Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.34

[1] Thus for a little while they skirmished one against another afar off. But when the Lacedaemonians were no longer able to run out after them where they charged, these lightarmed soldiers, seeing them less earnest in chasing them and taking courage chiefly from their sight, as being many times their number, and having also been used to them so much as not to think them now so dangerous as they had done, for that they had not received so much hurt at their hands as their subdued minds, because they were to fight against the Lacedaemonians, had at their first landing prejudged, contemned them; and with a great cry ran all at once upon them, casting stones, arrows, and darts, as to every man came next to hand.

[2] Upon this cry and assault they were much terrified, as not accustomed to such kind of fight; and withal a great dust of the woods lately burnt mounted into the air, so that by reason of the arrows and stones, that together with the dust flew from such a multitude of men, they could hardly see before them.

[3] Then the battle grew sore on the Lacedaemonians' side, for their jacks now gave way to the arrows, and the darts that were thrown stuck broken in them, so as they could not handle themselves, as neither seeing before them, nor hearing any direction given them for the greater noise of the enemy, but danger being on all sides, were hopeless to save themselves upon any side by fighting.

[1] After this skirmishing had lasted some little while, the Lacedaemonians became unable to dash out with the same rapidity as before upon the points attacked, and the light troops, finding that they now fought with less vigor, became more confident. They could see with their own eyes that they were many times more numerous than the enemy; they were now more familiar with his aspect and found him less terrible, the result not having justified the apprehensions which they had suffered, when they first landed in slavish dismay at the idea of attacking Lacedaemonians; and accordingly their fear changing to disdain, they now rushed all together with loud shouts upon them, and pelted them with stones, darts, and arrows, whichever came first to hand.

[2] The shouting accompanying their onset confounded the Lacedaemonians, unaccustomed to this mode of fighting; dust rose from the newly-burnt wood, and it was impossible to see in front of one with the arrows and stones flying through clouds of dust from the hands of numerous assailants.

[3] The Lacedaemonians had now to sustain a rude conflict; their caps would not keep out the arrows, darts had broken off in the armour of the wounded, while they themselves were helpless for offence, being prevented from using their eyes to see what was before them, and unable to hear the words of command for the hubbub raised by the enemy; danger encompassed them on every side, and there was no hope of any means of defence or safety.

So beschossen sie denn eine kurze Weile einander aus
der Entfernung; als aber die Lakedämonier, wo sie angegriffen
wurden, nicht mehr scharf ausfallen konnten, und die leichten Truppen
sahen, daß sie schon schwerfälliger zur Abwehr würden, auch
besonders aus dem Anblick ihrer vielfach überlegenen Zahl Muth schöpften
und sich schon mehr an den Anblick jener gewöhnt hatten, so daß sie
ihnen nicht mehr so furchtbar erschienen — zumal ihnen auch nicht
von jenen begegnet worden war, wie sie erwartet hatten, als sie noch
eben erst bei der Landung durch die bloße Vorstellung, daß sie gegen
Lakedämonier kämpfen sollten, in Schrecken und Verwirrung gesetzt ¹
waren, — so fingen sie an, jene zu verachten, erhoben ein Geichre, i
und stürmten in Masse aus sie ein, Steine, Pfeile oder Wurfspieße
schleudernd, wie sie gerade ein Jeder bei der Hand hatte. Da nun
mit dem Angriff zugleich das Schlachtgeschrei ertönte, fiel Furcht die
Leute an, die solcher Kampsart ungewohnt waren, und in dichten
Wolken stieg die Asche des kürzlich niedergebrannten Waldes auf,
und es war unmöglich, etwas vor Augen zu sehen vor der Menge der
Geschosse und Steine, die von der großen Menshcenmasse geschleudert
wurden, und dem Staube, der emporwirbelte. Jetzt wurde den
Lakedämoniern heiß, denn ihre Panzer schützten nicht mehr vor den
Pfeilen, und die Wurfspeere brachen darin ab, wenn Einer getroffen
wurde, und sie wußten sich gar nicht mehr zu helfen, da ihnen die
Aussicht benommen war und sie vor dem lauteren Geschrei der Feinde
die eigenen Kommandoworte nicht vernehmen konnten. Von allen
Seiten umringte sie die Gefahr, und sie sahen keine Hoffnung mehr,
sich irgendwie durch Abwehr zu retten.

