Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.21

[1] In Sicily, about the same time of the spring, Gylippus also returned to Syracuse, bringing with him from the cities he had dealt withal as great forces as severally he could get from them.

[2] And having assembled the Syracusians, he told them that they ought to man as many galleys as they could and make trial of a battle by sea; and that he hoped thereby to perform somewhat to the benefit of the war which should be worthy the danger.

[3] Hermocrates also was none of the least means of getting them to undertake the Athenians with their navy, who told them that neither the Athenians had this skill by sea hereditary or from everlasting, but were more inland men than the Syracusians, and forced to become seamen by the Medes, and that to daring men, such as the Athenians are, they are most formidable that are as daring against them; for wherewith they terrify their neighbours, which is not always the advantage of power, but boldness of enterprising, with the same shall they in like manner be terrified by their enemies.

[4] He knew it, he said, certainly, that the Syracusians, by their unexpected daring to encounter the Athenian navy, would get more advantage in respect of the fear it would cause than the Athenians should endamage them by their odds of skill. He bade them therefore to make trial of their navy and to be afraid no longer.

[5] The Syracusians, on these persuasions of Gylippus and Hermocrates, and others if any were, became now extremely desirous to fight by sea, and presently manned their galleys.

[1] In Sicily about the same time in this spring, Gylippus came to Syracuse with as many troops as he could bring from the cities which he had persuaded to join.

[2] Calling the Syracusans together, he told them that they must man as many ships as possible, and try their hand at a sea-fight, by which he hoped to achieve an advantage in the war not unworthy of the risk.

[3] With him Hermocrates actively joined in trying to encourage his countrymen to attack the Athenians at sea, saying that the latter had not inherited their naval prowess nor would they retain it for ever; they had been landsmen even to a greater degree than the Syracusans, and had only become a maritime power when obliged by the Mede . Besides, to daring spirits like the Athenians, a daring adversary would seem the most formidable; and the Athenian plan of paralyzing by the boldness of their attack a neighbor often not their inferior in strength, could now be used against them with as good effect by the Syracusans.

[4] He was convinced also that the unlooked-for spectacle of Syracusans daring to face the Athenian navy would cause a terror to the enemy, the advantages of which would far outweigh any loss that Athenian science might inflict upon their inexperience. He accordingly urged them to throw aside their fears and to try their fortune at sea;

[5] and the Syracusans, under the influence of Gylippus and Hermocrates, and perhaps some others, made up their minds for the sea-fight and began to man their vessels.

In Sieilien war um dieselbe Frühlingszeit Gylippos
nach Syrakus zurückgekehrt, aus den Städten, die er zum Beitritt
beredet hatte, an Mannschaft mit sich führend, so viel er eben
überallher hatte auftreiben können. Dann berief er eine Versammlung der
Syrakusier und sagte ihnen, sie müßten möglichst viele Schiffe
bemannen und eine Seeschlacht versuchen. Er verspreche sich davon für ^{1 2}
diesen Krieg einen Erfolg, der das Wagniß lohne. Auch
Hermokrates vornehmlih ctrat diesem Rathe bei und meinte, sie dürften sich
nicht fürchten, mit den Schiffen etwas gegen die Athener zu
unternehmen, denn auch diese, sagte er, hätten ihre Erfahrung zur See
nicht von ihren Vätern überkommen und besäßen sie nicht von jeher,
vielmehr seien sie gegen die Syrakusaner eher Festlandsbewohner zu
nennen und nur von den Medern gezwungen worden, Seeleute zu
werden. So kühnen Männern, wie die Athener seien, müßten gleichkühne
am furchtbarsten erscheinen. Denn wie jene, ohne jedes Mal an
Macht überlegen zu sein, Andere oft nur durch die Kühnheit ihres
Angriffs in Furcht setzten, so könnten ja auch sie ihren Gegnern die
gleiche Kühnheit bieten, und er sei überzeugt, sagte er, wenn die
Shrakusaner es wagen würden, ganz wider Erwarten der Athenischen
Flotte den Kampf anzubieten, so würden sie eher in Folge des
Schreckens der Athener den Sieg davontragen, als diese mit ihrer
überlegenen Uebung die geringere Geschicklichkeit der Syrakusaner in
Nachtheil bringen könnten. Drum sollten sie nur drauflosgehen und
ein Seegefecht versuchen und nicht lange zaudern. Und so rüsteten
sich denn die Syrakusaner, auf Anrathen des GylippoS und
HermokrateS und auch wohl Anderer, zu einer Seeschlacht und bemannten
ihre Schiffe. s

