Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.100

[1] The Syracusians, when they thought both their pallisado and wall sufficient, and considering that the Athenians came not to impeach them in the work, as they that feared to divide their army and to be thereby the more easy to be fought withal, and that also hasted to make an end of their own wall wherewith to encompass the city, left one squadron for a guard of their works and retired with the rest into the city. And the Athenians cut off the pipes of their conduits, by which their water to drink was conveyed under ground into the town. And having observed also that about noon the Syracusians kept within their tents, and that some of them were also gone into the city, and that such as were remaining at the pallisado kept but negligent watch, they commanded three hundred chosen men of arms, and certain other picked out and armed from amongst the unarmed, to run suddenly to that counterwall of the Syracusians. The rest of the army, divided in two, went one part with one of the generals to stop the succour which might be sent from the city, and the other with the other general to the pallsado next to the gate of the [counter-wall].

[2] The three hundred assaulted and took the pallisado, the guard whereof, forsaking it, fled within the wall into the temple ground; and with them entered also their pursuers; but after they were in were beaten out again by the Syracusians and some slain, both of the Argives and Athenians, but not many.

[3] Then the whole army went back together and pulled down the wall and plucked up the pallisado, the pales whereof they carried with them to their camp and erected a trophy.

[1] The Syracusans now thought the stockades and stonework of their counter-wall sufficiently far advanced; and as the Athenians, afraid of being divided and so fighting at a disadvantage, and intent upon their own wall, did not come out to interrupt them, they left one tribe to guard the new work and went back into the city. Meanwhile the Athenians destroyed their pipes of drinking-water carried underground into the city; and watching until the rest of the Syracusans were in their tents at midday, and some even gone away into the city, and those in the stockade keeping but indifferent guard, appointed three hundred picked men of their own, and some men picked from the light troops and armed for the purpose, to run suddenly as fast as they could to the counterwork, while the rest of the army advanced in two divisions, the one with one of the generals to the city in case of a sortie, the other with the other general to the stockade by the postern gate.

[2] The three hundred attacked and took the stockade, abandoned by its garrison, who took refuge in the outworks round the statue of Apollo Temenites. Here the pursuers burst in with them, and after getting in were beaten out by the Syracusans, and some few of the Argives and Athenians slain;

[3] after which the whole army retired, and having demolished the counterwork and pulled up the stockade, carried away the stakes to their own lines, and set up a trophy.

Als nun die Syrakusaner sahen, daß ihre Pallisaden
und der Bau der Quermauer bereits weit genug vorgeschritten seien,
und die Athener nicht erschienen, um sie daran zu verhindern, weil
sie Nämlich fürchteten, daß jene mit größerem Vortheil kämpfen
würden, wenn sie selbst ihre Macht theilten, und da sie zugleich auch mit
ihrer eigenen Einschließungsmauer rasch' fertig werden wollten, so
ließen die Syrakusaner eine Stammabtheilung zur Bewachung ihres
' Baues an Ort und Stelle und kehrten in die Stadt zurück. Die
Athener aber zerstörten unterdessen die unterirdischen Leitungen, welche
das Trinkwasser in die Stadt führten und warteten ab, bis die
andern Syrakusaner zur Zeit der Mittagshitze in ihren Zelten ruhten
und Einige auch nach der Stadt gegangen waren, während die beim
Pfahlwerk die Wache nur nachlässig versahen. Sie hatten
unterdessen dreihundert auserlesene Mann von ihren eigenen Truppen und
etliche ausgesuchte Leichtbewaffnete mit schwerer Rüstung vorangestellt
und ließen sie jetzt ganz plötzlich gegen die Q-uermauer Sturm laufen;
ihr übriges Heer aber theilten sie in zwei Theile, und der eine mit
dem Einen der beiden Feldherren rückte gegen die Stadt, falls jene
zur Abwehr ausrücken sollten, der andere aber unter dem zweiten
Feldherrn gegen das Pfahlwerk bei dem kleinen Thore. Jene
dreihundert nun nahmen die Pallisaden im Anlauf weg, und die
Besatzung ließ dieselben im Stich und floh in das Vorwerk beim
Temenites. Mit ihnen aber drangen auch ihre Verfolger zugleich
ein, wurden jedoch aus dem Innern mit Gewalt wieder
hinausgeworfen, wobei etliche Argiver und einige wenige von den Athenern
blieben. Nun zog sich das ganze Heer der Athener wieder zurück,
machte die Quermauer dem Boden gleich, riß das Pfahlwerk nieder
und trug die Pfähle mit sich fort, worauf sie denn auch ein
Siegeszeichen aufstellten. ^{1 2}

