Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.9

[1] Demosthenes, when he saw the Lacedaemonians bent to assault him both from their galleys and with their army by land, prepared also to defend the place. And when he had drawn up his galleys, all that were left him, to the land, he placed them athwart the fort and armed the mariners that belonged to them with bucklers, though bad ones, and for the greatest part made of osiers. For they had no means in a desert place to provide themselves of arms. Those they had they took out of a piratical boat of thirty oars and a light-horseman of the Messenians, which came by chance. And the men of arms of the Messenians were about forty, which he made use of amongst the rest.

[2] The greatest part therefore, both of armed and unarmed, he placed on the parts of the wall toward the land which were of most strength and commanded them to make good the place against the land-forces if they assaulted it. And he himself, with sixty men of arms chosen out of the whole number and a few archers, came forth from the fort to the sea-side in that part where he most expected their landing, which part was of troublesome access and stony and lay to the wide sea. But because their wall was there the weakest, he thought they would be drawn to adventure for that. For neither did the Athenians think they should ever have been mastered with galleys, which caused them to make the place [to the seaward] the less strong;

[3] and if the Peloponnesians should by force come to land, they made no other account but the place would be lost.

[4] Coming therefore in this part to the very brink of the sea, he put in order his men of arms and encouraged them with words to this effect:

[1] Meanwhile Demosthenes, seeing the Lacedaemonians about to attack him by sea and land at once, himself was not idle. He drew up under the fortification and enclosed in a stockade the galleys remaining to him of those which had been left him, arming the sailors taken out of them with poor shields made most of them of osier, it being impossible to procure arms in such a desert place, and even these having been obtained from a thirty-oared Messenian privateer and a boat belonging to some Messenians who happened to have come to them. Among these Messenians were forty heavy infantry, whom he made use of with the rest.

[2] Posting most of his men, unarmed and armed, upon the best fortified and strong points of the place towards the interior, with orders to repel any attack of the land forces, he picked sixty heavy infantry and a few archers from his whole force, and with these went outside the wall down to the sea, where he thought that the enemy would most likely attempt to land. Although the ground was difficult and rocky, looking towards the open sea, the fact that this was the weakest part of the wall would, he thought, encourage their ardor,

[3] as the Athenians, confident in their naval superiority, had here paid little attention to their defences, and the enemy if he could force a landing might feel secure of taking the place.

[4] At this point, accordingly, going down to the water's edge, he posted his heavy infantry to prevent, if possible, a landing, and encouraged them in the following terms:—

¹ Da nun Demosthenes sah, daß die Lakedämonier mit
Schiffen und Landtruppen zugleich angreisen wollten, nahm auch er seine
Maßregeln, zog die Dreiruderer, die er von den zurückgelassenen
Schiffen noch hatte, an's Land unter den Schutz der Verschanzung
und umgab sie mit einem Pfahlwerk. Die Mannschaft derselben
bewaffnete er mit Schilden, die übrigens nicht viel taugten und meist
nur von Weidengeflecht waren; denn in dem ganz verödeten Lande
gab es keine Möglichkeit, sich Waffen zu verschaffen, und auch jene
hatte er nur durch ein messenisches Ranbschiff, einen Schnellsegler von
dreißig Rudern, erhalten, der grade angekommen war. Diese
Messenier hatten gegen dreißig Schwerbewaffnete unter sich, die er mit den
seinigen verwendete. Die Mehrzahl nun sowohl der Bewaffneten, als
der Unbewaffneten, stellte er gegen die Festlandsfeite an die am
stärksten verschanzten und haltbarsten Punkte des Platzes, mit dem
Befehl, dort das Fußvolk abzuwehren, wenn es angreisen sollte- er selbst
aber wählte sich auS Allen insgesammt sechzig Schwerbewaffnete und
einige Bogenschützen aus und stellte sich mit ihnen außerhalb der
Verschanzung am Meere auf, da, wo er erwartete, daß jene am ersten eine
Landung versuchen würden. Die Stelle fiel zwar steil und felsig
gegen das Meer ab, aber weil ihre Verschanzung dort am schwächsten
war, so dachte er, jene würden sich leicht zum Angriff an dieser Stelle
bewegen lassen. Die Athener hatten nämlich hier die Vermauerung
nicht stark hergestellt, weil sie gar nicht glaubten, jemals von einer
überlegenen Flotte angegriffen zu werden; nun aber sahen sie, daß
der Platz genommen werden könne, wenn erst die Landung erzwungen
sei. Um diese nun wo möglich zu verhindern, rückte er bis dicht an
das Meer vor, stellte seine Schwerbewaffneten aus und ermuthigte sie
mit solchen Worten:

