Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.24

[1] Whilst these things passed, the Syracusians and their confederates in Sicily, adding to those galleys that lay in garrison at Messana the rest of the fleet which they had prepared, made war out of Messana,

[2] instigated thereto chiefly by the Locrians, as enemies to the Rhegians, whose territory they had also invaded with their whole forces by land;

[3] and seeing the Athenians had but a few galleys present and hearing that the greater number which were to come to them were employed in the siege of the island, desired to try with them a battle by sea.

[4] For if they could get the better with their navy, they hoped, lying before Rhegium, both with their land-forces on the field side and with their fleet by sea, easily to take it into their hands and thereby strengthen their affairs. For Rhegium, a promontory of Italy, and Messana in Sicily lying near together, they might both hinder the Athenians from lying at anchor there against them and make themselves masters of the strait.

[5] This strait is the sea between Rhegium and Messana where Sicily is nearest to the continent, and is that which is called Charybdis, where Ulysses is said to have passed through. Which, for that it is very narrow, and because the sea falleth in there from two great mains, the Tyrrhene and Sicilian, and is rough, hath therefore not without good cause been esteemed dangerous.

[1] Meanwhile the Syracusans and their allies in Sicily had brought up to the squadron guarding Messina the reinforcement which we left them preparing, and carried on the war from thence,

[2] incited chiefly by the Locrians from hatred of the Rhegians, whose territory they had invaded with all their forces.

[3] The Syracusans also wished to try their fortune at sea, seeing that the Athenians had only a few ships actually at Rhegium , and hearing that the main fleet destined to join them was engaged in blockading the island.

[4] A naval victory, they thought, would enable them to blockade Rhegium by sea and land, and easily to reduce it; a success which would at once place their affairs upon a solid basis, the promontory of Rhegium in Italy and Messina in Sicily being so near each other that it would be impossible for the Athenians to cruise against them and command the strait.

[5] The strait in question consists of the sea between Rhegium and Messina , at the point where Sicily approaches nearest to the continent, and is the Charybdis through which the story makes Ulysses sail; and the narrowness of the passage and the strength of the current that pours in from the vast Tyrrhenian and Sicilian mains, have rightly given it a bad reputation.

Während dieser Ereignisse führten aus Sieilien die
Syrakusaner und ihre Bundesgenossen den Krieg von Messana auS,
nachdem sie mit ihrer Flotte, die dort auf Wache stand, die andern Schiffe
vereinigt, die sie noch ausgerüstet hatten. Am meisten drängten
dabei die Lokrer aus Feindschaft gegen die Nheginer, wie sie denn auch
selbst mit gesammter Macht in jener Gebiet eingefallen waren. Auch ¹
hätten sie gern den Seekampf versucht, da sie sahen, wie wenig Schiffe
den Athenern zur Hand seien, und zugleich erfahren hatten, daß sie
mit einer zahlreichen Flotte kommen würden, die Insel zu blokiren.
Denn hätten sie zur See gesiegt, so hofften sie Rhegium durch einen
Angriff von der Land- und Wasserseite leicht zu nehmen, und dann
würde .ihre Sache erst recht gut stehen, da Rhegium als Landspitze
von Italien und Messana von Sicilien nahe bei einander liegen, und
so könnten sich die Athener dort nicht mehr vor Anker legen und die
Meerenge beherrschen. Diese Meerenge ist eben das Meer zwischen
Rhegium und Messana, wo Sicilien den kürzesten Abstand vom
Festland hat, und dieß Meer eben trägt den Namen der Charybdis,
durch welche Odysseus gesegelt sein soll^). Wegen der Enge aber
und weil aus den zwei großen Meeren, dem Tyrrhenischen und dem
Sikelischen, das Wasser hier einströmt und mächtig sluthet, so wurde
sie mit Recht für gefährlich gehalten.

XXIV. Cependant, en Sicile, les Syracusains et leurs alliés, ayant réuni à la flotte qui gardait Messène tous les autres bâtiments qu’ils avaient équipés, partirent de ce port pour reprendre les hostilités. Les Locriens surtout les excitaient, en haine des habitants de Rhégium, sur le territoire desquels ils venaient de pénétrer en masse. D’ailleurs, voyant que les Athéniens n’avaient que peu de vaisseaux dans ces parages, et informés que la plus grande partie des bâtiments, en particulier ceux qui devaient venir en Sicile, assiégeaient Sphactérie, ils voulaient tenter un combat naval. Vainqueurs sur mer, ils espéraient soumettre aisément Rhégium en l’attaquant par mer et par terre, et affermir ainsi leur puissance. Car le promontoire de Rhégium, en Italie, étant à peu de distance de Messène, en Sicile, les Athéniens ne pourraient plus stationner dans ces parages et rester maîtres du détroit. Ce détroit est formé par le bras de mer qui sépare Rhégium de Messène, au point où la Sicile est le plus rapprochée du continent. C’est à ce passage qu’on a donné le nom de Charybde : Ulysse, dit-on, l’a traversé. Comme il est fort étroit, et que deux vastes mers, celle de Thyrrhénie et celle de Sicile, s’y précipitent en courant avec violence, on l’a justement considéré comme dangereux ¹ .

