Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.100

[1] The Boeotians presently sent for darters and slingers from [the towns on] the Melian gulf; and with these, and with two thousand men of arms of Corinth, and with the Peloponnesian garrison that was put out of Nisaea, and with the Megareans, all which arrived after the battle, they marched forthwith to Delium and assaulted the wall. And when they had attempted the same many other ways, at length they brought to it an engine, wherewith they also took it, made in this manner:

[2] Having slit in two a great mast, they made hollow both the sides, and curiously set them together again in the form of a pipe. At the end of it in chains they hung a cauldron; and into the cauldron from the end of the mast they conveyed a snout of iron, having with iron also armed a great part of the rest of the wood.

[3] They carried it to the wall, being far off, in carts, to that part where it was most made up with the matter of the vineyard and with wood.

[4] And when it was to, they applied a pair of great bellows to the end next themselves, and blew. The blast, passing narrowly through into the cauldron, in which were coals of fire, brimstone, and pitch, raised an exceeding great flame, and set the wall on fire, so that no man being able to stand any longer on it, but abandoning the same and betaking themselves to flight, the wall was by that means taken.

[5] Of the defendants, some were slain and two hundred taken prisoners; the rest of the number recovered their galleys and got home.

[1] Meanwhile the Boeotians at once sent for darters and slingers from the Malian gulf, and with two thousand Corinthian heavy infantry who had joined them after the battle, the Peloponnesian garrison which had evacuated Nisaea , and some Megarians with them, marched against Delium , and attacked the fort, and after divers efforts finally succeeded in taking it by an engine of the following description.

[2] They sawed in two and scooped out a great beam from end to end, and fitting it nicely together again like a pipe, hung by chains a cauldron at one extremity, with which communicated an iron tube projecting from the beam, which was itself in great part plated with iron.

[3] This they brought up from a distance upon carts to the part of the wall principally composed of vines and timber, and when it was near, inserted huge bellows into their end of the beam and blew with them.

[4] The blast passing closely confined into the cauldron, which was filled with lighted coals, sulphur and pitch, made a great blaze, and set fire to the wall, which soon became untenable for its defenders, who left it and fled; and in this way the fort was taken.

[5] Of the garrison some were killed and two hundred made prisoners; most of the rest got on board their ships and returned home.

Die Böoter schickten nun sogleich um Speerschützen und
Schleuderer vom Melischen Meerbuset, und da ihnen nach der Schlacht
auch zweitausend schwerbewaffnete Korinther zu Hülse gekommen und
auch die peloponnesische Besatzung aus Nisäa mit den Megarern zu
ihnen gestoßen war, so zogen sie vor Delion und bekannten die
Verschanzung. Unter Anderem, was sie versuchten, wendeten sie auch die
folgende Erfindung an, durch die sie den Platz auch wirklich nahmen.
Sie schnitten einen großen Stamm in der Mitte entzwei, höhlten ihn
dann ganz durch und fügten ihn wieder sorgfältig an einander, wie
eine Röhre; dann befestigten sie an das untere Ende des Stammes
vermittels Ketten ein Becken, in welches man durch die Höhlung des
Balkens ein Blasrohr herabgehen ließ, welches am sunteren^ Ende
von Eisen war; auch sonst war der Balken zu einem großen Theil
mit Eisen beschlagen. Nun führten sie das Ganze aus weiter
Entfernung auf Wagen zu der Mauer heran, besonders da, wo Reben
und Holzwerk in den Bau eingefügt waren, und so oft er nahe genug
herangebracht war, setzten sie große Blasebälge in die ihnen zugekehrte
Mündung des Balkens und setzten diese in Thätigkeit. Die Luft, die
nun durch die enge Höhlung in das Becken blies, das mit glühenden
Kohlen, Schwefel und Pech angefüllt war, entzündete eine mächtige
Flamme und steckte die Verschanzung in Brand, so daß Niemand mehr
dort aushalten konnte, sondern Alle sie im Stich ließen und davon-
gingen, auf welche Art denn die Verschanzung genommen wurde. Von
der Besatzung waren einige gefallen, zweihundert wurden gefangen ¹
genommen, die Mehrzahl der Uebrigen schiffte sich ein und fuhr nach
Hause.

