zurückwendete
und das übrige Heer geschlagen war, so war er verlegen, nach welcher
Seite er es wagen solle sich durchzuschlagen, gegen OlynthoS oder
gegen Potidäa, entschloß sich jedoch, seine Truppen so eng als
möglich zusammenzuziehen und im Eilschritt den Durchmarsch auf
Potidäa zu erzwingen, und wirklich gelangte er über den steinernen vom
Meere überflutheten Schutzdamm dahin, beschossen zwar und unter
vieler Mühseligkeit und auch einigem Verluste, doch war die Mehrzahl
gerettet. Die aber von Olynthos aus den Potidäern zu Hilfe
kommen sollten — Olynthos ist ungefähr sechzig Stadien entfernt und kann
noch gesehen werden — , rückten beim Beginn des Kampfes, und als die
Feldzeichen sichtbar wurden, eine kleine Strecke vor, um Hilfe zu
leisten, und die makedonishcen Reiter stellten stch gegenüber auf, um sie
daran zu hindern. Als sich aber der Sieg so schnell für die Athener
entschied und die Zeichen wieder verschwanden, kehrten sie wieder nach
der Stadt zurück und die makedonishcen Reiter zum Heere der
Athener, und so war auf keiner von beiden Seiten die Reiterei zum Treffen
gekommen. Nach der Schlacht stellten die Athener ein Siegeszeichen
auf und gaben unter sicherem Geleit den Potidäern ihre Todten
heraus Es waren aber von diesen und ihren Bundesgenossen
etwas unter dreihundert Mann gefallen, auf Seiten der Athener von
ihren eigenen Bürgern hundert und fünfzig und darunter ihr
Anführer KalliaS. ^{1 2}

LXIII. Aristée, à son retour de la poursuite, voyant le reste de l’armée en déroute, hésita d’abord s’il tenterait une retraite sur Olynthe, ou sur Potidée ; il se décida cependant à masser autant que possible ses soldats, pour pénétrer de force et à la course dans Potide ; il y entra avec peine et sous une grêle de traits en suivant le bord de la mer le long des jetées ; cependant il ne perdit que quelques hommes, et sauva le plus grand nombre.

Les auxiliaires que les Potidéates attendaient d’Olynthe (place éloignée seulement de soixante stades ¹ et parfaitement en vue) firent au commencement du combat, lors de la levée des signaux, un léger mouvement en avant pour leur prêter secours. Mais les cavaliers macédoniens rangés en bataille leur avaient barré le passage ; comme d’ailleurs la victoire s’était promptement décidée pour les Athéniens, et que les signaux avaient été baissés, ils rentrèrent dans la place. Les Macédoniens rejoignirent également les Athéniens et la cavalerie ne donna ni d’un côté ni de l’autre ² .

Après le combat les Athéniens élevèrent un trophée et par convention rendirent aux Polidéates leurs morts. Les Potidéates et leurs alliés avaient perdu un peu moins de trois cents hommes, les Athéniens cent cinquante et Callias leur général.

A son retour de la poursuite, Aristéus, voyant que cette partie de l’armée avait été défaite, hésita d’abord de quel côté il tenterait de faire retraite, vers Olynthe ou vers Potidée. Le parti auquel il s’arrêta, fut de serrer sa troupe autant que possible et de se jeter à la course dans Potidée. Il y réussit, non sans peine, en marchant dans la mer le long de la berme ¹ et sous une grêle de traits ² . Il perdit quelques hommes, mais il sauva le plus grand nombre.

Quant au corps placé en observation en avant d’Olynthe, — cette ville s’aperçoit de Potidée, dont elle n’est éloignée que de soixante stades ³ ,— lorsqu’on eut arboré les signaux et que l’action fut engagée, il fit un mouvement en avant pour y prendre part; mais les cavaliers macédoniens lui barrèrent le passage. D’ailleurs, comme la victoire se déclara promptement en faveur des Athéniens, l’armée d’Olynthe, voyant les signaux abaissés, rentra dans la place, et les Macédoniens rejoignirent les Athéniens. Ainsi des deux côtés la cavalerie ne fut pas engagée.

Après ce combat, les Athéniens érigèrent un trophée et rendirent les morts par composition. Les Potidéates et leurs alliés avaient perdu un peu moins de trois cents hommes ; les Athéniens cent cinquante, avec Callias leur général.

[1] When Aristeus returned from the pursuit and saw that the rest of the army was defeated, he was at a loss whether he should try to fight his way through towards Olynthus or into Potidaea. He determined, however, to bring his own troops together into as compact a body as possible and to force his way into Potidaea on a run. And he succeeded in getting in by way of the breakwater through the sea, with difficulty, indeed, and harassed by missiles; but though he lost a few men, he saved the greater number of them.

