Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.97

[1] The Athenians the day following, having been already mustered, came from Catana with their whole forces and landed their soldiers at a place called Leon, six or seven furlongs from Epipolae, unperceived, and laid their navy at anchor under Thapsus. Thapsus is almost an island, lying out into the sea and joined to the land with a narrow isthmus, not far from Syracuse, neither by sea nor land. And the naval forces of the Athenians, having made a pallisado across the said isthmus, lay there quiet.

[2] But the land soldiers marched at high speed towards Epipolae and gat up by Euryelus before the Syracusians could come to them from out of the meadow where they were mustering.

[3] Nevertheless they came on, every one with what speed he could, not only Diomilus with his seven hundred, but the rest also. They had no less to go from the meadow than twenty-five furlongs before they could reach the enemy.

[4] The Syracusians, therefore, coming up in this manner and thereby defeated in battle at Epipolae, withdrew themselves into the city. But Diomilus was slain, and three hundred of the rest.

[5] The Athenians after this erected a trophy and delivered to the Syracusians the bodies of their dead under truce, and came down the next day to the city. But when none came out to give them battle, they retired again, and built a fort upon Labdalum, in the very brink of the precipices of Epipolae, on the side that looketh towards Megara, for a place to keep their utensils and money in when they went out either to fight or to work.

[1] Meanwhile the Athenians, the very same morning, were holding a review, having already made land unobserved with all the armament from Catana , opposite a place called Leon , not much more than half a mile from Epipolae, where they disembarked their army, bringing the fleet to anchor at Thapsus , a peninsula running out into the sea, with a narrow isthmus, and not far from the city of Syracuse either by land or water.

[2] While the naval force of the Athenians threw a stockade across the isthmus and remained quiet at Thapsus , the land army immediately went on at a run to Epipolae, and succeeded in getting up by Euryelus before the Syracusans perceived them, or could come up from the meadow and the review.

[3] Diomilus with his six hundred and the rest advanced as quickly as they could, but they had nearly three miles to go from the meadow before reaching them.

[4] Attacking in this way in considerable disorder, the Syracusans were defeated in battle at Epipolae and retired to the town, with a loss of about three hundred killed, and Diomilus among the number.

[5] After this the Athenians set up a trophy and restored to the Syracusans their dead under truce, and next day descended to Syracuse itself; and no one coming out to meet them, reascended and built a fort at Labdalum , upon the edge of the cliffs of Epipolae, looking towards Megara , to serve as a magazine for their baggage and money, whenever they advanced to give battle or to work at the lines.

Die Athener aber waren in eben der Nacht, welche dieser
Musterung vorausging, ohne daß die Syrakusaner etwas davon
erfahren hatten, mit ihrer gesammten Macht von Katana abgefahren
und beim sogenannten Löwen gelandet, der sechs oder sieben Stadien
von Epipolä entfernt ist. Hier ließen sie die Landtruppen aussteigen
und gingen mit ihren Schiffen bei Thapsos vor Anker: ES ist dieß
eine Halbinsel, die von einer schmalen Landenge aus sich in's'Meer ^{1 2}
erstreckt und von der Stadt der Syrakusaner weder zu Wasser, noch
zu Land weit entfernt. Das Schiffsheer der Athener verpallissadirte
den engen Hals der Halbinsel Thapsos und verhielt sich auf derselben
ruhig; das Landheer aber rückte sogleich im Laufschritt gegen
Eptpolä und bestieg den Euryelos, bevor noch die Syrakusaner es
merkten und von der Wiese und Musterung herbeikommen konnten.
Trotzdem eilten sie Alle, so rasch Jeden seine Beine trugen, zur
Abwehr.herbei, und auch die sechshundert Mann des Diomilos. Sie
hatten aber von der Wiese aus nicht weniger als fünfundzwanzig
Stadien zurückzulegen,, bevor sie an die Feinde kamen. Da sie also
nur in schlechter Ordnung angreifen konnten, so wurden die
Syrakusaner in diesem Gefecht bei Epipolä besiegt und zogen sich nach der
Stadt zurück. DiomiloS selbst war gefallen, und von den Andern
gegen dreihundert. Danach errichteten die Athener ein Siegeszeichen
und gaben den Syrakusanern unter dem Schutze eines Vertrages
ihre Todten heraus. Am folgenden Tag rückten sie weiter gegen die
Stadt herab; da aber jene ihnen nicht aus der Stadt
entgegenrückten, so zogen sie sich wieder zurück und .erbauten eine Verschanzung
aus dem Labdalon, auf dem höchsten Punkt von Epipolä und dicht
am steilen Abhang, der gegen Megara hin schaut. Dieselbe sollte
ihnen als Niederlage für ihr Gut und ihre Waffen dienen, wenn sie
zum Gefecht oder zur Einschließung der Stadt vorrückten.

