Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.66

[1] In the meantime, the way the Syracusians had to go being long, the Athenians had pitched their camp at leisure in a place of advantage, wherein it was their own power to begin battle when they list, and where both in and before the battle the Syracusian horsemen could least annoy them. For on one side there were walls and houses and trees and a lake that kept them off; on the other side steep rocks;

[2] and having felled trees hard by and brought them to the seaside, they made a pallisado both before their galleys and towards Dascon. And on that part that was most accessible to the enemy, they made a fort with stone (the best they could find, but unwrought) and with wood, and withal pulled down the bridge of the river Anapus.

[3] Whilst this was doing, there came none to empeach them from the city. The first that came against them were the Syracusian horsemen, and by and by after, all the foot together. And though at first they came up near unto the camp of the Athenians, yet after, seeing the Athenians came not out against them, they retired again, and crossing to the other side of the Helorine highway, stayed there that night.

[1] In the meantime, as the march before the Syracusans was a long one, the Athenians quietly sate down their army in a convenient position, where they could begin an engagement when they pleased, and where the Syracusan cavalry would have least opportunity of annoying them, either before or during the action, being fenced off on one side by walls, houses, trees, and by a marsh, and on the other by cliffs.

[2] They also felled the neighbouring trees and carried them down to the sea, and formed a palisade alongside of their ships, and with stones which they picked up and wood hastily raised a fort at Daskon, the most vulnerable point of their position, and broke down the bridge over the Anapus.

[3] These preparations were allowed to go on without any interruption from the city, the first hostile force to appear being the Syracusan cavalry, followed afterwards by all the foot together. At first they came close up to the Athenian army, and then, finding that they did not offer to engage, crossed the Helorine road and encamped for the night.

Da aber der Weg, den sie machen mußten, sehr lang war,
so schlugen unterdessen die Athener in aller Ruhe ihr Lager an einem
passenden Platze, von welchem aus sie jeden Augenblick, wenn eS
ihnen beliebte, angriffsweise vorgehen, und die Reiterei der
Syrakusaner ihnen vor und in dem Kampf nur den geringsten Schaden
zufügen konnte; denn von der einen Seite schloffen Mauern, Häuser,
Bäume und ein See den Platz ab, und von der andern Seite steile
Abhänge.. Auch hieben sie die in der Nähe stehenden Bäume ab,
schafften sie an's Meeresufer und rammten davon ein Pfahlwerklbei
ihren Schiffen ein: Auch erbauten sie bei Daskon, wo ein Angriff ^{1 2}
Seitens der Feinde am leichtesten möglich war, in aller Eile ein
Kastell aus erlesenen Steinen und Holzwerk, und brachen die Brücke
über den .Anaposfluß ab. Während die Athener dieß betrieben, kam
aus der Stadt Niemand, um sie daran zu hindern; zuerst erschienen
dann die Reiter der Syrakusaner, und später sammelte sich auch ihr
ganzes Fußvolk. Sie rückten nun zuerst nah an das Athenische
Lager heran, dann aber, als diese in ihrem Lager sich nicht rührten,
zogen sie sich wieder zurück, überschritten die helorische Straße und
lagerten die Nacht über im Freien.

LXVI. Cependant, comme la route était longue, les Athéniens purent à loisir se retrancher dans une position favorable : elle les rendait maîtres d’attaquer quand ils le voudraient sans être incommodés en rien par la cavalerie syracusaine, ni avant ni pendant l’ac- ¹ tion. Ils étaient protégés, d’un côté par des murailles, des maisons, des arbres et un étang; de l’autre par des précipices. Ils coupèrent les arbres du voisinage, les transportèrent sur le rivage et plantèrent des palissades en avant de leurs vaisseaux et à Dascon ² . Dans la partie la plus accessible à l’ennemi, un retranchement fut élevé en toute hâte avec des pierres brutes ³ et des arbres; enfin ils rompirent le pont sur l’Anapos ⁴ . Pendant ces dispositions, personne ne sortit de la ville pour les inquiéter. Les cavaliers syracusains arrivèrent les premiers au secours de la place et furent rejoints ensuite par toute l’infanterie : d’abord ils s’avancèrent jusqu’auprès du camp athénien; mais, comme on ne sortit pas au-devant d’eux, ils se retirèrent, traversèrent la voie Hélorine et bivouaquèrent.

