Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.96

[1] The Syracusians the same summer, when they heard that the Athenians had horsemen sent to them from Athens and that they were ready now to come against them, conceiving that if the Athenians gat not Epipolae, a rocky ground and lying just against the city, they would not be able, though masters of the field, to take in the city with a wall, intended therefore, lest the enemy should come secretly up, to keep the passages by which there was access unto it with a guard.

[2] For the rest of the place is to the outside high and steep, falling to the city by degrees, and on the inside wholly subject to the eye. And it is called by the Syracusians Epipolae, because it lieth above the level of the rest.

[3] The Syracusians, coming out of the city with their whole power into a meadow by the side of the river Anapus betimes in the morning (for Hermocrates and his fellow-commanders had already received their charge), were there taking a view of their arms; but first they had set apart seven hundred men of arms, under the leading of Diomilus, an outlaw of Andros, both to guard Epipolae and to be ready together quickly upon any other occasion wherein there might be use of their service.

[1] The same summer the Syracusans learned that the Athenians had been joined by their cavalry, and were on the point of marching against them; and seeing that without becoming masters of Epipolae, a precipitous spot situated exactly over the town, the Athenians could not, even if victorious in battle, easily invest them, they determined to guard its approaches, in order that the enemy might not ascend unobserved by this, the sole way by which ascent was possible,

[2] as the remainder is lofty ground, and falls right down to the city, and can all be seen from inside; and as it lies above the rest the place is called by the Syracusans Epipolae or Overtown.

[3] They accordingly went out in mass at daybreak into the meadow along the river Anapus, their new generals, Hermocrates and his colleagues, having just come into office, and held a review of their heavy infantry, from whom they first selected a picked body of six hundred, under the command of Diomilus, an exile from Andros , to guard Epipolae, and to be ready to muster at a moment's notice to help wherever help should be required.

Jm selben Sommer, als die Syrakusaner erfuhren, daß
die Athener Verstärkung an Reiterei erhalten hätten und sich eben
zum Angriff auf sie anschickten, beschlossen sie, die Zugänge zu'der
Höhe von Epipolä zu besetzen, damit die Feinde hier nicht
unvermerkt eine Ersteigung ausführen könnten, denn sie waren überzeugt,
daß die Athener selbst im Fall eines Sieges die Stadt nicht leicht
würden einschließen können, wenn sie sich nicht zuvor in den Besitz
von Epipolä, einer dicht hinter der Stadt gelegenen, abschüssiigen
Höhe, gesetzt hätten. An einem andern Punkt, glaubten sie,
würde jenen eine Ueberraschung wohl nicht gelingen können; denn die
ganze übrige Gegend senkt sich von Epipolä abwärts und dacht sich
gegen die Stadt hin ab und ist nach Innen zu ganz offen-einzusehen,
und eben deßhalb hat der Ort von den Syrakusanern den Namen
Epipolä (d. i. die Stadt überragend) erhalten, weil er höher liegt
als das Uebrige. Die Syrakusaner zogen also bei Tagesanbruch
mit ihrer ganzen Streitmacht zu der. Wiese am Fluß Anapos —
denn zufällig hatten grade Hermokrates und seine Mitfeldherren ihr
Amt angetreten — und hielten hier Waffenschau und wählten sür's
Erste unter den Schwerbewaffneten sechshundert Mann Kerntruppen
aus, welche Diomilos, ein Verbannter aus Andros, kommandirte.
Diese sollten nämlich Epipolä besetzen und auch sonst, wenn es nöthig
würde, sich rasch zusammenziehen und zur Hand sein. -

XCVI. Ce même été, les Syracusains, informés que les Athéniens avaient reçu de la cavalerie et se dispo- ^{1 2 3} saient à marcher contre eux, pensèrent que si l’ennemi ne s’emparait pas d’Épipolæ, lieu escarpé et qui domine immédiatement la ville, il ne lui serait pas facile, même en gagnant une bataille, de les enfermer dans une circonvallation. Ils résolurent donc d’en garder les passes afin que l’ennemi ne pût monter par là à leur insu, ce qui était impossible d’un autre côté; car partout ailleurs la colline est abrupte, et, du côté de la ville, elle va s’abaissant jusqu’aux murs, de sorte qu’on la découvre entièrement de l’intérieur. Les Syracusains l’ont surnommée Épipolæ, parce qu’elle domine le reste du pays. Ils se rendirent donc en masse, au point du jour, sur la prairie que baigne l’Anapos. Hermocrate et ses collègues venaient d’être investis du commandement : ils firent une revue des troupes et choisirent six cents hoplites d’élite commandés par Diomilos, exilé d’Andros, pour garder Épipolæ, et servir en même temps de réserve prête à se porter rapidement partout où besoin serait.