[2] Now when the battle began and the standards had been raised,l the auxiliaries of the Potidaeans in Olynthus—which is only about sixty stadia distant and can be seen from Potidaeaadvanced a short distance to give aid, and the Macedonian cavalry drew up in line against them to prevent it. But since the Athenians were soon proving the victors and the standards were pulled down, the auxiliaries retired again within the walls of Olynthus and the Macedonians rejoined the Athenians. And so no cavalry got into action on either side. ¹

[3] After the battle the Athenians set up a trophy and gave up their dead under a truce to the Potidaeans. There were slain, of the Potidaeans and their allies a little less than three hundred, and of the Athenians alone ² about a hundred and fifty, and also their general Callias.

[1] When Aristeus was returning from the pursuit, seeing the rest of the army conquered, he was at a loss which place he should risk going to, whether towards Olynthus, or to Potidaea. He determined, however, to draw his men into as small a space as possible, and at a running pace force his way into Potidaea: and he passed along the breakwater through the sea, annoyed by missiles [from the Athenian slips], and with difficulty; having lost a few men, but saved the rest.

[2] Now the auxiliaries of the Potidaeans from Olynthus, (the town is about sixty stades off, and within sight,) when the battle was beginning, and the signals had been hoisted, advanced a short distance to give succour, and the Macedonian horse drew up against them to prevent it; but when the victory soon declared for the Athenians, and the signals had been taken down, they retired again within the wall, and the Macedonians to the Athenians. So neither side had any cavalry present [in the engagement].

[3] After the battle the Athenians erected a trophy, and gave back their dead to the Potidaeans under truce. There were killed of the Potidaeans and their allies a little less than three hundred, and of the Athenians themselves one hundred and fifty, and Callias their general.

[1] Cum autem Aristeus ab hoste persequendo rediret, postquam reliquum exercitum videt victum, dubitavit, utram partem petens, Olynthumne an Potidaeam, belli fortunam periclitaretur. Tandem tamen ei placuit, cum suis militibus in minimum loci spatium contractis Potidaeam cursu perrumpere ^fpervasit propter crepidinem per mare telis petitus, et aegre, paucis quidem amissis, plerisque tamen salvis.

[2] Qui vero Olyntho auxilium Potidaeatis laturi prodierant (abest autem locus sexaginta ferme stadiis, atque conspicuus est,) postquam pugna committebatur et signa sublata sunt, paululum illi quidem processerunt ut auxilium laturi; et Macedonum equites aciem contra instruebant , ut eos impedirent. Postquam autem brevissimo tempore victoria penes Athenienses erat, et vexilla revulsa sunt, in urbem rursus se receperunt, et Macedones ad Athenieuses; equites autem neutris adfuerant.

[3] Post pugnam vero Athenienses tropaeum statuerunt, et caesorum militum cadavera pace sequestra Potidaeatis reddiderunt. Ceciderunt autem ex Potidaeatis quidem et sociis paulo pauciores treeentis, ex ipsis vero Atheniensibus, centum et quinquaginta, et Callias eorum dux.

Aristeo tornando dal dar la caccia al nemico, e vedendo battuta l' altra parte dell’ esercito , era perplesso se dovesse arrischiarsi per la via dJ Olinto , ovvero per quella di Potidea. Ma risolvette di ristringere la sua gente in angustissimo spazio, e velocemente marciando aprirsi la via di Potidea : e con difficoltà, inquietato anche dagli strali del nemico , vi penetrò passando lungo la scarpa delle mura pel mare che ivi si frange, talché colla perdita di pochi salvò la maggior parte de’ suoi. Le milizie d? Olinto destinate pel soccorso di Potidea , dalla quale si scorge alla distanza di circa sessanta stadii, attaccata appena la battaglia ed alzati i segnali, si erano alquanto avanzate per dare aiuto ; ma la cavalleria macedone si schierò loro di fronte per impedirle. E poiché che la vittoria fu tosto per gli Ateniesi, e vennero calati i segnali, tornarono esse dentro le mura, e la cavalleria macedone raggiunse gli Ateniesi ; cosicché nè P una nè l' altra parte ebbe cavalleria. Dopo la battaglia gli Ateniesi alzarono trofeo , e con salvocondotto resero i cadaveri ai Potideati. Vi perirono tra Potideati ed alleati poco meno di treceuto, e centocinquanta proprio degli Ateniesi con Callia comandante.