C. Les Béotiens mandèrent aussitôt du golfe Méliaque des soldats armés de javelots et des frondeurs. Renforcés en outre, après le combat, par deux mille hoplites de Corinthe, par la garnison péloponnésienne de Nisée et par des troupes de Mégare, ils marchèrent contre Délium et en firent le siège.

Entre autres moyens, ils firent jouer contre les remparts une machine qui les en rendit maîtres ; voici en quoi elle consistait : ils scièrent en deux, dans le sens de la longueur, une grande poutre, évidèrent les deux côtés et les rejoignirent exactement, de manière à former un tube. A l’une des extrémités, ils suspendirent une chaudière avec des chaînes. Un bec de soufflet, en fer, était adapté à la même extrémité, et descendait vers la chaudière ; de nombreux ferrements maintenaient le reste de la poutre. Cette machine fut amenée de loin au pied de la muraille, dans la partie formée plus particulièrement de sarments et de bois. Quand elle fut à portée, ils adaptèrent de grands soufflets à l’extrémité placée de leur côté et se mirent à souffler. L’air comprimé, tombant sur la chaudière remplie de charbons ardents, de soufre et de poix, produisit une grande flamme, et amena un tel embrasement au rem- part, qu’il devint impossible de s’y tenir. Les assiégés l’abandonnèrent et prirent la fuite ; le fort se trouva ainsi emporté. Une partie de la garnison périt ; deux cents hommes furent faits prisonniers ; la plupart des autres parvinrent à s’embarquer et rentrèrent dans leur pays.

Aussitôt les Béotiens firent venir du golfe Maliaque des gens de trait et des frondeurs ¹ . Depuis la bataille, ils avaient été renforcés par deux mille hoplites de Corinthe, par la garnison péloponésienne sortie de Niséa ² , enfin par un certain nombre de Mégariens. Avec ces forces ils marchèrent à l’attaque de Délion. Entre autres moyens, ils dirigèrent contre le rempart une machine qui les en rendit maîtres et dont voici la description. Ils prirent une grande poutre, qu’ils scièrent en long et qu’ils creusèrent d’un bout à l’autre ; puis ils en ajustèrent exactement les deux moitiés pour former une espèce dt tube. A l’une des extrémités ils suspendirent avec des chaînez un bassin, où venait aboutir en se courbant un bec de fer. Toute la partie antérieure de la poutre était recouverte du même métal. Cette machine fut amenée de loin sur des chariots jusqu’au pied du retranchement, à l’endroit où se trouvait le plus de sarments et de bois. Lorsqu’elle fut proche, ils adaptèrent à l’extrémité tournée vers eux de grands soufflets qu’ils firent jouer. L’air comprimé, pénétrant par le tube dans le bassin rempli de charbons ardents, de soufre et de poix, produisit une flamme tellement intense que toute la palissade fut embrasée et que personne n’y put demeurer. Les assiégés abandonnèrent leur poste et la place fut prise. Une partie de la garnison périt; deux cents hommes furent faits prisonniers; le reste delà troupe monta sur les vaisseaux et réussit à s’échapper.

[1] The Boeotians sent off at once for darters and slingers from the Maliac Gulf, and with two thousand Corinthian hoplites, who reinforced them after the battle, as well as the Peloponnesian garrison which had evacuated Nisaea, and some Megarians also, made an expedition against Delium and attacked the fortification. After trying other forms of assault they took it by bringing up an engine made in the following manner.

[2] Having sawed in two a great beam they hollowed it throughout, and fitted it together again nicely like a pipe; then they hung a cauldron at one end of it with chains, and into the cauldron an iron bellows-pipe was let down in a curve ¹ from the beam, which was itself in great part plated with iron.

[3] This engine theybrought up from a distance on carts to the part of the wall where it was built chiefly of vines and wood; and when it was near, they inserted a large bellows into the end of the beam next to them and blew through it.

[4] And the blast passing through the air-tight tube into the cauldron, which contained lighted coals, sulphur, and pitch, made a great blaze and set fire to the wall, so that no one could stay on it longer, but all left it and took to flight;

[5] and in this way the fortification was taken. Of the garrison some were slain, and two hundred were captured; but most of the rest got on board their ships and were conveyed home.

