Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.101

[1] The next day, the Athenians, beginning at their circular wall, built onwards to that crag over the marshes, which on that part of Epipolae looketh to the great haven, and by which the way to the haven, for their wall to come through the plain and marsh, was the shortest.

[2] As this was doing, the Syracusians came out again and made another pallisado, beginning at the city, through the middle of the marsh, and a ditch at the side of it, to exclude the Athenians from bringing their wall to the sea.

[3] But the Athenians, when they had finished their work as far as to the crag, assaulted the pallisado and trench of the Syracusians again. And having commanded their galleys to be brought about from Thapsus into the great haven of Syracuse, about break of day went straight down into the plain, and passing through the marsh, where the ground was clay and firmest, [and partly] upon boards and planks, won both the trench and pallisado, all but a small part, betimes in the morning, and the rest not long after.

[4] And here also they fought, and the victory fell to the Athenians; the Syracusians, those of the right wing, fled to the city, and they of the left, to the river. The three hundred chosen Athenians, desiring to cut off their passage, marched at high speed towards the bridge.

[5] But the Syracusians, fearing to be prevented (for most of the horsemen were in this number), set upon these three hundred, and putting them to flight, drave them upon the right wing of the Athenians, and following, affrighted also the foremost guard of the wing.

[6] Lamachus, seeing this, came to aid them with a few archers from the left wing of their own and with [all] the Argives, and passing over a certain ditch, having but few with him, was deserted and slain with some six or seven more. These the Syracusians hastily snatched up and carried into a place of safety beyond the river; and when they saw the rest of the Athenian army coming towards them, they departed.

[1] The next day the Athenians from the Circle proceeded to fortify the cliff above the marsh which on this side of Epipolae looks towards the great harbour; this being also the shortest line for their work to go down across the plain and the marsh to the harbour.

[2] Meanwhile the Syracusans marched out and began a second stockade, starting from the city, across the middle of the marsh, digging a trench alongside to make it impossible for the Athenians to carry their wall down to the sea.

[3] As soon as the Athenians had finished their work at the cliff they again attacked the stockade and ditch of the Syracusans. Ordering the fleet to sail round from Thapsus into the great harbour of Syracuse , they descended at about dawn from Epipolae into the plain, and laying doors and planks over the marsh where it was muddy and firmest, crossed over on these, and by daybreak took the ditch and the stockade, except a small portion which they captured afterwards.

[4] A battle now ensued, in which the Athenians were victorious, the right wing of the Syracusans flying to the town and the left to the river. The three hundred picked Athenians, wishing to cut off their passage, pressed on at a run to the bridge,

[5] when the alarmed Syracusans, who had with them most of their cavalry, closed and routed them, hurling them back upon the Athenian right wing, the first tribe of which was thrown into a panic by the shock.

[6] Seeing this, Lamachus came to their aid from the Athenian left with a few archers and with the Argives, and crossing a ditch, was left alone with a few that had crossed with him, and was killed with five or six of his men. These the Syracusans managed immediately to snatch up in haste and get across the river into a place of security, themselves retreating as the rest of the Athenian army now came up.

Am folgenden Tag besetzten die Athener, von der Ring­ ¹
mauer ausgehend, den jähen Felsabhang oberhalb des Sumpfes,
welcher auf dieser Seite von Epipolä gegen den großen Hasen
hinschaut, und von wo aus sie ihre Einschließungsmauer abwärts durch
die Ebene und den Sumpf 9") bis zum Hafen in der kürzesten Linie
ziehen konnten. Aber auch die Syrakusaner zogen jetzt wieder aus
und errichteten auch ihrerseits wieder ein Pfahlwerk, von ihrer Stadt
anfangend mitten durch den Sumpf durch; und zugleich zogen sie
einen Parallelgraben daneben, damit die Athener ihre
Einschließungsmauer nicht bis zum Meer hinabführen könnten. Diese hingegen,
als sie die Befestigung an dem Felsabhang vollendet hatten, machten
wieder einen Angriff auf das Pfahlwerk und den Graben der
Syrakusaner, nachdem sie den Schiffen befohlen hatten, von der
Halbinsel Thapsos aus in den großen Hafen der Syrakusaner
herumzusegeln. Sie selbst rückten beim Morgengrauen von Epipolä in die
Ebene hinab und überschritten den Sumpf, da, wo der Boden mehr
lehmig und etwas fester war, indem sie Thüren und breite Bretter
überlegten. Mit Sonnenaufgang nahmen sie das Pfahlwerk, ein
kleines Stück ausgenommen, und den Traben, und später auch den
übrigen Theil. Auch kam es zum Gefecht, und es siegten dabei die
Athener, wonach die Syrakusier des rechten Flügels gegen die Stadt
hin flohen, die vom linken aber längs dem Fluß hin. Diese
letzteren nun wollten die dreihundert athenischen Auserlesenen
abschneiden, damit sie den Fluß nicht überschreiten könnten, und rückten
deßhalb im Laufschritt gegen die Brücke. Dadurch wären die
Syrakusaner, bei denen hier auch der größte Theil ihrer Reiterei war,
in große Gefahr gerathen, sie rückten also den Dreihundert entgegen,
trieben sie in die Flucht und brachen selbst in den rechten Flügel der
Athener ein, so daß bei diesem Anprall auch die erste Abtheilung
dieses Flügels mit in die Flucht gerissen wurde. Da dieß Lamachos
sah, eilte er von seinem linken Flügel mit wenigen Bogenschützen zur
Hülfe herbei, indem er auch die Argiver an sich nahm; als er aber
einen Graben überschreiten wollte, wurde er mit einigen wenigen
Begleitern allein gelassen, und dabei fiel er mit fünf oder sechs von ^{2 3}
denen, die mit ihm waren. Diese nahmen die Syrakusaner noch
rasch an sich und brachten sie jenseits des Flusses in Sicherheit und
zogen sich dann selbst zurück, da jetzt auch die übrige Macht der
Athener anrückte.