XXXIV. Pendant quelque temps, on escarmoucha ainsi de part et d’autre. Mais bientôt les Lacédémoniens furent hors d’état de se porter rapidement dans tous les sens pour faire face aux attaques ; les troupes légères reconnurent qu’appesantis par la lutte, ils se défendaient plus mollement ; elles-mêmes avaient pris confiance en se voyant si nombreuses ; déjà elles s’habituaient à ne plus croire les Lacédémoniens aussi redoutables, parce qu’ils ne leur avaient pas fait tout d’abord le mal auquel elles s’attendaient en commençant l’at- taque ; car elles étaient alors subjuguées par la pensée qu’elles allaient avoir affaire à des Lacédémoniens. Elles se prirent donc à les mépriser, fondirent sur eux de toutes parts en poussant de grands cris et les accablèrent de pierres, de traits, de javelots, de tout ce qui leur tombait sous la main. Leurs clameurs, jointes à cette irruption soudaine, frappaient d’épouvante des hommes peu faits à ce genre de combat ; la cendre de la forêt nouvellement consumée s’élevait en épais nuages ; il était impossible de voir devant soi, au milieu des traits et des pierres lancées par une multitude d’hommes et qui volaient avec la cendre. L’action, à ce moment, devint critique pour les Lacédémoniens : leurs cuirassés de feutre né les garantissaient pas contre les traits ; les javelots dont ils étaient accablés s’y enfonçaient en se brisant ; ils ne savaient plus que faire, dans l’impossibilité de rien voir devant eux et d’entendre les ordres de leurs chefs que dominaient les clameurs de l’ennemi. Partout environnés de dangers, ils n’entrevoyaient aucune lueur d’espérance, aucun moyen d’échapper en combattant.

Quelques moments se passèrent ainsi en escarmouches ; mais bientôt les Lacédémoniens devinrent incapables de se porter assez promptement sur les points menacés, et les troupes légères s’aperçurent qu’ils mettaient moins de vivacité dans leur défense. Elles, au contraire, sentirent leur courage doublé en se voyant si supérieures en nombre. Déjà elles s'habituaient à ne plus avoir peur des Lacédémoniens, parce .qu’elles ne les avaient pas trouvés d’abord tels qu’elles s’y attendaient. Au premier instant, elles n’avaient pu se défendre d’un sentiment d’effroi à la pensée qu’elles allaient combattre des Lacédémoniens ; mais la crainte fit place au dédain ; et, poussant un cri terrible, elles se précipitèrent sur eux en masse avec des pierres, des traits, des javelots, chacun avec la première arme venue. Leurs clameurs, jointes à cette incursion soudaine, frappèrent d’épouvante des hommes peu faits à ce genre de combat. Les cendres de la forêt nouvellement consumée s’élevaient en tourbillons dans les airs, et, mêlées à la grêle de traits et de pierres, interceptaient le jour.

Dès ce moment, les Lacédémoniens se trouvèrent dans une position désastreuse. Leurs cuirasses de feutre ¹ ne les mettaient pas à l’abri des flèches ; les dards dont ils étaient criblés s’y enfonçaient en se brisant. Ils ne savaient où donner de la tête, incapables de rien voir devant eux et d’entendre les commandements , que couvraient les cris des ennemis. Accablés de toutes parts, ils n’entrevoyaient aucune espérance de se dégager en combattant.

[1] For some little time they skirmished thus with one another; but when the Lacedaemonians were no longer able to dash out promptly at the point where they were attacked, the light-armed troops noticed that they were slackening in their defence, and also conceived the greatest confidence in themselves, now that they could see that they were undoubtedly many times more numerous than the enemy, and, since their losses had from the outset been less heavy than they had expected, they had gradually become accustomed to regarding their opponents as less formidable than they had seemed at their first landing when their own spirits were oppressed by the thought that they were going to fight against Lacedaemonians. Conceiving, therefore, a contempt for them, with a shout they charged upon them in a body, hurling at them stones, arrows or javelins, whichever each man had at hand.

[2] The shouting with which the Athenians accompanied their charge caused consternation among the Lacedaemonians, who were unaccustomed to this manner of fighting; and the dust from the newly-burned forest rose in clouds to the sky, so that a man could not see what was in front of him by reason of the arrows and stones, hurled, in the midst of the dust, by many hands.

[3] And so the battle began to go hard with the Lacedaemonians; for their felt cuirasses afforded them no protection against the arrows, and the points of the javelins broke off and clung there when the men were struck. They were, therefore, quite at their wits' end, since the dust shut off their view ahead and they could not hear the word of command on their own side because the enemy's shouts were louder. Danger encompassed them on every side and they despaired of any means of defence availing to save them.

