Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 3.18

[1] About the same time that the Lacedaemonians were in the isthmus, the Mytilenaeans marched by land, both they and their auxiliaries, against Methymne in hope to have had it betrayed unto them and, having assaulted the city, when it succeeded not the way they looked for, they went thence to Antissa, Pyrrha, and Eressus; and after they had settled the affairs of those places and made strong their walls returned speedily home.

[2] When these were gone, the Methymnaeans likewise made war upon Antissa; but beaten by the Antisaeans and some auxiliaries that were with them, they made haste again to Methymne with the loss of many of their soldiers.

[3] But the Athenians being advertised hereof and understanding that the Mytilenaeans were masters of the land and that their own soldiers there were not enough to keep them in, sent thither, about the beginning of autumn, Paches, the son of Epicurus, with a thousand men of arms of their own city,

[4] who, supplying the place of rowers themselves, arrived at Mytilene and ingirt it with a single wall, save that in some places, stronger by nature than the rest, they only built turrets and placed guards in them.

[5] So that the city was every way strongly besieged, both by sea and land, and the winter began.

[1] About the same time that the Lacedaemonians were at the Isthmus, the Mitylenians marched by land with their mercenaries against Methymna , which they thought to gain by treachery. After assaulting the town, and not meeting with the success that they anticipated, they withdrew to Antissa , Pyrrha , and Eresus; and taking measures for the better security of these towns and strengthening their walls, hastily returned home.

[2] After their departure the Methymnians marched against Antissa , but were defeated in a sortie by the Antissians and their mercenaries, and retreated in haste after losing many of their number.

[3] Word of this reaching Athens , and the Athenians learning that the Mitylenians were masters of the country and their own soldiers unable to hold them in check, they sent out about the beginning of autumn Paches, son of Epicurus, to take the command, and a thousand Athenian heavy infantry;

[4] who worked their own passage, and arriving at Mitylene , built a single wall all round it, forts being erected at some of the strongest points.

[5] Mitylene was thus blockaded strictly on both sides, by land and by sea, and winter now drew near.

Um dieselbe Zeit, da die Lakedämonier bei dem Jsthmos
standen, unternahmen die Mytilenäer zu Lande einen Zug gegen
Methymne, mit eigener Bürgerschaft und mit Hülfstruppen, in
Erwartung , daß die Stadt ihnen durch Verrath übergeben werde. Da
aber bei ihrem Angriff die Sachen nicht so gut gingen, wie sie
erwartet hatten, so zogen sie nach Antissa und Pyrrha und Eresos,
gaben den Verhältnissen in diesen Städten eine ihrer Sicherheit
gemäßere Gestalt, verstärkten die Befestigungen und gingen dann schleu­ ^{1 2 3}
nigst wieder nach Hause. Nach ihrem Rückzüge unternahmen aber
auch die Methymnäer ihrerseits einen Zug gegen Antissa; bei einem
Ausfalle aber wurden sie von den Antissäern und deren Hülsstruppen
geschlagen und verloren viele von ihren Leuten; die Uebrigen zogen in
aller Eile ab. Als nun die Athener von diesen Ereignissen erfuhren,
und daß die Mytilenäer zu Lande freie Hand hätten, und ihre eigenen
Soldaten zur Einschließung nicht genügten, so schickten sie, als bereits
der Herbst eingetreten war, den Paches, des Epikuros Sohn, als
Feldherrn, und mit ihm tausend Schwerbewaffnete aus ihrer eigenen
Mitte. Diese versahen auf der Fahrt auch den Ruderdienst auf den
Schiffen selbst II) und schlossen nach ihrer Ankunft Mytilene mit
einer einfachen Mauer ein. Hie und da an den beherrschenden
Punkten wurden auch Werke aufgeführt. So war Mytilene mit Macht ⁴
von beiden Seiten eingeschlossen, wie zu Wasser so zu Lande, und,
darüber war der Winter herbeigekommen.

