Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.99

[1] The next day the Athenians fell to work upon their wall to the north side of their circular wall, some building and some fetching stone and timber, which they still laid down toward the place called Trogilus, in the way by which the wall should come with the shortest compass from the great haven to the other sea.

[2] The Syracusians, by the persuasion of their generals, and principally of Hermocrates, intended not to hazard battle with their whole power against the Athenians any more, but thought fit rather, in the way where the Athenians were to bring their wall, to raise a counterwall; which, if they could but do before the wall of the Athenians came on, it would exclude their further building; and if the Athenians should set upon them as they were doing it, they might send part of the army to defend it, and pre-occupy the accesses to it with a pallisado;

[3] and if they would come with their whole army to hinder them, then must they also be forced to let their own work stand still. Therefore they came out, and beginning at their own city, drew a cross-wall beneath the circular fortifications of the Athenians, and set wooden turrets upon it, made of the olive trees which they felled in the ground belonging to the temple.

[4] The Athenian navy was not yet come about into the great haven from Thapsus, but the Syracusians were masters of the places near the sea; and the Athenians brought their provision to the army from Thapsus by land.

[1] The next day the Athenians began building the wall to the north of the Circle, at the same time collecting stone and timber, which they kept laying down towards Trogilus along the shortest line for their works from the great harbour to the sea;

[2] while the Syracusans, guided by their generals, and above all by Hermocrates, instead of risking any more general engagements, determined to build a counterwork in the direction in which the Athenians were going to carry their wall. If this could be completed in time the enemy's lines would be cut; and meanwhile, if he were to attempt to interrupt them by an attack, they would send a part of their forces against him, and would secure the approaches beforehand with their stockade, while the Athenians would have to leave off working with their whole force in order to attend to them.

[3] They accordingly sallied forth and began to build, starting from their city, running a cross wall below the Athenian Circle, cutting down the olives and erecting wooden towers.

[4] As the Athenian fleet had not yet sailed round into the great harbour, the Syracusans still commanded the sea-coast, and the Athenians brought their provisions by land from Thapsus .

Am folgenden Tage arbeitete ein Theil der Athener.an
dem gegen Norden gewendeten Theil der Einschließungsmauer, und
die Andern trugen Steine und Holz herzu und schichteten dieselben
in Hausen aus beim sogenannten Trogilos^), an welcher Stelle die
Mauer vom großen Hafen bis zum jenseitigen Meere auf der kürzesten
Strecke durchgeführt werden konnte. Die Syrakusaner aber, und
zwar hauptsächlich weil von ihren Feldherrn Hermokrates es so
angab, wollten nicht mehr mit gesammter Macht den Athenern
entscheidende Gefechte liefern, sondern hielten es für besser, wenn sie eine
Quermauer errichteten, da, wo jene ihre Mauer vorbeiführen wollten,
so daß sie dieselben abgeschnitten hätten, wenn sie noch rechtzeitig
fertig würden. Sollten die Athener aber Truppen herschicken, um
sie daran zu hindern, so könnten sie denselben einen Theil ihrer
streitbaren Macht entgegensenden und würden unterdessen wohl noch
rechtzeitig mit der Verpsählung der leicht angreifbaren Stellen fertig
werden, jene aber müßten dann von ihrem Bau ablassen und mit
ihrer gesammten Macht sich gegen sie wenden. Sie zogen demnach
aus der Stadt und bauten, von ihrer Stadt beginnend, unterhalb
der Einshcließungsmauer der Athener eine Quermauer, hieben die
Oelbäume des heiligen Haines um und setzten hölzerne Thürme ^{1 2 3 4}
auf die Mauer. Die Schiffe der Athener waren damals aber noch
nicht von der Halbinsel Thapsos bis in den großen Hafen herum-
gesegelt, sondern die Syrakusaner beherrschten noch die Gegend am
Meere, und die Athener führten ihre Bedürfnisse von Thapsos her
auf dem Landwege zu. - ^ -