XCVII. Les Athéniens, de leur côté, faisaient, dès le· malin du jour qui suivit cette même nuit ¹ , la revue de leurs troupes : partis de Catane, ils avaient abordé secrètement avec toutes leurs forces au lieu nommé Léon, à six ou sept stades d’Épipolæ. Les vaisseaux, après avoir débarqué l’infanterie, avaient été mouiller à Thapsos. C’est une presqu’île avancée dans la mer, avec un isthme étroit, à peu de distance de Syracuse tant par mer que par terre. L’armée navale des Athéniens, qui était à Thapsos, palissada l’isthme et se tint ensuite en repos; ² l’armée de terre se porta en courant vers Épipolæ, et eut le temps d’occuper les hauteurs d’Euryélos avant que les Syracusains informés de leur arrivée pussent, de la prairie où ils passaient leur revue, arriver au secours. Chacun s’y porta de toute sa vitesse, entre autres les six cents hommes de Diomilos. Mais la distance de la prairie à l'ennemi n’était pas de moins de vingt-cinq stades; aussi les Syracusains, attaquant ainsi en désordre, furent vaincus à Épipolæ et rentrèrent dans la ville. Diomilos périt avec environ trois cents hommes. Les Athéniens élevèrent un trophée, rendirent les morts par convention et descendirent le lendemain jusqu’au pied des murs; maiscorameon ne sortit pas contre eux, ils regagnèrent les hauteurs et bâtirent à Labdalos, sur la crête des escarpements d’Épipolæ, un fort dont le front regardait Mégara. Il devait leur servir de dépôt pour le matériel et de trésor toutes les fois qu’ils se rapprocheraient de la ville, soit pour combattre, soit pour élever des retranchements.

La nuit qui précéda le jour de cette revue ¹ , les Athéniens parurent de Catane avec toute leur armée; et, sans être découverts des Syracusains, prirent terre à l’endroit nommé Léon ² , à six ou sept stades des Ëpipoles. Quand les vaisseaux eurent déposé l'infanterie, ils allèrent mouiller à Thapsos. C’est une presqu’île qui s’avance dans la mer avec un isthme étroit, à. peu de distance de Syracuse, soit par mer soit par terre. L’armée navale des Athéniens ferma cet isthme par une palissade et se tint en repos. L’infanterie se porta au pas de course vers les Ëpipoles qu’elle gravit par l’Euryale, avant que les Syracusains l’eussent aperçue de la prairie où ils étaient. Ceux-ci accoururent à toutes jambes, précédés par les six cents hommes de Diomilos ; mais l’intervalle à franchir n’était pas moindre de vingt-cinq stades ; ils attaquèrent en désordre, furent vaincus sur les Épipoles, et rentrèrent dans la ville, après avoir perdu Diomilos et près de trois cents des leurs. Les Athéniens érigèrent un trophée et rendirent les morts par composition. Le jour suivant, ils descendirent jusque sous les murs de la place ; mais l’ennemi ne sortant point à leur rencontre, ils se retirèrent et construisirent un fort au Labdalon, sur la crête des Ëpipoles, du côté qui regarde Mégara. Il devait leur servir de dépôt pour les bagages et pour la caisse lorsqu’ils iraient au combat ou au travail ³ .

[1] And the Athenians during the night preceding the day on which the Syracusans held their review, came from Catana with their whole force and put in unobserved at the place called Leon, which is six or seven stadia distant from Epipolae, disembarking the land-force there and anchoring their ships at Thapsus. That is a peninsula, with a narrow isthmus, extending into the sea and not far distant from the city of Syracuse, either by sea or by land.

[2] The naval force of the Athenians, having run a stockade across the isthmus, lay quiet on Thapsus; but the land-force advanced at once at a run to Epipolae, and got up by way of Euryelus before the Syracusans, when they became aware of it, could come up from the review which they were holding in the meadow.

[3] They brought aid, however, everyone with what speed he could, the others as well as the six hundred under Diomilus; but they had not less than twenty-five stadia to go, after leaving the meadow, before they reached the enemy.

[4] Consequently the Syracusans fell upon the Athenians in considerable disorder, and being defeated in battle on Epipolae, retired into the city, Diomilus and about three hundred of the rest being slain.

[5] After this the Athenians, having set up a trophy and given up their dead under truce to the Syracusans, next day went down against the city itself; but when the enemy did not come out against them they withdrew and built a fort at Labdalum, on the verge of the bluffs of Epipolae looking towards Megara, that it might serve as a magazine for their baggage and stores whenever they advanced either to fight or to work at the wall.