XVIII. Pendant que les Lacédémoniens se tenaient aux environs de l’isthme, les Mytiléniens, avec des troupes auxiliaires, firent par terre une expédition contre Méthymne, dans l'espoir qu'elle leur serait livrée par trahison. Ils attaquèrent la place ; mais l’en- treprise n'ayant pas eu le succès qu'ils en attendaient, ils allèrent à Antissa, à Pyrrha et à Érèse, mirent ces places en meilleur état, renforcèrent les murs et se hàtèrent de rentrer chez eux. Après leur retraite, ceux de Méthymne firent à leur tour une expédition contre Antissa ¹ ; mais les habitants firent une sortie, et, secondés par quelques auxiliaires, ils les mirent en dé- route : beaucoup périrent ; le reste se hâta de battre en retraite. Les Athéniens, in formés de ces événements, et sachant que les Mytiléniens étaient maîtres du pays, sans que leurs propres soldats fussent en mesure de les contenir, y envoyèrent, au commencement de l’automne, mille hoplites d'Athènes, sous le commandement de Pachès, fils d’Épicure. Ceux-ci firent eux-mêmes les fonctions de rameurs sur les vaisseaux ; arrivés à Mytilène, ils investirent la place au moyen d’une simple muraille. Quelques forteresses furent aussi élevées dans de fortes positions. Mytilène se trouva ainsi fortement contenue par mer et par terre, et l’hiver commença.

Pendant le temps que les Lacédémoniens passèrent à l’Isthme, les Mytiléniens et leurs alliés firent par terre une expédition contre Méthymne, dont ils comptaient s’emparer par trahison. Ils assaillirent la place ; mais, n’ayant pas trouvé les facilités qu’ils attendaient, ils se retirèrent par Antissa, Pyrrha et Érésos ¹ . Ils mirent ces villes en meilleur état de défense et regagnèrent promptement leurs foyers. Après leur retraite, les Méthymniens firent à leur tour une expédition contre Antissa; mais, dans une sortie, ils furent battus par les Antisséens et par leurs auxiliaires. Ils perdirent beaucoup de monde ; le reste se retira précipitamment.

Quand les Athéniens apprirent que les Mytiléniens étaient maîtres de la terre et que l’armée de siège était insuffisante pour les tenir bloqués, ils envoyèrent, dès les premiers jours de l’automne, mille de leurs hoplites, commandés par Pachès fils d’Épicouros. Ces soldats se rendirent à Mytilène en faisant eux-mêmes l’office de rameurs. Dès leur arrivée, ils investirent la ville d’un mur simple ² et élevèrent des forts sur divers points des hauteurs. Mytilène se trouva ainsi étroitement cernée par terre et par mer. Là-dessus l’hiver commença.

[1] While the Lacedaemonians were at the Isthmus, the Mytilenaeans and their auxiliaries ¹ marched with their army against Methymna, which they supposed was being betrayed into their hands; and they assaulted the city, but when their attempt did not succeed as they had expected, they went off to Antissa, Pyrrha and Eresus, and after establishing their interests in these cities on a firmer basis and strengthening the walls, went home in haste.

[2] As soon, however, as they had withdrawn, the Methymnaeans in their turn made an expedition against Antissa; but a sortie was made by the inhabitants of Antissa and the auxiliary troops in which the Methymnaeans were defeated and many of them slain, whereupon the rest withdrew in haste.

[3] Now when the Athenians learned that the Mytilenaeans were masters of the country and that their own soldiers were not numerous enough to keep them within their walls, about the beginning of autumn they sent Paches son of Epicurus in command of a thousand Athenian hoplites, who also served as rowers. ²

[4] When they arrived at Mytilene, they encircled it with a single wall, in which forts were built at a number of strong positions.

[5] Mytilene was thus at last completely cut off both by sea and land just as the winter set in.

[1] At the same time that the Lacedaemonians were in the neighbourhood of the isthmus, the Mytilenaeans marched by land, both themselves and their auxiliaries, against Methymna, in hope of its being betrayed to them. After assaulting the city, when they did not succeed as they had expected to do, they withdrew to Antissa, Pyrrha, and Eresus, and having rendered the condition of those towns more secure. and strengthened the fortifications, they returned home.

