Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.70

[1] After they were come to hand-strokes, they fought long on both sides. But in the meantime there happened some claps of thunder and flashes of lightning together with a great shower of rain; insomuch as it added to the fear of the Syracusians, that were now fighting their first battle and not familiar with the wars; whereas to the other side that had more experience, the season of the year seemed to expound that accident;

[2] and their greatest fear proceeded from the so long resistance of their enemies, in that they were not all this while overcome. When the Argives first had made the left wing of the Syracusians to give ground, and after them the Athenians had also done the like to those that were arranged against them, then the rest of the Syracusian army was presently broken and put to flight.

[3] But the Athenians pursued them not far, because the Syracusian horsemen, being many and unvanquished, whensoever any men of arms advanced far from the body of the army, charged upon them and still drave them in again;

[4] but having followed as far as safely they might in great troops, they retired again and erected a trophy. The Syracusians, having rallied themselves in the Helorine way and recovered their order as well as they could for that time, sent a guard into Olympieium, lest the Athenians should take the treasure there, and returned with the rest of the army into the city.

[1] The armies now came to close quarters, and for a long while fought without either giving ground. Meanwhile there occurred some claps of thunder with lightning and heavy rain, which did not fail to add to the fears of the party fighting for the first time, and very little acquainted with war; while to their more experienced adversaries these phenomena appeared to be produced by the time of year, and much more alarm was felt at the continued resistance of the enemy.

[2] At last the Argives drove in the Syracusan left, and after them the Athenians routed the troops opposed to them, and the Syracusan army was thus cut in two and betook itself to flight.

[3] The Athenians did not pursue far, being held in check by the numerous and undefeated Syracusan horse, who attacked and drove back any of their heavy infantry whom they saw pursuing in advance of the rest; in spite of which the victors followed so far as was safe in a body, and then went back and set up a trophy.

[4] Meanwhile the Syracusans rallied at the Helorine road, where they reformed as well as they could under the circumstances, and even sent a garrison of their own citizens to the Olympieum, fearing that the Athenians might lay hands on some of the treasures there. The rest returned to the town.

Als es nun zum Handgemenge gekommen war, hielten sich
beide Theile einander lange die Wage. Zufällig fielen auch einige
Donnerschläge und Blitze und ein starker Regen, so daß für
diejenigen. welche heute zum ersten Male fochten und am wenigsten Kriegs-
vertrautheit hatten, auch dieß zur Vermehrung der Furcht beitrugt
während die Erfahrenen zwar dachten, daß das Unwetter ganz der
Jahreszeit gemäß sei, aber doch in noch viel größere Bestürzung
geriethen, daß ihre Gegner trotzdem nicht weichen wollten. Als nun
die Argiver zuerst den linken Flügel der Syrakusaner, und danach die
Athener, was ihnen gegenüberstand, zurückgedrängt hatten, so war
bald auch die übrige Aufstellung durchbrochen, und die Syrakusaner
flohen. Weit zwar verfolgten sie die Athener nicht, denn die zahlreiche
und noch unbesiegte Reiterei der Syrakusaner hielt sie auf, sprengte
in die Haufen der Schwerbewaffneten ein, die in der Verfolgung
voran waren, und warf sie zurück. Die Athener drängten daraus
in- geschlossener Linie so weit nach, als es ihre eigene Sicherheit
erlaubte, kehrten dann wieder um und errichteten ein Siegeszeichen.
Die Syrakusaner ihrerseits sammelten sich wieder bei der Elorischen
Straße, stellten sich, so gut es eben anging, wieder in
Schlachtordnung, und schickten trotz ihrer Niederlage eine Besatzung nach dem ¹
Olympieion, aus Furcht, die Athener möchten sich an den dort nie- ²
dergelegten Schätzen vergreifen. Die Andern zogen dann zurück nach
der Stadt.' ^ ..

LXX. On était aux prises, et depuis longtemps on tenait ferme de part et d’autre, lorsque survinrent quelques coups de tonnerre accompagnés d’éclairs et d’une pluie abondante. Ceux qui combattaient pour la première fois et n’avaient que peu d’habitude de la guerre n’en furent que plus disposés à la crainte; tandis que ceux qui avaient plus d'expérience ne voyaient là qu’un effet de la saison et s’inquiétaient bien autrement de la persistance de l’ennemi à disputer la victoire. Enfin les Argiens enfoncèrent l’aile gauche des Syracusains, et les Athéniens rompirent ensuite les troupes qui leur étaient opposées. Dès lors tout le reste de l’armée syracusaine se débanda et prit la fuite. Les Athéniens ne poussèrent pas loin l’ennemi, contenus qu’ils étaient par les cavaliers syracusains; car ceux-ci, forts de leur nombre et n’ayant pas été entamés, se jetaient sur ceux des hoplites qu’ils voyaient les plus ardents à la poursuite et les refoulaient. Après avoir suivi en colonne les fuyards aussi loin qu’ils le purent sans se risquer, les Athéniens firent retraite et élevèrent un trophée. Les Syracusains, réunis sur la voie Hélorine, s’y rallièrent autant que le permettait la circonstance, et envoyèrent, malgré leur échec, une garnison à Olympiéon, dans la crainte que les Athéniens n’enlevassent les trésors qui s’y trouvaient. Le reste rentra dans la ville.