C. Déjà les palissades et les constructions du contremur paraissaient aux Syracusains dans un état suffisant de défense. — Car les Athéniens, craignant, s’ils se partageaient, de donner plus de prise à l’ennemi, pressés d’ailleurs de terminer leur propre enceinte, n’étaient pas venus mettre obstacle à ce travail. — Ils laissèrent un corps de troupes à la garde des construc- ^{1 2 3} tions et rentrèrent dans la ville. Les Athéniens, de leur côté, détruisirent les conduits souterrains qui amenaient de l’eau potable à la ville. Ayant observé que la plupart des Syracusains ⁴ restaient dans leurs tentes vers midi, que quelques-uns même rentraient dans la ville, et que ceux qui étaient laissés aux palissades les gardaient négligemment, ils firent choix de trois cents hommes d’élite et de quelques troupes légères et bien armées, et leur ordonnèrent de courir subitement au contremur. Le reste de l’armée se partagea en deux corps, sous la conduite des deux généraux : l’un se porta vers la ville, en prévision des secours qui pourraient en sortir, l’autre aux palissades qui étaient près de la petite porte ⁵ . Les trois cents attaquèrent et enlevèrent les palissades; ceux qui les gardaient les abandonnèrent et s’enfuirent dans l’enceinte avancée duTéménitès ⁶ . Ceux qui les poursuivaient s’y jetèrent avec eux; mais, après y avoir pénétré, ils en furent repoussés de vive force par les Syracusains. Quelques Argiens et un petit nombre d’Athéniens y périrent. L’armée entière, à son retour, se mit à détruire le contre-mur, arracha les palissades, emporta les pieux et dressa un trophée.

Quand les Syracusains crurent avoir consolidé les palissades et la contre-approche, sans avoir été troublés dans ce travail par les Athéniens, qui craignaient en se divisant de leur donner prise, et qui d’ailleurs avaient hâte d’achever l’investissement, ils laissèrent une tribu à la garde de cet ouvrage et rentrèrent dans leurs murs. Les Athéniens détruisirent les canaux souterrains qui abreuvaient la ville. Ayant remarqué que les Syracusains se retiraient dans leurs tentes vers le milieu du jour, que plusieurs même s’en allaient à la ville, enfin que les gardes de la palissade faisaient négligemment leur service, ils désignèrent trois cents hommes d’élite et quelques soldats des troupes légères, choisis et bien armés, qui eurent ordre de se porter brusquement et à la course vers la contre-approche. Le reste de l’armée fut divisé en deui corps : le premier, avec l’un des généraux, s’avança du côté de la ville, pour le cas où les assiégés feraient une sortie; le second, avec l’autre général, vers la palissade qui masquait la poterne. Les trois cents assaillirent la contre-approche, qui fut enlevée; les défenseurs l’abandonnèrent pour se réfugier dans l’enceinte avancée du Téménitès. Les vainqueurs s’y jetèrent avec eux; mais à peine y avaient-ils pénétré, qu’ils furent violemment Tefoulés par les Syracusains. En cet endroit, il périt des Argiens et des Athéniens en petit nombre. L'armée en se retirant abattit la contre-approche, arracha les pieux, les transporta de son côté et dressa un trophée.

[1] When it seemed to the Syracusans that enough of their counter-wall had been constructed with stone-work and stockade, ¹ and the Athenians did not come to hinder them—for they feared that the enemy might more easily deal with them if their forces were divided, and at the same time they were pushing on their own wall of circumvallation—leaving one division as a guard for their cross-wall, they withdrew to the city. Meanwhile the Athenians destroyed their pipes which ran underground into the city and supplied it with drinking-water. Then watching when most of the Syracusans were in their tents at midday—some of them having even gone to their homes in the city—and when those at the stockade were guarding the place carelessly, they stationed in front three hundred picked Athenians and a chosen body of the light-armed troops in heavy armour to go at a run suddenly against the counter-wall; while the rest of the army advanced in two divisions, one with one general against the city, in case they should come to the rescue, the other with the other general to that part of the stockade which is by the postern gate.

[2] The three hundred attacked and took the stockade, the guards leaving it and fleeing to the outwork around Temenites. ² And their pursuers burst in with them; but these, after getting in, were forced out again by the Syracusans, some of the Argives and a few of the Athenians being slain there.

