Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.17

[1] But Demosthenes, staying, made preparation for the voyage to set out early the next spring; and sent unto the confederates, appointing what forces they should provide, and to furnish himself amongst them with money and galleys and men of arms.

[2] The Athenians sent also twenty galleys about Peloponnesus, to watch that none should go over into Sicily from Corinth or Peloponnesus.

[3] For the Corinthians, after the ambassadors were come to them and had brought news of the amendment of the affairs in Sicily, thought it was well that they had sent thither those other galleys before; but now they were encouraged a great deal more, and prepared men of arms to be transported into Sicily in ships;

[4] and the Lacedaemonians did the like for the rest of Peloponnesus. The Corinthians manned fiveand-twenty galleys to present battle to the fleet that kept watch at Naupactus, that the ships with the men of arms, whilst the Athenians attended these galleys so embattled against them, might pass by unhindered.

[1] but Demosthenes stayed behind to organize the expedition, meaning to start as soon as it was spring, and sent for troops to the allies, and meanwhile got together money, ships, and heavy infantry at home.

[2] The Athenians also sent twenty vessels round Peloponnese to prevent any one crossing over to Sicily from Corinth or Peloponnese .

[3] For the Corinthians, filled with confidence by the favorable alteration in Sicilian affairs which had been reported by the envoys upon their arrival, and convinced that the fleet which they had before sent out had not been without its use, were now preparing to despatch a force of heavy infantry in merchant vessels to Sicily , while the Lacedaemonians did the like for the rest of Peloponnese .

[4] The Corinthians also named a fleet of twenty-five vessels, intending to try the result of a battle with the squadron on guard at Naupactus , and meanwhile to make it less easy for the Athenians there to hinder the departure of their merchantmen, by obliging them to keep an eye upon the galleys thus arrayed against them.

Demotshenes hingegen blieb noch zurück und rüstete zur
Abfahrt, um mit Frühlingsanfang unter Segel zu gehen, und schrieb
Truppen aus unter den Bundesgenossen und brachte von der attischen
Landschaft Geld ein und Schiffe und Schwerbewaffnete. Die
Athener schickten aber auch zwanzig Schiffe in die peloponnefischen
Gewässer, die Acht haben sollten, daß Niemand von Korinth und dem
übrigen Peloponnes nach Sieilien überfahre. Die Korinther
nämlich, da auch zu ihnen Boten kamen, welche die bessere Wendung der. ¹
Dinge in Stellten meldeten, hielten dafür, daß die Absendung ihrer ²
ersten Schiffsabtheilung ganz vortheilhaft gewesen wäre, und
machten nun noch größere Anstrengungen und rüsteten sich, auf Lastschiffen
aus Eigenem Schwerbewaffnete nach Sieilien zu schicken, und
deßgleichen thaten auch die Lakedämonier, um aus dem übrigen
Peloponnes Truppen überzusetzen. Kriegsschiffe bemannten die Korinther
fünfundzwanzig, um gegen das Athenische Beobachtungsgeschwader
bei Naupaktos ein Seegefecht zu wagen, damit die dortigen
Athener ihre Lastschiffe um so weniger am Aussegeln hindern könnten,
indem sie ihre Aufmerksamkeit den ihnen gegenüberstehenden
Kriegsschiffen zuwenden müßten.

XVII. Démosthènes resta pour préparer les armements et partir à l’entrée du printemps : il dénonça aux alliés une levée de troupes, et tira de chez eux de l’argent, des vaisseaux et des hoplites. Les Athéniens envoyèrent aussi vingt vaisseaux croiser autour du Péloponnèse, pour veiller à ce que personne ne passât de Corinthe et du Péloponnèse en Sicile. Car les Corinthiens, à l’arrivée'des députés qui leur annonçaient que les affaires s’amélioraient en Sicile, jugeant que leur premier envoi de vaisseaux n’avait pas été inutile, embrassèrent plus vivement encore cette affaire : aussi se préparèrent-ils à envoyer des hoplites en Sicile sur des bâtiments de charge, pendant que les Lacédémoniens se disposaient à en faire passer par le même moyen du reste du Péloponnèse. Les Corinthiens armèrent en outre vingt-cinq vaisseaux, dans le but de tenter un combat naval contre la flotte athénienne en station à Naupacte, et en même temps de neutraliser cette flotte, de sorte qu’elle fût moins en état d’empêcher le départ de leurs transports, une fois occupée à surveiller les galères qu’ils allaient lui opposer.