[1] The Boeotians immediately sent for dartmen and slingers from the Malian gulf, and having been reinforced since the battle by two thousand Corinthian heavy-armed, and the Peloponnesian garrison which had evacuated Nisaea, and some Megareans with them, they marched against Delium and assaulted the fortress, both attempting it in other ways, and bringing against it an engine of the following description, which was the means of taking it.

[2] Having sawn a great beam in two, they hollowed out the whole of it, and fitted it nicely together again, like a pipe, and hung by chains at the end of it a caldron, into which was placed an iron bellows-pipe, inclining from the beam, the timber also being for a considerable distance covered with iron.

[3] This they brought up from a distance on carts to that part of the wall where it had been chiefly built of the vines and timber; and when it was near, they applied great bellows to the end of the beam next themselves, and blew them.

[4] The blast passing closely confined into the caldron, which held lighted coals, sulphur, and pitch, produced a great flame, and set fire to a part of the wall; so that no one could any longer stand upon it, but they left it and took to flight; and in this way the fortress was taken.

[5] Of the garrison some were killed, and two hundred taken: of the rest the greater part got on board their ships, and returned home.

[1] Et Boeoti protinus accersitis ex sinu Meliaco jaculatoribus et funditoribus, quum duo quoque gravis armaturae militum Corinthiorum millia post proelium commissum au* xilio iis venissent, et praesidiarii Peloponnesiorum milites, qui ex Nisaea discesserant, et Megarenses una cum iis, adversus Delium profecti sunt, et munitionem oppugnare coeperunt, et quum alio oppugnationis genere eam temptassent, tum etiam machinam, quae eam cepit, admoverunt, hunc in modum factam.

[2] Ingentem antennam induas partes dissectam totam excavarunt, eamque rursus ut fistulam apte commiserunt, et in ea extrema lebetem catenis appenderunt, et fistula ferrea ad flatum ciendum ex antenna prominens in ipsum lebetem demissa erat et antenna magnam etiam reliqui ligni partem ferro praemunitam habebat.

[3] Hanc autem machinam cx longinquo spatio canis ad* vectam admovebant muro, qua parte potissimum vitibus lignisque constructus erat; et quum prope murum esset, gjandibus follibus ad antennae caput, quod ad ipsos spectabat, applicitis flatum ciebant.

[4] Flatus autem, qui per foramen in lebetem, habentem prunas incensas et sulphur et picem, ferebatur, ingentem flammam excitabat, et murum incendit, ita ut nullus super eum amplius consistere posset, sed omnes, eo deserto, in fugam sese darent, et munitio hoc modo caperetur.

[5] Praesidiariorum autem alii quidem ceciderunt, ducenti vero capti sunt Ceterorum multitudo naves conscendit, domumque se recepit.

Ma i Beozii, essendo venuti in loro aiuto dopo la battaglia duemila Corintii di grave armatura, e quei soldati peloponnesi che erano di presidio a Nisea ed anche i Megaresi, spedirono subito per dei laudatori e frombolieri dal seno Meliaco, marciarono contro Delio , e diedero l’assalto alla fortificazione. Tra gli altri tentativi fatti , accostarono al muro una macchina che lo espugnò, fatta in questa foggia. Segarono unà grande antenna in due parti, le quali vuotate quanto erano lunghe le ricommessero esattamente a guisa d’una tromba. AlPestremila vi attaccarono con catene una caldaia , e dall’autcniia scendeva voltato verso la caldaia lo sfiatatoio di ferro, e di ferro era pur foderata non poca parte del resto dell antenna. Portata questa per non piccolo spazio in su de’carri l’accostarono al muro in quel punto che era fatto, più che d’altro , di sarmenti e di legni : e quando fu vicina vi applicarono grandi mantici alla estremità dalla parte loro , e gonfiavano. Il fiato scorrendo ben serrato nella caldaia fornita di carboni accesi, di zolfo e di pece , suscitò fiamma grande che appiccò fuoco al muro tanto che, non potendo più alcuno rimanervi, lo abbandonarono, e si misero in fuga ; e fu in questa maniera espugnata quella munizione. Alcuni del presidio morirono, dugento furono presi, e l' altra moltitudine montata sulle navi si ricondusse a casa.