[3] Then the whole army withdrew and pulled down the counter-wall and tore up the stockade, bringing the stakes over to their own lines, and set up a trophy.

[1] When the Syracusans thought that those parts of their counter-work which had been completed by means of palisades and masonry were sufficient, and when the Athenians did not come out to stop them, as they feared that the enemy would more easily contend with them when they were divided, and at the same time were hurrying to complete their own wall of circumvallation; the Syracusans, having left one tribe to guard the building, returned into the city. The Athenians, in the mean time, destroyed their pipes which ran under ground into the city, carrying water for drinking; and having watched when the rest of the Syracusans were in their tents at mid-day, and some of them had even gone away into the city, while those in ¹ the stockade were keeping but a careless guard, they appointed three hundred picked men of themselves, and a chosen body of the light troops, armed for the purpose, to run suddenly at full speed to the counter-work, while the rest of the army advanced in two divisions, one with one of the generals to the city, in case they should come to the rescue, the other with the other general to the stockade near the postern.

[2] Accordingly the three hundred assaulted and took the stockade, the guard evacuating it, and taking refuge in the outworks around Temenites. Their pursuers also burst in with them, but, after getting in, were forcibly driven out again by the Syracusans, and some few of the Argives and Athenians were slain there.

[3] And now the whole army having returned, threw down the wall, tore up the palisades, transferred the pales to their own lines, and erected a trophy.

[1] Quum autem Syracusanis vallum murique substructio satis firma esse viderentur, nec Athenienses ad eos impediendos venissent, veriti, ne se bifariam divisos facilius oppugnarent, simul etiam ruam circumvallationem properantes, Syracusani quidem, una cohorte ad munitionis custodiam relictaio urbem redierunt; Athenienses tero ipsorum aquae ductus fistulae, quae per cuniculos aqumn potabilem in urbem ducebant, interciderant, et quum obsenrassent ceteros Syracusanos meridianis borts intra tentoria se continentes, nonnullos vero etiam in «trbem reversos, et illos, qni intra vallum erant, negligenter id custodientes, trecentos ex suis electos et nonnullos ex levi armatura delectos armatos praemiserunt, ut ad subjectam munitionem cursu repente contenderent, reliquas vero exercitus bifariam partim quidem cum altero doce ad urbem contendebat, si forte illi contra se accurrerent, partim cum altero duce ad vallum portui» vicinum.

[2] Kt impetu facto trecenti illi vallum capiunt; et custodes eo deserto in exteriorem urbis munitionem, qu» erat in Temenite, confugiunt. Et qui eos persequebantur, una cum ipsis illuc irruperunt, jamque ingressi per vim a Syracusanis rarus ejecti sunt,

[3] ibique nonnulli Argivi et Athenienses non multi occisi sunt. Universe autem Atheniensium copi» revers» et munitionem intra structam diruerunt, et vallum revulserunt, et vallos apud se transportarunt, et tropaeum erexerunt.

Ma i Siracusani, poiché credettero bastantemente assicurata la palizzata e la fabbrica del contrammuro , e poiché gli Ateniesi, parte per timore di esser con troppa facilità assaltati se si dividessero, parte per la premura che si davano del loro muro circolare, non erano andati a disturbarli ; lasciata una sola compagnia a guardia del fabbricato ritornarono in città. Gli Ateniesi guastarono ad essi i condotti che sotterra portavano in città l’acqua da bere : ed avendo osservato che alcuni degli altri Siracusani in sul mezzogiorno tenevansi entro le tende , che alcuni poi erano rientrati in città, e che quelli della palizzata la guardavano negligentemente, misero nella prima schiera trecento de’ loro scelti soldati, e pochi altri parimente scelti di grave armatura, con ordine di lanciarsi improvvisamente di corsa sul contrammuro. E intanto, fatte due parti del rimanente dell’esercito, la prima marciava con uno de’due capitani verso la città, caso che ne uscisse qualche soccorso ; l’altra con l’altro capitano andava contro la palizzata presso la postierla. I trecento, dato l’assalto, espugnano il vallo cui le guardie nemiche abbandonarono, rifugiandosi dentro l’antemurale che cingeva il Temenite , e con esse vi si precipitarono gl’ inseguitori; ma entrati dentro furono a forza ricacciati dai Siracusani. Alcuni degli Argivi e non molti degli Ateniesi vi rimasero morti; e l’esercito tutto insieme nel retrocedere rovinarono il contrammuro, svelsero la palizzata, ne portarono seco i pali ed alzarono trofeo.