[2] When they had retired, the Methymnaeans marched against Antissa; and being defeated by the inhabitants and their auxiliaries in a sortie that was made, many of them were slain, and the remainder retreated as quickly as possible.

[3] The Athenians, on receiving this intelligence of the Mytilenaeans' commanding the country, and their own troops not being sufficient to keep them in check, sent, about the beginning of autumn, Paches son of Epicurus as commander, with a thousand heavy-armed of their own;

[4] who having themselves rowed their ships, arrived at Mytilene, and enclosed it all round with a single wall; forts being built on some of the strongest points of it.

[5] Thus the place was vigorously blockaded on both sides, by land and by sea; and the commencement of winter was near at hand.

[1] Mytilenaei vero eodem tempore, quo Lacedaemonii circa Isthmum erant K quum ipsi tum etiam auxiliarii milites ad Methymnam, cujus per proditionem capiendqe spem conceperant, terra cum exercitu sunt profecti; et urbem adorti ,.quum res ipsis non succederet, quemadmodum exspectabant, Antissam et Pyrham etEressum petierunt, et stabilitis harum civitatum rebus murisque firmatis domum celeriter se receperunt.

[2] Methymnaei vero et ipfi post illorum discessum cum copiis adversus Antissam ive- runt, et quum ex urbe eruptio facta esset cladem acceperunt ab Antissaeis et auxiliariis quibusdam militibus, multosque amiserunt, ceterique celeriter domum reverterunt.

[3] Athenienses Tero, quum haec audirent, et Mytilenaeos terra potiri, et suos milites non satis virium ad Olos prohibendum habere, jam circiter autumni initium mittunt Pachetem Epicuri filium ducem, cum mille ex se ipsis militibus.

[4] Hi vero remigum officium in navibus ipsi praestantes ad Mytllenen perveniunt, eamque simplici muro cingunt; nonnullis etiam in locis natura munitis castella aedificarunt.

[5] Et Mytilene quidem utrinque et terra et mari acriter obsidebatur, et hiems appetebat;

[1] Wenn es bisher bei den Rednern an dieser Stätte fast allgemeiner Brauch geworden, den Mann zu rühmen, der mit der Bestattung diese Rede verband, weil an dem Grabe gefallener Krieger ein ehrendes Wort sich zieme, so würde ich es für hinreichend gehalten haben, dass man Helden der That mit einer festlichen Handlung ehre, — wie das denn der Staat durch die Bestattung gethan hat, deren Zeugen ihr so eben gewesen — und würde die Verherrlichung so vieler Männer nicht einem Einzelnen und der zufälligen Wirkung seines Vortrags anheimgegeben haben.

Intanto che i Lacedemoni erano intorno l' istmo f ì Mitilenei da sé e con genti ausiliarie marciavano per terra contro Metimna, confidando che sarebbe resa per tradimento. Ma dato l'assalto alla città, là cosa non riusci come e’ si aspettavano, onde se ne andarono ad Antissa, a Pirra e ad Ereso ; ed assicurate le cose di queste città, e rafforzate le mura, sollecitamente tornarono a casa. Dopo la partita de? Mitilenei y anche i Metimni portarono le armi contro Antissa ; ma in una sortita , battuti gravemente dagli Antissei e da’ loro ausiliari, ne perirono molti, e il rimanente si ritirò frettolosamente. Gli Ateniesi udito che ebbero queste cose, e che i Mitilenei erano padroni della campagna , perchè i loro soldati non erano in forze da tenerli rinchiusi, vi spediscono all’entrata dell’autunno Pachete figliolo di Epicuro, alla testa di mille di grave armatura, tutti Ateniesi. Questi, facendo anche il servizio di rematori , giungono per mare a'Mitilene, e la cingono all'intorno di un semplice muro. Furono inoltre edificati battifolli in qualche luogo forte pel suo sito, cosicché Mitilene era gagliardamente stretta da ambe le parti di mare e di terra j e cominciava a farsi inverno.