IX. Démosthènes, voyant les Lacédémoniens sur le point d’attaquer à la fois par mer et par terre, fît, de son côté, des dispositions : il fit amener sous le rempart et palissader ce qui lui restait des galères laissées à sa disposition ¹ ; il arma les matelots de mauvais boucliers, la plupart d’osier ; car, dans ce lieu désert, il était impossible de se procurer des armes. Celles-là mêmes avaient été tirées d’un vaisseau corsaire à trente rames et d’un bâtiment léger, tous deux messéniens ² , qui avaient par hasard abordé sur cette côte. Ces Messéniens lui avaient aussi fourni quarante ho- plites environ, qu’il employa avec les autres. Il plaça la plus grande partie de ses soldats, armés ou non, sur le point le mieux fortifié et le plus sûr, du côté du continent, leur recommandant de repousser l’infanterie, si elle attaquait. Lui-même, avec soixante hoplites et quelques archers, qui formaient l’élite de sa troupe, sortit de l’enceinte fortifiée et se dirigea vers la mer, du côté où il lui paraissait probable que les Lacédémoniens tenteraient la descente. C’était une côte battue par la haute mer, d’un accès difficile et hérissée de rochers ; mais il pensait que l’extrême faiblesse de la muraille de ce côté les déciderait à y faire une tentative. Car les Athéniens avaient négligé de fortifier ce point, dans la pensée qu’ils auraient toujours la supériorité sur mer ; maintenant ils sentaient que, si l’ennemi opérait une descente de vive force, la place serait facilement emportée. Démosthènes s’y rendit donc ; il rangea ses hoplites sur le bord de la mer afin d’empêcher la descente, s’il était possible, et les exhorta en ces termes :

Démosthène, voyant les Lacédémoniens sur le point d’attaquer par mer et par terre, fit à son tour ses préparatifs. Les trirèmes qui lui restaient furent tirées sur le rivage au pied du rempart et entourées d’une palissade. Leurs matelots furent armés de méchants boucliers, d’osier pour la plupart ; en effet, dans ce lieu désert, il n’était pas question de se procurer des armes; celles-là même furent empruntées à une triacontore de pirates ¹ , ainsi qu’à un brigantin, messéniens l’un et l’autre, que le hasard avait amenés. Ces Messéniens fournirent une quarantaine d’hoplites, que Démosthène incorpora parmi les siens. H plaça la plus grande partie de ses hommes, armés ou non, sur le flanc le plus fort de la place, du côté du continent, avec ordre de repousser les gens de pied. Lui-même, avec soixante hoplites choisis et quelques archers, sortit de l’enceinte et s’avança vers la mer, à l’endroit où il présumait que les ennemis tenteraient la descente. C’était une côte malaisée et garnie de rochers, tournée vers la haute mer ² ; mais il pensait que le mur étant le plus faible de ce côté, ce serait là le point d’attaque. Les Athéniens, dans leur confiance en la supériorité de leur marine, avaient négligé de fortifier ceflanc, de sorte que l’ennemi, en brusquant la descente, avait chance de réussite. C'est pourquoi Démosthène prit position sur le bord de la mer. Après avoir disposé ses hoplites de manière à faire toute la résistance possible, il leur adressa l’exhortât ion suivante :

[1] Meanwhile Demosthenes also, seeing that the Lacedaemonians intended to attack him by sea and by land at the same time, set about making his preparations. He drew ashore, close up under the fortification, the triremes ¹ remaining to him out of those which had been left in his charge and enclosed them in a stockade; he then armed their crews with shields—poor ones. indeed, most of which were made of plaited willow; for it was not possible to procure arms in an uninhabited country, and such as they had they took from a thirty-oared privateer and a light boat belonging to some Messenians who chanced to come along, and included among them about forty hoplites, whom Demosthenes used along with the rest.

[2] He then posted the greater part of his troops, the unarmed as well as the armed, at the best fortified and strongest points of the place, on the side toward the mainland, giving them orders to ward off the enemy's infantry if it should attack. But he himself selected from the whole body of his troops sixty hoplites and a few archers, and with them sallied forth from the fort to the point on the seashore where he thought that the enemy would be most likely to attempt a landing. The ground, indeed, was difficult of access and rocky where it faced the sea, yet since the Athenian wall was weakest at this place the enemy would, he thought, be only too eager to make an assault there;

[3] in fact the Athenians themselves had left their fortification weak at this spot merely because they never expected to be defeated at sea, and Demosthenes knew that if the enemy could force a landing there the place could be taken.