[1] For some short time then they skirmished with each other in this way. But when the Lacedaemonians were no longer able with vigour to dash out against them where they made their attack, the light-armed, observing that they were now slackening in their resistance, and themselves deriving most confidence from a closer view—appearing as they did many times more numerous than the enemy—and having now more accustomed themselves to look on them no longer with such terror, because they had not at once suffered as much as they had expected, when they were first landing with spirits cowed at the thought of attacking Lacedaemonians; [under these circumstances, I say,] they despised them, and with a shout rushed on them in one body, and attacked them with stones, arrows, and darts, whichever came first to their hand.

[2] From the shouting thus raised, while they ran upon them, bewilderment seized them, as men unaccustomed to such a mode of fighting. The dust also from the wood that had been burnt was rising thick into the air, and it was impossible for any one to see before him, for the arrows and stones which, together with the dust, were flying from such a host of men.

[3] And here the action became distressing to the Lacedaemonians; for their caps were not proof against the arrows, and darts were broken in them, when they were struck; and they could make no use of their weapons, being excluded, so far as sight was concerned, from any view before them; and not hearing, for the louder shouts of the enemy, their own word of command, while danger surrounded them on every side, and they had no hope of any means of defending and saving them selves.

[1] Sic igitur illi aliquantisper inter se levi certamine pugnarunt; sed quum Lacedaemonii non amplias acriter procurrere possent, qua impetum fecissent, milites expediti, ubi eos prppler assiduum hostis propulsandi laborem jam tardiores esse animadverterunt, atque ipsi et ex ivi specie animos maxime confirmarunt, quod longe majorem suum numerum cernebant, et jam assueti magis, ut illi non amplius pariter formidabiles sibi viderentur, quia non continuo tam gravia perpessi erani, quam exspectaverant, atque visi erant antea, quum primum iu terram egressi sunt, animis dejecti, quippe qui contra Lacedaemonios irent, tum contemptu sumpto et sublato clamore impetum in eos conferti fecerunt, et lapidibus et sagittis telis-que, quae quisque ad manum habebat, eos petebant.

[2] Clamore autem sublato et impetu simul facto, terror homines hujusmodi pugnae insuetos invasit, et silvae nuper com- busto multus pulvis in sublime ferebatur, et propter sagittas ac lapidee, qui ab ingenti hominum multitudine jacieban-tur, et una cum pulvere ferebantur, unusquisque spatium ante suos pedes positum haud facile prospicere poterat.

[3] Tunc vero proelium Lacedaemoniis asperius esse coepit. Nam ncqire ipsorum armatura sagittis amplius resistere poterat, et hasto, quibus petebantur, in ea fracto inhaerebant, neque se ipsis quid facerent habebant, tum quod eorum oculis erepta esset facultas prospiciendi, tum quod propter majorem clamorem ad hostibus sublatum exaudire non possent, quae ipsis praeciperentur, tum etiam quod periculum undique circumsisteret, nec ullam spem haberent excogitandae rationis, qua hostem propulsando servarentur. .

[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

Per questo modo adunque scaramucciarono tra loro un poco di tempo. Ma i Lacedemoni non avean più lena di accorrer prontamente dove fossero incalzati : perù le genti leggere degli Ateniesi, conosciuto che e’menavaoo le mani più lentamente, presero in mirandoli grandissimo coraggio. E vedendosi in numero assai maggiore, e , per non aver sofferto quel danno che s’aspettavano, essendosi assuefatti a non creder più formidabile il nemico (come quando da prima sbarcarono nell’isola coll’animo avvilito per avere a combattere coi Lacedemoni), si serrarono addosso a loro dispregiandoli e mandando alte grida; e percuotevanli con pietre, saette e dardi, e con quello che a ciascuno capitasse alle mani. Gridare ed assalire fu un punto ; lo sbigottimento entrò nel nemico non avvezzo a sì fatta battaglia; gran polverio della selva testé incendiata si levava in alto ; e le frecce ed i sassi, da tanta moltitudine scagliati in mezzo a quel nugolo , rendevano impossibile la vista di ciò che si parasse innanzi. Qui daddovero avevano i Lacedemoni difficile impresa alle mani, perocché le feltrate corazze non reggevano al saettarne, le lanciole smussate rimanevano penzoloni nei feriti ; e non potendo vedere ciò che avessero innanzi a sé, e non intendendo gli ordini che si comunicavano tra loro , perchè sopraffatti dalle grida nemiche, non sapevano che farsi : insomma si trovavano per ogni lato circondati dal pericolo , senza avere speranza di trovar modo onde aprirsi una via a salvamento.