Cependant en Sicile les Syracusains et leurs alliés, après avoir renforcé de tous les vaisseaux qu'ils avaient équipés la flotte qui gardait Messine, .continuaient la guerre en partant de cette ville. Les Locriens les y excitaient par animosité contre Rhégion; eux-mêmes étaient entrés en corps de nation sur son territoire. Les Syracusains étaient résolus à tenter un combat naval. Ils voyaient que les Athéniens n’avaient en ce moment que peu de vaisseaux dans ces parages, et ils savaient que le gros de la flotte destinée à agir contre eux ¹ se trouvait occupé à Sphactérie. Une fois que leur marine aurait pris le dessus, ils comptaient s’emparer aisément de Rhégion en l’attaquant par mer et par terre, et affermir ainsi leur domination. Le promontoire de Rhégion en Italie étant voisin de Messine en Sicile, les Athéniens ne pourraient plus stationner en ce lieu ni commmander le détroit. Ce détroit est formé par le bras de mer qui sépare Rhégion et Messine, au point où en Sicile se rapproche le plus du continent, c’est la fameuse Uharybde, qui fut traversée, dit-on, par Ulysse ² . Le peu de largeur du passage fait que les eaux venant de deux grandes mers, celle de Tyrrhénie et celle de Sicile, s’y engouffrent avec violence et produisent des courants réputés à bon droit dangereux.

[1] Meanwhile in Sicily the Syracusans and their allies, having reinforced the ships which were keeping guard at Messene by bringing up the other naval force which they had been equipping, ¹ were carrying on the war from Messene.

[2] To this they were instigated chiefly by the Locrians on account of their hatred of the Rhegians, whose territory they had themselves invaded in full force.

[3] The Syracusans wanted also to try their fortune in a sea-fight, seeing that the Athenians had only a few ships at hand, and hearing that the most of their fleet, the ships that were on the way to Sicily, were employed in blockading the island of Sphacteria.

[4] For, in case they won a victory with the fleet, they could then invest Rhegium both by land and by sea and, as they believed, capture it without difficulty; and from that moment their situation would be a strong one, since Rhegium, the extreme point of Italy, and Messene in Sicily are only a short distance apart, and so the Athenians would not be able to keep a fleet there ² and command the strait.

[5] Now the strait is that arm of the sea between Rhegium and Messene, at the point where Sicily is nearest the mainland; and it is the Charybdis, so called, through which Odysseus is said to have sailed. On account of its narrowness and because the water falls into it from two great seas, the Etruscan and the Sicilian, and is full of currents, it has naturally been considered dangerous.

[1] In the mean time the Syracusans and their allies in Sicily, having taken to join the ships on guard at Messana the other squadron which they were preparing, carried on the war from that place.

[2] They were especially urged on to this by the Locrians, out of hatred for the people of Rhegium, whose territory they had themselves also invaded with all their forces.

[3] And they wished to try the result of a sea-fight, seeing that the Athenian ships stationed at Messana were but few; while by the greater part of them, including those that were to come thither, they heard that the island was being blockaded.

[4] For if they gained the advantage by sea, they hoped that by blockading Rhegium both with their land-forces and their ships they would easily reduce it, and then their success would be secured; for as the promontory of Rhegium in Italy, and that of Messana in Sicily, lay close together, the Athenians would not be able to cruise against them, and command the strait.

[5] This strait is formed by the sea between Rhegium and Messana, where Sicily is at the least distance from the continent; and is the Charybdis, so called, through which Ulysses is said to have sailed. And as the sea falls into it through a narrow passage from two great mains, the Tuscan and Sicilian, flowing at the same time with a strong current, it has naturally been considered dangerous.