CI. Le lendemain les Athéniens continuèrent leur muraille à partir du retranchement circulaire déjà élevé; ils fortifièrent l’escarpement qui domine le ma- ^{1 2 3} rais et qui, de ce côté d’Épipolæ, fait face au grand port. Pour suivre la ligne la plus courte, la circonvallation devait descendre cette pente et rejoindre le grand port à travers la plaine et le marais. Pendant ce temps, les Syracusains sortirent de leur côté et se mirent à élever une nouvelle palissade qui partait de la ville et se dirigeait à travers le marais ⁴ ; ils y ajoutèrent un fossé, pour empêcher les Athéniens de pousser leur mur de blocus jusqu’à la mer. Mais ceux-ci, après avoir achevé leurs ouvrages sur la pente, firent une nouvelle attaque contre la palissade et le fossé. Ordre fut donné à la flotte de s’avancer de Thapsos jusque dans le grand port de Syracuse, en doublant la pointe; l’armée, de son côté, descendit au point du jour d’Épipolæ dans la plaine, jeta sur le marais, à l’endroit où il est bourbeux et offre plus de solidité, des portes et de larges planches, et le traversa. Dès l’aurore, ils étaient maîtres de la palissade et du fossé, sauf une petite partie; — le reste fut également emporté plus tard. — Un combat s’engagea, où les Athéniens eurent l’avantage. L'aile droite des Syracusains s’enfuit vers la ville, la gauche vers le fleuve ⁵ . Aussitôt les trois cents hommes d’élite de l’armée athénienne courent au pont pour couper le passage. Les Syracusains s’effrayent (car la plus grande partie de leur cavalerie se trouvait aussi sur ce point) ⁶ ; néanmoins ils courent aux trois cents, les enfoncent, et viennent donner sur l’aile droite des Athéniens. Le ^{7 8 9} premier corps de cette aile s’effraye à son tour de cette brusque attaque : Lamachos, s’en apercevant, accourt de l’aile gauche pour les soutenir, avec un petit nombre d’archers et les Argiens; il franchit une espèce de fossé; mais il se trouve isolé avec le peu d’hommes qui l’ont accompagné de l’autre côté, et est tué avec cinq ou six de ceux qui l’entourent. Les Syracusains profitèrent du premier moment pour les enlever à la hâte et les mettre en lieu sûr, de l’autre côté du fleuve; puis, voyant le reste des Athéniens s’ébranler contre eux, ils opérèrent leur retraite.

Le jour suivant, les Athéniens, à partir du retranchement circulaire, entreprirent de fortifier la rampe qui domine le marais, et qui, sur ce flanç des Ëpipoles, fait face au grand port. En suivant la ligne la plus courte, la circonvallation devait descendre cette rampe, pour rejoindre le port à travers le marais et la plaine. Pendant ce temps, les Syracusains sortirent et élevèrent de leur côté, en partant de la ville et en se dirigeant par le milieu du marais, une seconde palissade protégée par un fossé, afin d’empêcher les Athéniens de pousser l’investissement jusqu’à la mer.