[4] Accordingly he posted his hoplites at this point, taking them to the very brink of the sea, determined to keep the enemy off if he could; and then he exhorted them as follows:

[1] Demosthenes, seeing the Lacedaemonians about to attack him both by sea and land at once, made his own preparations also; and having drawn up under the fortifications the triremes he had remaining from those that had been left him, he enclosed them in a stockade, and armed the crews taken out of them with shields of an inferior kind, and in most cases made of osiers. For it was not possible in so lonely a place to provide themselves with arms; but even these they had got from a thirty-oared privateer and skiff belonging to some Messenians, who happened to have come to them. Of these Messenians there were also about forty heavy-armed, whose services he used with the rest.

[2] The main body, both of the unarmed and the armed, he posted at the most fortified and secure points of the place, facing the interior, with orders to repel the land-forces, should they make an assault; while lie himself, having picked from the whole force sixty heavy-armed and a few bowmen, proceeded outside the wall to the sea, where he most expected that they would attempt a landing, on ground which was difficult, indeed, and rocky, looking as it did to the open sea, but still, as their wall was weakest at that point, ¹ he thought that this would tempt them to be eager in attacking it.

[3] For they built it of no great strength just there, expecting never to be beaten at sea themselves; and also thinking that if the enemy once forced a landing, the place then became easy to take.

[4] At this point then he went down to the very sea, and posted his heavy-armed, to prevent a landing, if possible; while he encouraged them with these words:

[1] Demosthenes vero, cernens Lacedaemonios cum navalibus simul et pedestribus copiis aggressuros, ipse quoque se praeparabat, et naves, quae ipsi relictae adhuc aderant, subdpxit, easque vallis etiam munitas sub munitione collocavit, et earum nautas scutis infirmis et plerisque vimineis armavit; nec enim in loco deserto arma sibi comparare poterant, quinetiam haec ipsa ceperant ex piratica triremi et actuario navigio Messeniorum, qui forte eo appulerant. Et inter istos Messenios fuerunt ad quadraginta gravis armaturae milites, quibus Demosthenes una cum reliquis utebatur.

Itaque plerosque tam inermium quam armatorum, qaa maxime muro munitus firmatu sque locus erat, continentem versus disposuit; praecipiens, ut peditatum propulsarent, si aggrederetur; ipse vero delectis ex omnibus sexaginta gravis armaturae militibus et aliquot sagittariis, extra murum ad mare profectus est, qua potissimum illos ex navibus in terram exscensum facere conaturos existimabat ad loca quidem aspera et saxosa ad mare conversa, sed tamen, quia ab bac parte suae munitionis murus infirmissimus erat, putabat, ut eos illuc deduceret, ipsos studiose expetituros esse;

[3] non enim firmius ibi muniverant, existimantes neque se unquam navibus devictum iri, et ab illis, si per vim in terram escenderent, castellum facili negotio capi posse.

[4] In hac igitur parte, quas ipsum mare spectabat, progressus milites disposuit, ut hostem arceret, si posset, eosque his verbis est adhortatus.

[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

Ma Demostene vedendo che i Lacedemoni erano per assalirlo colle forze navali e terrestri , anch’ egli si apparecchiava. Tratte a secco le triremi , che tra quelle lasciategli aveva ancor seco , ne formò una trincea sotto il forte , e ne armò le ciurme con deboli scudi e la maggior parte di giunco ; essendoché in quel luogo deserto non v’ era da trovar armi : che anzi aveano prese queste cose istesse da una nave corsalesca e da una barchetta messeuia a trenta rematori ivi casualmente arrivate, Ove sì trovavano da quaranta Messemi di gra\e armatura , dei quali si valse insieme con l’altra sua gente. Schierò pertanto i più sì degli armati che degl’ inermi dal lato di terra ferma ove il castello era meglio munito e forte per natura , ordinando che resistessero alla fanteria qualor li assalisse : ed egli scelti fra tutti sessanta soldati gravi e pochi saettatori, ed uscito del forte avvia vasi alla marina , colà ove si aspettava principalmente che i nemici tenterebbero di sbarcare, in luoghi stagliati e pieni di massi rivolti a 1l' onde , perchè reputava che la debolezza del muro da questo lato li arebbe attratti a farvi ogni prova. E siccome gli Ateniesi, non temendo di dover mai esser vinti dalle flotte spartane , avevano lasciata sguernita di muro questa parte , così ai Lacedemoni sarebbe venuto fatto di espugnare il castello, se riuscissero ad effettuarvi per forza lo sbarco. Demostene adunque su questo lato propio in sul mare ordinava distintamente i soldati gravi, disposto, se possibil fosse , di ributtare il nemico ; e li andava rincorando con questa esortazione :