XXI. En Sicile, Gylippos revint à Syracuse vers la même époque du printemps, amenant le plus de troupes qu’il put de chacune des villes gagnées à son parti. Il convoqua les Syracusains, et leur dit qu’il fallait équiper le plus possible de vaisseaux et tenter un combat naval; qu’il espérait qu’on en tirerait pour l’issue de la guerre quelque avantage à la hauteur du péril. Hermocrates se joignit à lui et contribua puissamment à vaincre la répugnance qu’ils avaient à attaquer les Athéniens sur mer; il leur dit que l’expérience de la mer n’était pas un héritage éternellement dévolu aux Athéniens et transmis par leurs pères; qu’ils étaient, au contraire, bien plus que les Syracusains, un peuple continental, et n’étaient devenus marins que contraints par les Mèdes; que contre des hommes audacieux, comme les Athéniens, répondre par l’audace, c’était paraître d’autant plus redoutable; que les Athéniens, en effet, sans forces supérieures bien souvent, frappaient les autres d’épouvante par leurs attaques audacieuses, et qu’ils éprouveraient eux-mêmes ce qu’ils faisaient éprouver à leurs adversaires. Il engagea les Syracusains à se bien persuader que l’audace imprévue de leur attaque contre la flotte athénienne et l’épouvante qu’elle inspirerait à l’ennemi, compenseraient et au delà le mal que pourrait causer à leur inexpérience l’habileté des Athéniens; en conséquence, il leur conseilla de faire sans balancer l’essai de leurs forces maritimes. Les Syracusains, excités par ces exhortations de Gylippos, d'Hermocrates et de quelques autres, se décidèrent à livrer un combat naval et montèrent sur leurs vaisseaux.

En Sicile, vers la même époque du printemps, Gylippe revint à Syracuse, amenant les renforts qu’il avait obtenus. Il convoqua les Syracusains et leur dit qu’il fallait équiper le plus de vaisseaux possible, pour tenter un combat naval ; que c’était le moyen d’accomplir un glorieux fait d’armes. Hermo-cratès se joignit à lui pour vaincre leur répugnance à se mesurer sur mer avec les Athéniens. Il leur représenta que, chez ces derniers la pratique de la mer n’était pas un héritage de leurs ancêtres ni une possession ancienne ; qu’ils étaient au contraire plus continentaux que les Syracusains; qu’ils n’étaient devenus marins que par circonstance et pour y avoir été forcés par les Mèdes ; que pour des hommes audacieux, comme les Athéniens, les ennemis les plus redoutables étaient ceux qui montraient une pareille audace ; que cette même terreur qu’ils inspiraient aux autres, moins par leurs forces réelles que par la hardiesse de leurs agressions, les Syracusains la leur inspireraient à leur tour ; qu’enfin s’ils avaient le courage d’opposer à la marine ennemie une résistance inattendue, nul doute que la surprise qui en résulterait ne compensât largement leur défaut d’expérience. Il les exhorta donc à faire sans hésiter l’épreuve de leurs forces maritimes.

Ainsi excités par les discours de Gylippe, d’Hermocratès et d’autres orateurs, les Syracusains se décidèrent à livrer une bataille navale, et montèrent sur leurs vaisseaux.

[1] In Sicily, during the same spring and at about the same time, Gylippus returned to Syracuse, bringing from each of the cities which he had prevailed upon as large a body of troops as he could secure.

[2] And calling together the Syracusans, he told them that they should man as many ships as possible and try their luck in fighting at sea; for he hoped thereby to accomplish something for the furtherance of the war that would be worth the risk.

[3] And Hermocrates most of all joined in urging them not to be faint-hearted about attacking the Athenians with their ships, saying that with the Athenians also their maritime skill was not a legacy from their fathers or a possession for all time, but that on the contrary they were originally more landsmen than the Syracusans, and had only taken to the sea when forced to do so by the Persians. He added that those who with daring confront daring men like the Athenians appear most formidable to them; for that quality which enables the Athenians to terrorize their neighbours, to whom they are sometimes not superior in power, though they always attack them with confidence—this very quality the Syracusans would likewise exhibit to their opponents.