[1] ¹ The Athenians, on the other hand, held a review the day following this night, having already, unobserved by them, made the coast with all their armament from Catana, opposite a place called Leon, about six or seven stades from Epipolae, and having landed their soldiers, and brought their ships to anchor at Thapsus; where there is a peninsula running out into the sea, with a narrow isthmus, being not far from the city of Syracuse, either by land or by water.

[2] The naval armament of the Athenians lay quiet at Thapsus, having thrown a stockade across the peninsula; but the land forces proceeded at full speed to Epipolae, and had time to ascend it, on the side of Euryelus, before the Syracusans, on perceiving it, could come to them from the meadow and the review.

[3] They came, however, against them, both the rest, as quickly as each could, and Diomilus, with his six hundred: but they had a distance of not less than five and twenty stades to go, before they came up to them from the meadow.

[4] Falling on them therefore, under these circumstances, in considerable disorder, and being defeated in an engagement at Epipolae, the Syracusans returned into the city, Diomilus being killed, and about three hundred of the rest.

[5] After this, the Athenians having erected a trophy, and restored to the Syracusans their dead under a truce, came down the next day to the city itself; but when they did not come out against them, they returned, and built a fort on Labdalum, on the highest point of the cliffs of Epiolae, looking towards Megara, to be a magazine for their baggage and treasures, whenever they advanced either to fight or to work at the wall.

[1] Postridie autem hujus noctis Athenienses exercitum lustrabant, et clam illis jam cum universis copiis e Catana profecti ad locum nomine Leontem, ab Epipolis sex septemve stadiis distantem, appulerunt, et pieditatum in terram exposuerunt et cum classe Thapsum subierunt; est autem peninsula, quae angusto terrae limite in mare prominet, neque mari neque terra multum a Syracusis distans.

[2] Et nauticus quidem Atheniensium exercitus in Tliapso, angusto ejus terrae limite circumvallato, quiescebat, peditatus vero cursu confeslim ad Epipolas contendebat et per Euryelum ocius adscendil, priusquam Syracusani epralo, ubi recensio fiebat, re cognita adessent.

[3] Accurrebant autem ad opem Epipolis ferendam quum ceteri, quanla maxima quisque celeritate poterat, tum etiam illi sexcenti, quibus Diomilus pr.eerat; interjacebat autem inter pratum et locum, ubi cum liosle manus consererent, spatium non minus quinque ac viginti stadiorum.

[4] Hoc igitur modo perturbatis fere ordinibus Syracusani impressione in eos facta ad Epipolas praelio victi sunt et in urbem redierunt ; et quum Diomilus, tum etiam ex ceteris circiter trecenti ceciderunt.

[5] Atque post haec Athenienses quum et tropaeum erexissent et fide publica interposita Syracusanis mortuos reddidissent, postridie ad ipsaui urbem descenderunt, sed quum Syracusani adversus eos non prodissent, regressi ! castellum ad Labdalum in summa Epipolarum crepidine Megara versus spectans excitarunt, ut ipsis locus esset, in quo instrumenta et pecunias reponerent, quotiescumque vel ad pugnandum Tei ad munitionem exstruendam prodirent.

Il giorno dopo questa notte gli Ateniesi fecero la rassegna delle soldatesche ; e già di soppiatto al nemico da Catana erano approdati con tutta l’armata ad una terra detta Leone, distante da Epipole sei o sette stadii, ove sbarcarono la fanteria; e colle navi fermaronsi a Tapso che è una penisola in un angusto istmo e sporge verso l’alto, ed è poco lontana da Siracusa sì per la via di terra che di mare. Pertanto l’esercito navale degli Ateniesi in Tapso afforzato l’istmo con palizzata stavasi quieto : ma le genti da piè marciavan subito correndo verso Epipole, e furono in tempo a salirvi dalla parte di Eurìelo prima che accortisene i Siracusani vi arrivassero dalla praterìa ove facevasi la rivista. E sebbene per arrivare dalla prateria a quel luogo vi fosse uno spazio non minore di venticinque stadii, nondimeno ciascuno vi accorse il più frettolosamente possibile, e in ispecie Diomilo co’suoi settecento. In questo modo adunque i Siracusani, azzuffatisi disordinatamente e vinti nella battaglia presso Epipole, si ritirarono in città , perduto Diomilo con altri trecento in circa. Dipoi gli Ateniesi ersero trofeo, e con salvocondotto resero i morti ai Siracusani. Il giorno seguente scesi propio sotto la città, poiché i uemici non uscivano loro incontro , tornarono indietro e fabbricarono a Labdalo un battifolle che guardava Megara in cima a quei dirupati , per avere un deposito di bagagli e provvisioni, caso che volessero avanzarsi per combattere o per edificar fortificazioni.