Le combat se prolongeait sans qu’aucun des deux partis fît mine de plier, lorsqu’il survint des tonnerres et des éclairs, accompagnés de torrents de pluie. Les nouveaux soldats, ceux qui assistaient à leur première bataille, s’effrayaient de ce phénomène ; mais les vieux le regardaient comme l'effet de la saison et s’étonnaient bien davantage de la résistance qu’ils rencontraient. Enfin les Argiens enfoncèrent l’aile gauche, tandis que les Athéniens forçaient le centre de la ligne opposée ; dès lors tout le reste des Syracusains lâcha pied. La poursuite ne fut pas longue; car la cavalerie syracusaine, qui était nombreuse et n’avait pas été rompue, fondait sur les soldats ennemis qui-s’écartaient du gros de la troupe et les ramenait. Les Athéniens, les rangs serrés, suivirent l’ennemi aussi loin qu’ils le purent Sans s’aventurer ; puis ils revinrent et dressèrent un trophée. Les Syracusains se rallièrent sur la route d'fiélore, s'y reformèrent de leur mieux, et envoyèrent un détachement à lOlympéion, de crainte que les Athéniens ne missent la main sur les trésors qui s’y trouvaient. Le reste de l’armée rentra dans la ville.

[1] When they had come to close combat, they held out for a long time against one another; and there chanced to occur at the same time some claps of thunder and flashes of lightning and much rain, so that this too contributed to the fear of those who were fighting for the first time and were but little conversant with war, whereas to those who were more experienced ¹ the storm seemed of course to be due merely to the season of the year, but the fact that their antagonists were not overcome caused them far greater alarm.

[2] When, however, the Argives had first driven back the left wing of the Syracusans, and after them the Athenians had repulsed their own opponents, then the rest also of the Syracusan line began to break and was reduced to flight.

[3] But the Athenians did not pursue far; for the Syracusan cavalry, being numerous and undefeated, held them in check, and falling upon their hoplites, if they saw any ahead in pursuit, drove them back. They only followed up in a body as far as it was safe, and then drew back and set up a trophy.

[4] The Syracusans, on the other hand, collecting on the Elorine road and drawing up as well as possible under the circumstances, in spite of their defeat sent some of their own men to the Olympieium as a guard, fearing that the Athenians might disturb some of the treasures which were there; and the rest withdrew to the city.

[1] When they had come to close combat, they withstood each other's attacks for a long time. And there happened to come on at once both thunder, and lightning, and heavy rain: so that to those who were fighting for the first time, and had had very little acquaintance with war, even this helped to increase their fear; while to the more experienced party these occurrences appeared to be produced simply by the season of the year, but the fact of their opponents not being defeated caused far greater alarm.

[2] But when the Argives had first driven in the left wing of the Syracusans, and after them the Athenians had repulsed those opposed to them, the rest of the Syracusan army was now also broken and put to flight.

[3] The Athenians did not pursue them to any great distance, (for the Syracusan horse, which was numerous and unbroken, kept them in check, and by charging their heavy infantry, wherever they saw any pursuing in advance of the rest, drove them back again.) However they followed them in a body as far as was safe, and then returned again, and erected a trophy.

[4] The Syracusans, on the other hand, having collected themselves again on the Helorine road, and put themselves in as good order as present circumstances would permit, sent, notwithstanding their defeat, a garrison to the Olympieum, fearing that the Athenians might take some of the treasures that were there; while the rest of them returned into the city.

[1] Quum autem ad manus ventum esset, diu alteri alteris resistebant, et contigit, ut simul et aliquot tonitrua et fulgura et ingens pluvia existerent, quamobrem illis quidem, qui tunc primum pugnabant et in bellis minime ver* sati erant, hoc etiam terrorem augebat; iis vero, qui peri* liores erant, ea quae fiebant, propter anni tempus fien videbantur, sed illud ipsis majorem terrorem incutiebat, i quod adversarii non vincerentur.

[2] Quum autem prinn Argivi laevum Syracusanorum cornu pepulissent, et post eos Athenienses agmen sibi oppositum, tunc et reliquus

Syracusanorum exercitus perrumpebatur et fugere coepit·

[3] Sed Athenienses non longe persecuti sunt (nam Syracusanorum equites, qui permulti iique invicti erant, prohibebant, et impressione facta in gravem ipsorum ar-mataram, si quos longius instquentes animadvertissent, eos reprimebant), sed conferti, quoad luto poterant, insecuti, retro se recipiebant et tropaeum statuebant.

[4] Syracusani vero, in via Helorina congregati et pro praesenti rerum facultate in acie constituti, praesidium tamen c suorum numero ad Olympieum miserunt, veriti ne Athenienses pecunias, quae illic erant, amoverent, et ceteri in urbem redierunt.

E già la battaglia era nelle mani, e lungamente entrambi resistevano ; quand’ecco sopravvenir de’ tuoni e folgori e copiosa pioggia, talché anche questo accrebbe la paura in quei che per la prima volta combattevano ed erano pochissimo versati di guerra ; laddove gli altri che ne erano più pratici riguardavano quei fenomeni come effetti della stagione dell’anno, e piuttosto restavano attoniti che i nemici non cedessero. Finalmente gli Argivi avendo i primi respinto l’ala sinistra de’Siracusani, e gli Ateniesi dopo di essi quelli che avevano a fronte, allora tutto l’esercito siracusano fu rotto e si diede alla fuga. E gli Ateniesi non l’inseguirono molto lontano, perchè la grossa ed intera cavalleria siracusana vi si opponeva, e scagliandosi su? loro soldati gravi che cacciassero i fuggitivi li reprimeva. Peri tutti riuniti li perseguitarono finché poterono con sicurezza, poi tornarono indietro ed ersero trofeo. I Siracusani si ridussero sulla strada Elorina, ordinaronsi in quel modo che permettevano le cose presenti, e spedirono nondimeno un presidio di loro nllOlimpico per paura che gli Ateniesi non prendessero i tesori che vi erano. Gli altri tornarono in città.