Ceux-ci n’eurent pas plus tôt terminé la partie située sur la rampe, qu’ils formèrent le projet d’enlever à son tour cette palissade et son fossé. Ordre fut donné à la flotte de passer de Thapsos dans le grand port de Syracuse. Eux-mêmes, un peu avant le lever du soleil, descendirent des Ëpipoles dans la plaine, traversèrent le marais à l’endroit où il était fangeux et le plus solide, en s’aidant de planches et de claies qu’ils jetaient devant eux. Au point du jour, ils étaient maîtres du fossé et de la palissade, excepté une parcelle qu’ils prirent bientôt après.

Une action s’engagea, dans laquelle les Athéniens furent encore vainqueurs. L'aile droite des Syracusains s’enfuit vers la ville, la gauche vers le fleuve. A l’instant, les trois cents Athéniens d’élite coururent au pont, afin de couper le passage. Les Syracusains eurent un moment de frayeur ; mais, soutenus par le gros de leur cavalerie, ils marchent aux trois cents, les culbutent et les rejettent sur l’aile droite des Athéniens. Ce mouvement répand l’alarme dans l’extrémité de cette aile. Lamachos s’en aperçoit; et, prenant avec lui quelques archers et les Argiens, il se porte de l’aile gauche au secours de la droite ; mais, au moment où il venait de franchir un fossé et se trouvait presque seul avec quelques hommes de son entourage, il est tué, lui et cinq ou six des siens. Les Syracusains réussirent à enlever rapidement leurs cadavres et à les transporter au delà du fleuve en lieu de sûreté ; puis, à l’approche du gros de Tannée athénienne, ils se retirèrent.

[1] The next day the Athenians, starting from the round fort, began to fortify the bluff which is above the marsh, ¹ where on this side of Epipolae it looks toward the Great Harbour, and where they would find the line of circumvallation shortest as they came down through the level ground and the marsh to the harbour.

[2] The Syracusans meanwhile also went out and proceeded to build another stockade, starting from the city, through the middle of the marsh;

[3] and they dug at the same time a ditch alongside, that it might not be possible for the Athenians to complete their wall to the sea. But the latter, when their wall to the bluff was finished, again attacked the stockade and ditch of the Syracusans, having ordered their ships to sail around from Thapsus into the Great Harbour at Syracuse and themselves gone down about daybreak from Epipolae to the level ground. Laying down doors and planks through the marsh where the soil was clayey and firmest and crossing over on these, they took at daylight the ditch, and all but a little of the stockade, and later the remaining part.

[4] A battle occurred also, in which the Athenians were victorious, those of the Syracusans on the right wing fleeing to the city, those on the left along the river. Wishing to cut off the latter from the crossing, the three hundred picked men of the Athenians pushed on at a run to the bridge.

[5] But the Syracusans became alarmed, and, as most of their cavalry was there, closed with these three hundred, routed them, and attacked the right wing of the Athenians. On their charge the first division of this wing also became involved in the panic.

[6] And Lamachus, seeing this, came to their aid from his own place on the left wing, with a few bowmen and the Argives, whom he took with him; and advancing across a ditch and being cut off with a few of those who had crossed with him, he was killed himself and five or six of his followers. These the Syracusans at once hastily snatched up and succeeded in carrying over the river to safety, themselves retreating when the rest of the Athenian army began now to advance.

[1] The next day the Athenians, setting out from their lines, began to build at the cliffs over the marsh, which on this side of Epipolae looks towards the great harbour, and in which direction their wall of circumvallation would be finished in the shortest distance by their going down over the plain and the marsh to the harbour.

[2] The Syracusans meanwhile went out, and on their part also began again to interrupt the line by a palisade, commencing from the city across the middle of the marsh;

[3] and at the same time dug a ditch parallel with it, that it might not be possible for the Athenians to carry their wall of circumvallation as far as the sea. They, after their work at the cliff was completed, again assaulted the palisade and ditch of the Syracusans. They had ordered their fleet to sail round from Thapsus to the great harbour of Syracuse, while they themselves descended at dawn from Epipolae into the plain, and laying doors and planks over the marsh, where ¹ the mud was most firm, crossed it upon them, and in the morning carried the palisade, excepting a small part of it, and the ditch, and afterwards the remaining part.

[4] On this occasion a battle was fought, in which the Athenians were victorious, those of the Syracusans posted on the right wing flying to the city, those on the left, to the river. Wishing to intercept the passage of these, the three hundred chosen troops of the Atheniaes pressed on at full speed to the bridge;

[5] but the Syracusans were alarmed, and, as the greater part of their forces were there, closed on these three hundred, routed them, and drove them in on the right wing of the Athenians. By their charge the tribe posted first on the wing was also thrown into panic;

[6] on observing which, Lamachus came to their assistance from their left, with a few archers and the Argives, and having crossed a ditch in advance, and being cut off from the rest, with only a few who had crossed with him, was killed with five or six of his men. These the Syracusans immediately snatched up, and had time to get over the river into a place of security; while their own troops retreated, as the rest of the Athenian force was now coming against them.