Pendant ce temps, comme la route était longue, les Athéniens purent à leur aise asseoir leur camp dans une position qui les rendait maîtres de commencer à volonté le combat, sans avoir à craindre la cavalerie syracusaine. Ils étaient protégés d’un côté par des clôtures, des maisons, des arbres et un marais ; de l’autre, par des pentes rapides. Ils abattirent les arbres du voisinage, les transportèrent vers la mer, et plantèrent une palissade le long des vaisseaux. Près du Dâscon ¹ , dans l’endToit le plus accessible aux ennemis, ils élevèrent à la hâte un retranchement en pierres sèches et en bois; enfin ils coupèrent le pont de TAnapos. Durant ces préparatifs, personne ne sortit de la ville pour les troubler. Les premiers qui accoururent furent les cavaliers syracusains, bientôt suivis de toute l’infanterie. D’abord ils s’approchèrent du camp des Athéniens ; mais, nul ne venant à leur rencontre, ils se replièrent, franchirent la route d’fîélore ² et bivaquèrent.

[1] Meanwhile the Athenians, undisturbed, as the Syracusans had a long way to go, settled their army in a suitable position, where they could begin a battle whenever they wished and the Syracusan horsemen would annoy them the least either in the actual fighting or before; for on one side walls and houses and trees and a swamp furnished a barrier, on the other side a line of cliffs.

[2] They also cut down the trees near at hand and bringing them down to the sea built a stockade by the ships; and at Dascon, where the place was most accessible to the enemy, they quickly erected a bulwark of stones picked up in the fields and of timbers, and pulled down the bridge over the Anapus.

[3] While they were making these preparations nobody came out from the city to hinder them; the first that came against them were the horsemen of the Syracusans, but afterwards the infantry also gathered in full force. And at first they drew near the Athenian camp, but later, when these did not come out against them, they withdrew across the Elorine road and spent the night.

[1] In the mean time, as the march they had to make was a long one, the Athenians quietly pitched their camp in a favourable position, where they would be able to commence an engagement just when they pleased, and the Syracusan horse would cause them the least annoyance, both during the action and before it. For on one side they were flanked by walls, houses, trees, and a marsh; on the other, by cliffs.

[2] They also felled the trees near to them, and carrying them down to the sea, fixed a palisade by their ships; while with rude stones and wood they hastily erected a fort at Dasoon, where their position was most open to the enemy's attack, and broke down the bridge over the Anapus.

[3] While they were making these preparations, no one came out from the city to stop them; but the Syracusan cavalry was what first came against them, and afterwards all the infantry was mustered. And at first they advanced near the camp of the Athenians; then, when they did not go out against them, they withdrew, and crossed the road to Helorus, and there encamped for the night.

[1] Interea vero Athenienses, quod longum iis iter esset, per otium castra posuerunt in opportuno loco, et in quo proelii initium erant facturi, quotiescumque vellent, et vel in ipsa munitione vel ante eam ab equitatu Syracusanorum minime infestari poterant; ab una enim parte munitiones et aedificia et arbores et stagnum hostes prohibebant, ab altera vero loca praerupta.

[2] Caesisque .vicinis arboribus et ad mare delatis et juxta naves vallum fixerunt, et in Dascone simul et munitionem ab ea patie, quae aditu hostibus erat facillima, e saxis electis lignisque constructam celeriter erexerunt, et Anapi pontem solverunt.

[3] Dum autem haec parant, ex urbe quidem nemo egressus eos impediebat, sed primi Syracusanorum equites ad opem suis rebus ferendam procurrerunt, deinde postea et universus peditatus convenit. Et primo quidem ad Atheniensium castra prope accesserunt, deinde vero, quum illi contra eos non item prodirent, regressi ac via Helorina transmissa castra posuerunt.

Frattanto, siccome aveano da percorrere lunga strada , gli Ateniesi ebbero tutto l’agio di accampar l’esercito in luogo favorevole, ove potevano ingaggiar la battaglia quando volessero, e non aveano a temere d’esser molestati dalla cavalleria siracusana nè prima né durante il conflitto : imperciocché per una parte sarebbero d’impedimento al nemico i muri e le case che v’erano, e gli alberi e la palude; per l’altra i dirupati. Tagliarono inoltre i vicini alberi, e portatili giù al mare ne formarono una palizzata presso la flotta e verso Dascone ; e nei siti più accessibili al nemico rizzarono prontamente un battifolle con pietre tolte alla rinfusa e legni, e ruppero il ponte dell’Anapo. Mentre attendevano a queste opere nissuno uscì di città a contrastarli, e la prima ad accorrervi fu la cavalleria siracusana, e poi dopo vi si raccolse tutta la fanteria. E da prima fattisi vicini all’accampamento degli Ateniesi , poiché videro che questi non si movevano contro di loro, tornarono addietro, e andarono ad accamparsi al di là della via Elorina.