Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.115

[1] When he had thus said and put them again into heart, the truce being expired, he made divers assaults upon Lecythus. The Athenians fought against them from the wall, though a bad one, and from the houses such as had battlements, and for the first day kept them off.

[2] But the next day, when the enemies were to bring to the wall a great engine, out of which they intended to cast fire upon their wooden fences, and that the army was now coming up to the place where they thought they might best apply the engine, and which was easiest to be assaulted, the Athenians, having upon the top of the building erected a turret of wood, and carried up many buckets of water, and many men being also gone up into it, the building overcharged with weight fell suddenly to the ground, and that with so huge a noise that though those which were near and saw it were grieved more than afraid, yet such as stood further off, especially the furthest of all, supposing the place to be in that part already taken, fled as fast as they could towards the sea and went aboard their galleys.

[1] Having encouraged them with this address, as soon as the truce expired he made his attack upon Lecythus; the Athenians defending themselves from a poor wall and from some houses with parapets.

[2] One day they beat him off; the next the enemy were preparing to bring up an engine against them from which they meant to throw fire upon the wooden defences, and the troops were already coming up to the point where they fancied they could best bring up the engine, and where the place was most assailable; meanwhile the Athenians put a wooden tower upon a house opposite, and carried up a quantity of jars and casks of water and big stones, and a large number of men also climbed up.

[3] The house thus laden too heavily suddenly broke down with a loud crash; at which the men who were near and saw it were more vexed than frightened; but those not so near, and still more those furthest off thought that the place was already taken at that point, and fled in haste to the sea and the ships.

Durch solche Reden ermuthigte er sie, und als der
Waffenstillstand vorüber war, unternahm er den Sturm auf Lekythos; die
Athener aber wehrten sich aus ihrer schlechten Verschanzung und den
Häusern, welche Brustwehren erhalten hatten. Und den ersten Tag
hindurch trieben sie auch die Angriffe ab; Tags daraus aber, als
seitens der Feinde eine Maschine gegen sie geführt werden sollte, von
welcher maii Feuer an ihre hölzernen Wehren zu bringen gedachte,
und das Heer schon im Anmarsch war, errichteten sie da, wo nach
ihrer Meinung jene ihre Maschine zuvörderst anwenden würden und
der Platz am leichtesten anzugreifen war, auf einem Unterbau einen
hölzernen Thurm, trugen viele Eimer und Fässer Wasser's und große
Steine hinauf und erstiegen ihn auch selbst in großer Anzahl. Da
aber der Bau eine zu große Belastung erhalten hatte, so brach er
plötzlich unter großem Gekrache zusammen, was bei den Athenern,
die in der Nähe tsanden und Alles sehen konnten, mehr Aerger als
Furcht erregte; die aber etwas entfernter und besonders die, welche
am weitesten abstanden, glaubten dabei, der Platz sei schon genommen
und wendeten sich fliehend dem Meere und den Schiffen zu.

CXV. Après les avoir rassurés par ces paroles, il attaqua Lécythos à l’expiration de l’armistice. Les Athéniens n’avaient pour se défendre qu’un mauvais rempart et des maisons crénelées ; cependant le premier jour ils repoussèrent l’attaque. Le lendemain les ennemis se disposaient à faire avancer contre eux une machine qui devait lancer des flammes contre les fortifications de bois ; déjà même l’armée se mettait en mouvement. Les Athéniens, prévoyant sur quel point serait dirigée la machine, parce que c’était le plus faible, élevèrent sur un bâtiment une tour de bois, et y transportèrent une grande quantité d’amphores, des tonneaux pleins d’eau et des pierres. Des hommes y montèrent également en grand nombre ; mais le bâtiment, ayant reçu une charge trop forte, s’écroula tout à coup avec fracas. Ceux des Athéniens qui étaient assez près pour voir l’accident en conçurent plus de chagrin que de crainte ; mais plus loin, surtout à une grande distance, ils s’imaginèrent que déjà la place était prise de ce côté, et se précipitèrent en fuyant vers la mer et leurs vaisseaux.