[1] Postridie vero ejus diei Athenienses a mun ambitu procedentes rupem paludi imminentem munire coeperant, qu» ab hac Epipolarum parte magnum portum versus vergit , et qua ipsis degressis per locum planum et paludem in portum brevissimus muri ambitus erat futurus.

[2] Interea vero Syracusani egressi et ipei vallum iterum ducere coeperunt, inchoantes ab urbe per mediam paludem; et fossam simul prope vallum ducebant, ne Atheniensibus murum ad mare usque producere liceret.

[3] Illi vero postquam munitionem in Epipolarum rupe coeptam absolverunt, iterum aggrediuntur Syracusanorum vallum fossamque, classe quidem ex Thapso in magnuln Syracusanorum portum circumvehi jussa, ipsi vero sub auroram ab Epipolis ia planum degressi; et quum per paludem qua coenosa et maxime solida erat, supra fores asseresque substratos transissent , sub ipsum diluculum capiunt et vallum, praeter exiguam partem, et fossam, et postea etiam illam partem, quae reliqua erat.

[4] Et ibi proelium commissum est, et in eo superiores erant Athenienses; et Syracusani, qui dextrum cornu tenebant, ad urbem fugerunt, qui vero in sinistro erant, ad fluvium. Atque eos quum trecenti illi Atheniensium delecti milites transitu intercludere vellent, ad poetem cursu contendebant.

[5] Quod veriti Syracusani (hfc enim et plerique equites iis aderant) cum his treosoto manus conserunt, eosque in fugam vertunt, et impressionem in dextrum Atheniensium cornu faciunt; et impressione facta simul etiam prima illius cornu statio perterrita est.

[6] Quod quum Lamachus animadvertisset, a suo sinistro cornu cum non muttis sagittariis, assumptis etiam Argiris, ad opem suis ferendam accurrebat, et fossam quamdam transgressus, et cui» paucis una transgressis solus deprehensus occubuit, et ex iis, qui cum eo erant, quinque aut sex. Et tios quidem Syracusani, antevertentes hostem, maxima celeritate arreptos trans fluvium in locum tutum transportarunt, ipsi vero, quum jam et reliquo» Atheniensium efcrtitus adversus eoe veniret, recedebant.

Il giorno appresso gli Ateniesi ripigliando il muro circolare lo conducevano sul dirupato che sovrasta al padule, e che da questo lato dell’ Epipole guarda il porto grande, e per dove calando a traverso la pianura e il padule riesciva loro brevissimo il giro (ino al detto porto. Frattanto i Siracusani usciti fuori anch’essi, presero a rifare la palizzata cominciando dalla città, e conducendola per mezzo il padule ; ed insieme accanto ad essa scavavano una fossa , perchè gli Ateniesi non potessero tirare il muro sino al mare. Ma questi fornito il lavoro dinanzi al dirupato, e volendo nuovamente assaltare la palizzata e la fossa dei Siracusani, ordinarono alle navi di girare da Tapso fino al porto grande de’ Siracusani ; e a bruzzolo scesi da

Epipole nel piano gettarono a traverso il padule, ove era melmoso e più consistente , delle imposte ed assi larghe , e valicati su queste prendono in sull’ aurora la palizzata quaci tutta, e la fossa ; e poi s’impadronirono anco del restante. E qui si commise battaglia nella quale vinsero gli Ateniesi ; e i Siracusani che tenevano l’ala destra fuggirono alla città ; quei della sinistra al fiume. I trecento soldati scelti ateniesi volendo precludere a questi il tragitto, s’affrettavano correndo alla volta del ponte ; di che impauriti i Siracusani, siccome avean lì presenti molti cavalli gl’investono, e li mettono in fuga, e sboccano sul corno destro degli Ateniesi. A quest’urto impetuoso rimase spaventata la prima squadra di quel corno ; e Lamaco a tal vista accorreva colà dalla sua ala sinistra con non molti arcieri e con gli Argivi che prese seco. Ma varcata una fossa e rimasto isolato con altri pochi che l' avean varcata insiem con lui, cade morto egli e cinque o sei di quelli che eran seco ; e subito i Siracusani furono in tempo a trascinarli in sicuro al di là del fiume. E vedendosi ornai venire addosso il resto dell' esercito ateniese facevano la ritirata.