Ce même été, les Syracusains, avertis que les Athéniens avaient reçu de la cavalerie et se disposaient à marcher contre eux, pensèrent que si l’ennemi ne s’emparait pas des Ëpi-poles, colline escarpée qui domine immédiatement Syracuse, il ne lui serait pas facile, même après une bataille gagnée, d’investir la place. Ils résolurent donc d’en garder les avenues, pour empêcher les Athéniens d’y monter à la dérobée, car c’était le seul point accessible. En effet, de tous les autres côtés sont des collines qui s’abaissent en pente douce vers la ville, d’où l’on aperçoit toute leur étendue. Les Syracusains ont donné à cette position le nom d’JÉpipoles ¹ , parce qu’elle domine le reste du pays. Au point du jour, les Syracusains en masse sortirent de la ville pour se rendre dans la prairie qu’arrose TAnapos. Hermocratès et les généraux ses collègues venaient d’entrer en fonctions. Ils firent la revue des hoplites, et désignèrent six cents hommes d’élite , commandés par Dio-milos, exilé d’Andros, avec charge de garderies Epipoles et de se porter rapidement partout où besoin serait.

[1] During the same summer the Syracusans, on learning that the Athenians had received their cavalry and that they were about to march against them immediately, thinking that unless the Athenians should get possession of Epipolae, a precipitous place lying directly above the city, they themselves, even if they were defeated in battle, could not easily be walled in, determined to guard the approaches to it, in order to prevent the enemy from ascending secretly by that way, since they could not possibly do so by any other road.

[2] For at all other points the place overhangs the city and slopes right down to it, the whole height being visible from it; and it is called Epipolae by the Syracusans because it lies as an upper surface above the rest of the country.

[3] So they went out at daybreak in full force to the meadow along the river Anapus—for Hermocrates and his fellow-generals, as it chanced, had just come into office—and proceeded to hold a review of the hoplites. And they selected first six hundred picked men of these, under the command of Diomilus, a fugitive from Andros, that these might be a guard for Epipolae, and if there were need of them anywhere else might be quickly at hand in a body.

[1] The Syracusans, the same summer, hearing that the cavalry had joined the Athenians, and that they were about to march against them, and thinking that unless the Athenians were masters of Epipolae, a precipitous tract, and lying right above their city, they could not, even if defeated in battle, be easily circumvallated, they determined to guard ¹ the approaches to it, that the enemy might not gain the heights without their observation; for in no other way could they, as they thought, effect it.

[2] For the rest of the position rises high, sloping down to the city, and being all visible within it:

[3] and so it is called by the Syracusans, from lying above the rest, [or ] They, then, went out at day-break with all their forces into the meadow along the course of the river Anapus, (Hermocrates and his colleagues having just come into office as their generals,) and held a review of their heavy-armed, having first selected from those troops a chosen body of six hundred, under the command of Diomilus, an exile from Andros, to be a guard for Epipole, and quickly to muster and present themselves for whatever other service they might be required.

[1] Eadem aestate Syracusani quum intellexissent, Atheniensibus venisse equites, et jam eos adversus se ire statuisse, existimantes, si Athenienses non occupassent Epipolas, locum praeruptum et urbi prope imminentem, se non facile circumvallatum iri, ne si prodio quidem superati essent, aditus, qui ad Epipolas patebant, tueri parabant, ne per hos clam se hostes adseenderent; nulla enim alia parte eos ilhic adscendece posse.

[2] Nam reliquae illius eoliis partes sunt altae et ad urbem usque declives et introrsus omnino patentes, et locus a Syracusanis ideo vocatus est Epipolae, quod supra cetera loca eminet.

[3] Atque hi quidem cum universis populi copiis, simulae dies illuxit, in pratum juxta Anapum fluvium egressi (jam enim Hermocra-tes imperator ejusqne collegae imperium acceperant) exercitum recensebant, et prius ex omni gravis armaturae no· mero sexcentos electoe exemerunt, quibus praeerat Diotnilus, Andrius exsul, ut et Epipolis essent praesidio, et si ad aliquid aliud opus esset, in unum congregati celeriter adessent.

Nell’estate medesima i Siracusani, poiché intesero che arrivavano cavalli agli Ateniesi, e che già erano per andar contro loro, discorrevano che se il nemico non s'impadronisse d’Epipole, luogo scosceso e situato immediatamente a cavaliere della città, non sarebbe facile ch'e' potessero esser cinti all’ intorno dalle fortificazioni , quand anche perdessero la battaglia. E però intendevano di guardare le strade che ad esso menano, acciocché i nemici non per queste vi salissero inosservati ; che per altra via era impossibile. Imperciocché tutto il rimanente di quel luogo é ripido ed acclive fino alla città, donde tutta la parte interna di esso é visibile ; e dai Siracusani è chiamata Epipole la punta perché di molto sovrasta al restante. Usciti adunque in sul far del giorno con tutte le genti in una prateria lungo il fiume Anapo (e già Ermocrate e gli altri suoi colleghi poco avanti aveano assunto il comando) fecero la rivista delle genti, e prima di tutto separarono settecento scelti soldati gravi sotto il comando di Diomilo bandito d'Andro perchè stessero a guardia d'Epipole, e riuniti accorressero prestamente dovunque abbisognasse.