[1] Interea vero in Sicilia Syracusani eorumque socii praeter naves praesidiarias, quae apud Messanam erant, cetera classe, quam pararant, advecta bellum e Messana gerebant

[2] Eosque ad hoc Locri maxime solicitabant ob odium, quo Rheginos prosequebantur, ipsique cum universis copiis in illorum algrum irruptionem fecerant.

[3] Volebant autem navale proelium experiri, quod naves, quae tunc Atheniensibus aderant, paucas esse animadverterent, majore autem illarum parte, quae venturae erant, insulam objideri audirent.

[4] Si enim dasse vicissent, Rhegium terra marique obsessum in suam potestatem redactum iri, suasque res ita demum firmas fore sperabant; quum enim Rhegium Italiae promontorium, et Messana, quae est in Sicilia, in proximo sint, Athenienses facultatem non habituros , ut ibi in statione essent fretoque poterentur.

[5] Hoc autem fretum est mare inter Rhegium et Messanam, qua brevissimo intervallo Sicilia distat a continente; atque haec est, quae Charybdis appellatur, qua Ulysses transisse fertur. Propter loci autem angustias, et ex ingentibus pelagis, Tyrrheno et Siculo, mare in ipsum fretum irrumpens, et aestuosum existens, jure difficile existimatum est.

[1] Akanthier! Die Absicht Spartas bei Aussendung meines Heeres ist keine andere, als den Zweck unseres Krieges mit Athen, als welchen wir in der Kriegserklärung die Befreiung Griechenlands angekündigt, zur Wirklichkeit zu machen. An unserm späten Erscheinen aber ist die durch die bisherigen Feldzüge getäuschte Hoffnung schuld, euch den Kampf zu ersparen und in kurzer Zeit allein mit Athen fertig zu werden; und es kann uns dasselbe um so weniger zum Vorwurf gemacht werden, da wir jetzt die erste Gelegenheit ergreifen, hieher zu kommen und auch euch zur Theilnahme an dem Vernichtungskampfe einzuladen. Um so mehr befremdet es mich, aus dem Sperren der Thore auf eine unfreundliche Stimmung bei euch schliessen zu müssen. In dem guten Glauben, in euch längst, vor unserer Ankunft schon, entschiedene Bundesgenossen zu finden, denen wir nur willkommen sein würden, haben wir Lacedämonier die Gefahr nicht angesehen, die mit einem so weiten Marsch durch fremdes Gebiet verbunden war, und jedes mögliche Opfer gebracht, — und wie, ihr solltet ganz andere Gesinnungen hegen, solltet eurer eigenen und aller Griechen Befreiung euch widersetzen wollen? Denn nicht allein, dass ihr zu dem Feinde stehet, es müsste auch alle folgenden Städte zurückhaltend und besorgt machen, wenn gleich anfangs eine so ansehnliche und einflussreiche Stadt wie die eurige mich abwiese. Der Glaube an meine Sendung wäre dahin ¹ , man argwohnte nur Böses in der Freiheit, die ich bringe ² , oder sähe in meinem Heere einen zu schwachen und nichtssagenden Schutz gegen Athens drohende Rache. Zwar es war dasselbe Heer, mit dem ich vor Nisäa zog, wo die Athener trotz ihrer Uebermacht keinen Angriff wagten, und ein so zahlreiches Heer wie das nisäische würden sie ohnehin in keinem Fall gegen euch über's Meer schicken. ³

Frattanto i Siracusani e gli alleati di Sicilia , oltre le navi che presidiavano Messina, condussero ivi il resto della flotta che stavano allestendo , e di là uscivano |«r far la guerra , alla quale per odio contro i Reggini tirano principalmente stimolali da' Locresi, che già con tutto lo sforzo avevano assaltato le loro terre. \ olevano anche tentare una battaglia per mare, vedendo che gli

Ateniesi avevano piccola armata , e sentendo che una più grande, la qual dovea venirvi, era all’assedio della Sfatteria. Che se avessero vinto una battaglia navale speravano , che stringendo Reggio per terra e per mare , la ridurrebbono agevolmente in potestà loro, e fortificherebbono il proprio stato. Imperciocché essendo tra sé vicini il prò-montorio di Reggio in Italia, e Messina in Sicilia, non permetterebbero che gli Ateniesi vi approdassero, e si impadronissero dello stretto , il quale altro non è che il mare di mezzo a Reggio e Messina (ove la Sicilia è meno distante dalla terraferma) denominato Cariddi, per dove è fama che attraversasse Ulisse : e per la sua strettezza, e per il concorso dei due mari tirreno e siculo che ivi incontrandosi lo fanno rigurgitare , egli é giustamente stimato pericoloso.