Les Athéniens envoyèrent aussi vingt vaisseaux autour du Péloponèse, afin d’empôcher tout passage de troupes de Corinthe et du Péloponèse en Sicile, Les Corinthiens, depuis l’arrivée des députés et l’annonce que les affaires de Sicile prenaient une meilleure tournure, avaient reconnu l’opportunité de leur premier envoi de vaisseaux et s’enflammaient d’une ardeur nouvelle. Ils se disposèrent donc à faire passer des hoplites en Sicile sur des transports, tandis que les Lacédémoniens en expédiaient d’autres par le même moyen, en les tirant du Péloponèse. De plus, les Corinthiens armèrent vingt vaisseaux dans le double but de tenter un combat naval contre la croisière de Naupacte et de faciliter le départ des transports, en détournant vers les trirèmes l’attention des Athéniens stationnés en ce lieu.

[1] But Demosthenes remained behind and busied himself with preparations for his departure, which he planned to make at the opening of spring, sending to the allies requisitions for troops and getting ready at home money and ships and hoplites.

[2] And the Athenians also sent twenty ships round the Peloponnesus, to see that no one should cross over from Corinth and the Peloponnesus to Sicily.

[3] For the Corinthians, when the Syracusan envoys arrived and reported that the situation in Sicily was more favourable, felt much greater confidence than before, thinking that their former despatch of the fleet had been well timed, and accordingly not only were they themselves preparing to send hoplites to Sicily in merchant-ships, but also the Lacedaemonians were intending in the same manner to despatch troops from the rest of the Peloponnesus.

[4] The Corinthians were also manning twenty-five ships, in order that they might try an engagement with the squadron on watch at Naupactus ¹ and that the Athenians at Naupactus might not find it so easy to prevent their merchant-vessels from putting to sea, since they would be busy keeping watch upon the triremes arrayed against them.

[1] Demosthenes, in the mean time, stayed behind, and made preparations for the expedition, intending to start as soon as it was spring; while he sent the allies word to levy troops, and got ready at home money, ships, and heavy-armed.

[2] The Athenians also sent twenty ships to cruise round the Peloponnese, and to keep guard that none might cross over from Corinth and the Peloponnese to Sicily.

[3] For the Corinthians, after the ambassadors came to them, and brought a more favourable report of affairs in Sicily, thinking that they had not been unseasonable in sending their former squadron, were now much more encouraged, and prepared, on their part, to despatch heavy-armed troops for Sicily in vessels of burden, as the Lacedaemonians did likewise from the rest of the Peloponnese.

[4] The Corinthians manned also five and twenty triremes, to try the result of a battle with the squadron keeping watch at Naupactus, and that the Athenians there might be less able to prevent their transports from putting out, having to keep an eye upon the Corinthian line of triremes drawn up against them.

[1] Demosthenes vero remanens adhuc adornabat profectionem, ut primo statim vere discederet, milites imperans sociis, et pecunias illinc et naves et gravis armatura milites comparans.

[2] Mittunt autem Athenienses etiam circa Peloponnesum viginti naves, ut observarent, ne quis e Corintho et ex Peloponneso trajiceret in Siciliam.

[3] Nam Corinthii, postquam legati ad eos venerunt, et res in Sicilia meliore conditione esse nunciaverunt, existimantes , et priorem classem non intempestive a se mistam esse, multo magis animo confirmabantur, et quum ipsi gravis armaturae milites in onerariis navibus in Siciliam mittere parabant, tum etiam Lacedaemonii eodem modo ex cetera Peloponneso.

[4] Et Corinthii viginti quinque naves instruxerunt , ut pugnam navalem experirentur adversus speculatorias illas, quae stabant ad Naupactum, utque Athenienses, qui Naupacti erant, onerariarum ipsorum navium profectionem minus impedirent, si id modo agerent, ut hostilem triremium Corinthiarum aciem observarent.

Demostene poi rimase ad allestire la flotta che dovea partire a primavera, e mandava gli ordini ai confederati , per aver pronti anche da quei luoghi denari e soldatesca grave. Gli Ateniesi spediscono venti navi intorno al Peloponneso, perchè badassero che di là e da Corinto dìssuqo tragittasse in Sicilia ; avvegnaché i Corintii, dopo il ritorno de9 legati che recavano migliori novelle delle cose siciliane, persuasi non essere stata inopportuna quella prima spedizione del loro naviglio, si erano viemaggiormente inanimiti ; e però si allestivano a mandare soldati gravi in Sicilia su navi da carico, e lo stesso facevano i Lacedemoni cavando genti dal restante del Peloponneso. Di più i Corintii armavano venticinque navi , disposti di provarsi a battaglia navale colla guarnigione di Naupatto, affinchè gli Ateniesi da quel luogo avessero manco modo d’ impedire la partenza delle loro navi da carico ; dovendo stare in guardia ad un tempo e sulle difese contro queste triremi che loro si opporrebbero.