Lorsqu’il les eut ainsi tranquillisés et que la trêve fut expirée, Brasidas attaqua Lécythos. Les Athéniens n avaient pour toute défense qu’un méchant rempart et des maisons crénelées ; cependant ils ne laissèrent pas de résister le premier jour. Le lendemain , l’ennemi s’approcha en poussant devant lui une machine destinée à mettre le feu aux retranchements de bois. Les Athéniens, qui s’attendaient à ce qu’elle serait appliquée au point le- plus faible, lui opposèrent une tour de bois, qu’ils élevèrent sur un édifice déjà existant. Ils y transportèrent de grosses pierres avec quantité d’amphores et de jarres pleines d’eau ; enfin beaucoup d’hommes y montèrent; mais tout à coup l’édifice surchargé s’tffondra à grand bruit. Ceux des Athéniens qui étaient proches en conçurent plus de chagrin que de crainte ; mais les autres et surtout les plus éloignés, s'imaginant la ville prise sur ce point, s’enfuirent du côté de la mer et des vaisseau!.

[1] Having said such things and encouraged them, when the truce expired he proceeded to make assaults upon Lecythus; but the Athenians defended themselves from a paltry fort and from such houses as had battlements, and beat them back for one day.

[2] On the next day, however, when the enemy were about to bring against them an engine from which it was intended to throw fire upon the wooden defences, and the army was already coming up, they set up a wooden tower on a house at the point where they thought the enemy most likely to bring up his engine and where the wall was most assailable, and carried up many jars and casks of water and big stones, and many men also ascended.

[3] But the house, being over-weighted, collapsed suddenly and with a great noise, annoying rather than frightening the Athenians who were near and saw it; but those who were at a distance, and especially those furthest off, thinking that in that quarter the place had already been taken, set off in flight for the sea and their ships.

[1] Having thus addressed and encouraged them, on the expiration of the truce, he made his assault upon Lecythus; while the Athenians defended themselves from a poor wall, and from some houses that had battlements. For one day they beat him off;

[2] but on the next, when an engine was going to be brought up against them by the enemy, from which they intended to throw fire on the wooden defences, and when the army was now advancing where they thought they should best bring up the engine, and where the place was most assailable, the defenders placed a wooden tower on the wall opposite to them, and carried up on to it many jars and casks of water, with large stones, an a large party of men ascended it.

[3] But the building, having had too great a weight put on it, suddenly broke down, and making a loud noise, vexed more than it terrified those of the Athenians who were near and saw it; but those who were at a distance, and most of all those who were at the greatest, thinking that the place was already taken in that quarter, hurried away, and fled to the sea and to their ships.

[1] Hic igitur quum haec dixisset eosque bono animo esse jussisset, ubi induciarum tempus praeteriit, Lecythum oppugnare coepit; Athenienses vero e munitione parum firma et ex aedificiis pinnas habentibus sese defendebant

[2] Et unum quidem diem propulsarunt; postridie vero quum adversarii machinam iis essent admoturi, ex qua ignem in ligneas munitiones injicere in animo habebant, quumque exercitus jam accederet ad eam partem, ad quam potissimum machinam ab iis admotum iri putabant, et qua munitio facillime expugnari poterat, ligneam turrim aedificio impositam opposuerunt, et multas aquae amphoras et dolia et ingentia saxa eo comportarunt, bominesque multi illuc ascenderunt.

[3] iEdificium autem, quod onus suscepisset gravius, quam quod sustinere posset, repente collapsum est, editoque ingenti fragore Athenienses quidem, qui prope erant et rem cernebant, majore dolore, quam metu aflecit; qui vero procul aberant, 'praecipue vero remotissimi, existimantes, munitionem ab illa parte jam esse captam, fuga ad mare et ad naves contenderunt.

Contali parole Brasida rinfrancava i cittadini; e spirata la tregua prese a battere Lecito , ove gli Ateniesi, sebbene si difendessero da debole munizione e da case fornite di merli, pure nel primo giorno respinsero il nemico. Ma siccome il dì seguente volevano i Brastdiani avvicinar contro loro una macchina , colla quale intendevano di gettare il fuoco su' ripari di legname, cosi gli Ateniesi (quando l’esercito già si avanzava verso la parte dove il luogo era meno difendevole , e dove appunto si aspettavano che verrebbe condotta la macchina) piantarono di faccia ana torre di legno sopra una casa , portarono assai brocche e barili di acqua e sassi grossissimi, e vi salì su moliti gente. Onde la fabbrica gravata di troppo peso a un tratto sfasciossi con graude strepito , e quella vista recò più dolore che paura ai vicini Ateniesi. Quelli però che ne erano distanti, e specialmente i più lontani, immaginatisi che so quel punto fosse stata già espugnata la terra, si diedero a precipitosa fuga verso il mare e verso le navi«