' XCIX. Le lendemain une partie des Athéniens continua à élever la partie nord du retranchement circulaire, tandis que les autres apportaient des pierres et des bois et les déposaient en avançant toujours vers le lieu nommé Trogilos ¹ ; car c’était la ligne la plus courte pour mener leur mur de blocus du grand port à l’autre mer ² . Les Syracusains, guidés surtout par Hermocrates, l’un des généraux, renoncèrent à courir les risques de batailles générales contre les Athéniens; ils pensèrent que le mieux était d’élever un contre-mur coupant là ligne où les Athéniens devaient mener le ^{3 4 5} leur, afin de leur fermer le passage, en les devançant s’il était possible. Si l’ennemi les troublait dans ce travail, ils enverraient contre lui une partie de leur armée, le préviendraient en occupant les passages qu’ils fermeraient avec des pieux ⁶ , et le forceraient ainsi à abandonner ses travaux pour se porter en masse contre eux. Ils firent donc une sortie et se mirent à construire au-dessous du retranchement circulaire des Athéniens, et à partir de l’enceinte de la ville, une muraille qui coupait leurs lignes ⁷ . Ils abattirent les oliviers du Téménos ⁸ et élevèrent des tours de bois.

Les vaisseaux des Athéniens n’avaient pas encore quitté Thapsos pour pénétrer dans le grand port en doublant la presqu’île; les Syracusains restaient maîtres de la mer et les Athéniens faisaient venir leurs vivres de Thapsos par terre.

Le lendemain, une partie des Athéniens, prenant pour point de départ le retranchement circulaire, commencèrent à construire le mur d’investissement du côté septentrional, tandis que les autres apportaient des pierres et des trome d'arbres, qu’ils déposaient en s’avançant de proche en proche vers l’endroit appelé Trogilos ¹ . C’est là que devait aboutir, par la ligne la plus courte, la circonvallation entre le grand port et l’autre mer. Les Syracusains, sur l’avis de leurs généraux et notamment d’Hermocratès, renoncèrent à se mesurer avec les Athéniens en rase campagne ; mais ils crurent préférable d’élever une contre-approche, qui croiserait la circonvallation dans sa partie non achevée. Si ce projet réussissait, l’investissement était arrêté. Si, pendant ce travail, l’ennemi faisait une attaque, ils comptaient lui opposer une portion de leurs troupes et avoir le temps de planter la palissade, tands que les Athéniens seraient obligés de suspendre l’ouvrage pour se tourner de leur côté. Les Syracusains sortirent donc et élevèrent, à partir de leur ville, un mur transversal au-dessous du retranchement circulaire des Athéniens. Ils coupèrent les oliviers du Téménitès pour établir des tours de bois. La flotte athénienne n’avait pas encore passé de Thapsos dans le grand port ; les Syracusains étaient toujours 'maîtres de la mer qui les avoisine. Les Athéniens tiraient leurs subsistances de Thapsos par voie de terre.

[1] On the next day some of the Athenians proceeded to build the wall to the north of the round fort, while others brought together stones and wood and began to lay these down along the line towards the place called Trogilus, in which direction the line of circumvallation would be shortest from the Great Harbour to the outer sea.

[2] But the Syracusans, at the suggestion of their generals, and especially of Hermocrates, were no longer inclined to risk pitched battles with their whole force against the Athenians. It seemed better to build a wall across the line where the Athenians were going to bring their wall, so that if they got ahead of them the Athenians would be blocked off, and they decided at the same time, if the Athenians should attack them while at this work, to send a part of the army against them;

[3] and they expected that they would get ahead of the Athenians in occupying the approaches with their stockades, and that they would cease from their work and all turn against them. Accordingly they went out and proceeded to build, starting from the city and carrying a cross-wall below the round fort of the Athenians, chopping down the olive-trees of the precinct and setting up wooden towers.