[4] And lie said that he was well aware that the Syracusans, by daring unexpectedly to make a stand against the Athenian fleet, would have an advantage over them, dismayed as they would be on that account, which would more than outweigh the damage which the Athenians might inflict by their skill on the inexperience of the Syracusans.

[5] He urged them, therefore, to proceed to the trial of their fleet and not to shrink from it. So the Syracusans, under the persuasions of Gylippus, Hermocrates, and perhaps others, were eager for the sea-fight and began to man the slips.

[1] In Sicily, about the same period of this spring, Gylippus came to Syracuse, bringing from the cities which he had persuaded to join him as large a number of troops as he respectively could.

[2] And now, having called the Syracusans together, he said that they ought to man as many ships as possible, and try the experiment of a sea-fight; for that he hoped to produce thereby a result worth the risk, towards the issue of the war.

[3] Hermocrates, too, most earnestly joined him in trying to persuade them, in order that they might not rant courage for attacking the Athenians by sea; observing,

[4]

[5] Accordingly the Syracusans, at the persuasion of Gylippus, Hermocrates, and whoever else joined them, resolved on the sea-fight, and proceeded to man their ships.

[1] In Sicilia vero sub eadem kqjus veris tempora et Gylippus Syracusas redierat adducens ex civitatibus, quibus persuaserat, exercitum quantum maximum undique potuerat.

[2] Et convocatis Syracusanis dixit, quam plurimas possent naves armandas esse, pugnseque navalis periculum faciendum; se enim sperare, si hoc temptarent, in hoc bello facinus aliquod periculo dignum edituros.

[3] Una vero etiam Hermocrates potissimum hortabatur, ne res navales adversus Athenienses aggredi dubitarent, dicens, ne illos quidem banc rerum nauticarum peritiam hsereditanam aut perpetuam habere, sed mediterraneos esse magis, quam Syracusanos, et a Medis coactos rebus nauticis operam dare coepisse. Atque adversus viros audaces, quales et Athenienses essent, eos haud dubie, qui parem audaciam exhiberent, accidere gravissimos; qua enim ratione illi aliis, quum quidem aliquando potentia non praestent, sed animi fiducia impetum faciant, terrorem injicere soleant, ita se quoque posse idem pariter auxilium adversus adversarios adhibere.

[4] Et illud se dicebat probe scire, Syracusanos, si Atheniensium classi ex insperato obviam ire auderent, propter hujusmodi ferinus illis cousternatis plus profecturos, quam Athenienses propter scientiam Syracusanorum imperitiae obfhturos. Hortabatur igitur, ut rei nauticae periculum facerent, nec eam reformidarent.

[5] Atque Syracusani quidem quum et Gylippus et Hermocrates, et si quis alius eos incitarent, animos ad navale proelium promptos habebant et naves instruebant;

Ma in Sicilia, verso i medesimi tempi di questa primavera, tornò Gilippo a Siracusa conducendo quel maggiore esercito che potè accogliere da ciascuna delle città da lui persuase; e convocati i Siracusani disse che doveansi armare più navi che fosse possibile, e tentare una battaglia per mare ; dalla quale sperava dover seguitare qualche gran fatto degno di tal cimento, da metter fine a questa guerra. E moltissimo insiem con lui si adoprava Ermocrate confortando i Siracusani perchè non dubitassero di assalire con le navi gli Ateniesi, dicendo non avere essi ereditaria e sempiterna la perizia del mare, ma essere gente di terraferma più dei Siracusani, e diventati marittimi perchè costretti dai Medi ; e contro ad uomini audaci come gli Ateniesi comparire terribilissimi quelli che loro si opponessero con eguale ardire; perciocché in quella guisa che atterriscono talvolta gli altri non con la maggio ranza delle forze, ma con l’audacia nell’assaltarli, in quella medesima sarebbero essi pure esposti a tal caso egualmente che i nemici : saper lui bene, proseguiva , che i Siracusani coll’ inaspettato ardimento di opporsi alla flotta degli Ateniesi costernati di si fatta novità, riporterebbero su loro vantaggi più grandi de’danni che essi col loro sapere pòtrebberò recare all' imperizia siracusana; perù andassero, li animava, a far prova delle forze marittime, e non isbigottissero. Persuasi i Siracusani da Gilippo, da Ermocrate e da qualcun altro, voltaronsi con tutto l’animo alla battaglia per mare ed armarono le navi.