[4] The Athenian ships had not yet sailed round from Thapsus into the Great Harbour, but the Syracusans were still masters of the parts about the sea, and the Athenians brought their supplies from Thapsus by land.

[1] The next day some of the Athenians were building the wall to the north of the central point, while others were collecting stones and timber, and laying them along the line, to the point called Trogilus; keeping in the direction in which their wall of circumvallation would be completed in the shortest distance from the great harbour to the sea.

[2] The Syracusans meanwhile, at the suggestion of Hermocrates, more than of their other generals, were no longer disposed to run the risk of general actions with the Athenians, but thought it better to build a counterwall in the direction in which they intended to carry their works; thinking that if they anticipated them with this, there would be an interruption to their lines; and that, if at that time they should come to oppose them, they themselves would send a part of their forces against them, and have time to occupy the approaches beforehand with their palisade, while the Athenians would cease from their work, and all turn their attention to them.

[3] They went out, therefore, and proceeded to build, beginning from their city, and carrying a cross wall below the Athenian lines, cutting down the olives of the sacred ground, and erecting wooden towers.

[4] The ships of the Athenians had not yet sailed round from Thapsus into the great harbour, but the Syracusans still commanded the sea-shore, and the Athenians conveyed their provisions from Thapsus by land.

[1] Postridie vero Atheniensium alii quidem ambitum muri boream versus spectantis exstruebant; alii vero Iapides et ligna comportabant, et in loco, qui Trogilus vocatur, semper deponebant, qua parte a magno portu usque ad alterum mare muri aedificatio ipsis erat brevissima.

[2] Syracusani vero Hermocratis potissimum ducis suasu cum omnibus totius populi viribus cum Atheniensibus pugnare bellique fortunam periclitari non amplius volebant, sed videbatur satius esse murum contra illos intra struere, qua parte illi suum erant ducturi, et qua, si illi se antevertissent, futurum erat, ut ipsi intercluderentur, et simul etiam, si interea illi contra venissent, adversus eos partem exercitus mittere et aditus mature praeoccupare vallisque munire; illos vero ita opere intermisso universos in se aversum iri.

[3] Egressi igitur murum aedificare coeperunt, quem initio ab urbe sua facto sub ambitu muri ab Atheniensibus exstructi transversum ducebant, excisis oleis fani, et ligneis turribus erectis.

[4] Naves vero Atheniensium in magnum portum ex Thapso circumvectae nondum pervenerant, sed Syracusani maris imperium in locis urbi suae vicinis adhuc oblinebant; Athenienses vero res necessarias itinere terrestri ex Thapso afferebant.

Il di seguente alcuni degli Ateniesi lavoravano al muro circolare dalla parte di tramontana, altri unitisi a portare sassi e legnami li deponevano nel luogo chiamato Trogilo, dimano in mano dove mostravasi più corta la linea del muro dal porto grande all’altro mare. E i Siracusani , per le persuasioni d’Ermocrate più che degli altri capitani, non altrimenti volevano arrischiarsi con tutto Fesercito contro gli Ateniesi, ma determinarono per lo migliore di edificare un contrammuro più al basso, dove i nemici condurrebbero il suo ; poiché se si potessero prevenire , e’ rimarrebbon serrati fuori. E se in questo mentre gli Ateniesi accorressero ad inquietarli, essi spedirebbero loro incontro parte dell’ esercito, e sarebbero in tempo a preoccupare e munir con palificate gli sbocchi : se poi si voltassero tutti a contrastarli, dovrebbero allora cessare dal cominciato lavoro. Uscirono adunque i Siracusani, e principiando dalla loro città tiravano un muro obliquo sotto a quello circolare degli Ateniesi, e tagliavano gli olivi del sacro recinto per piantarvi delle torri di legno. Le navi ateniesi non ancora da Tapso avevan fatto il giro per entrare nel porto grande ; che anzi i Siracusani eran tuttora padroni del mare all’intorno; e però gli Ateniesi facevano da Tapso venire per terra il bisognevole.