Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.22

[1] Gylippus, when the navy was ready, drew out his whole power of land soldiers in the beginning of night, meaning to go himself and assault the fortifications in Plemmyrium; withal the galleys of the Syracusians, by appointment, thirty-five of them came up towards it out of the great haven; and forty-five more came about out of the little haven, where also was their arsenal, with purpose to join with those within and to go together to Plemmyrium that the Athenians might be troubled on both sides.

[2] But the Athenians having quickly manned sixty galleys to oppose them, with twenty-five of them they fought with the thirty-five of the Syracusians in the great haven, and with the rest went to meet those that came about from the little haven. And these fought presently before the mouth of the great haven and held each other to it for a long time, one side endeavouring to force, the other to defend the entrance.

[1] When the fleet was ready, Gylippus led out the whole army by night; his plan being to assault in person the forts of Plemmyrium by land, while thirty-five Syracusan galleys sailed according to appointment against the enemy from the great harbor, and the forty-five remaining came round from the lesser harbor, where they had their arsenal, in order to effect a junction with those inside and simultaneously to attack Plemmyrium, and thus to distract the Athenians by assaulting them on two sides at once.

[2] The Athenians quickly manned sixty ships, and with twenty-five of these engaged the thirty-five of the Syracusans in the great harbor, sending the rest to meet those sailing round from the arsenal; and an action now ensued directly in front of the mouth of the great harbor, maintained with equal tenacity on both sides; the one wishing to force the passage, the other to prevent them.

Gylippos nun, nachdem er die Flotte hatte kampfbereit
machen lassen, führte selbst unter dem Schutze der Nacht sein ganzes
Landheer gegen die Verschanzungen am Plemmyrion, um dieselben
von der Landseite anzugreifen, während gleichzeitig nach Verabredung
fünf und dreißig Schiffe aus dem großen Hafen heransegelten, die
andern aber, fünf und vierzig an der Zahl, aus dem kleineren, wo
auch die Schiffswerft war, herumfuhren, um sich mit denen im großen
Hafen zu vereinigen und gegen Plemmyrion anzusegeln, damit die
Athener von zwei Seiten in'S Gedränge kämen. Die Athener aber
bemannten rasch sechzig Schiffe und nahmen mit fünf und zwanzig
derselben das Gefecht gegen die fünf und dreißig der Syrakusaner
im großen Hafen auf, während sie mit den andern den Schiffen ent.
gegenfuhren, welche von der Werft her herumsegelten. Grade vor der
Einfahrt in den großen Hasen kam es zum Gefecht, und lange
hiel ten sie einander die Wage, die Einen, um die Einfahrt zu erzwingen, ¹
die Andern, um dieß zu verhindern. <

XXII. Gylippos, après avoir fait préparer la flotte, prit avec lui, pendant la nuit, toutes les troupes de pied, afin d’attaquer lui-même par terre les forts de Plemmyrion. A un signal donné, toutes les galères syracusaines prirent la mer en même temps : trentecinq s’avançaient du grand port; quarante-cinq, parties du petit port où était aussi l’arsenal, tournè- rent l’île pour aller rejoindre celles qui étaient dans le grand et attaquer de concert Plemmyrion, afin de déconcerter les Athéniens en se présentant de deux côtés à la fois. Les Athéniens équipèrent à la hâte soixante vaisseaux : vingt-cinq allèrent combattre les trente-cinq galères syracusaines du grand port; le reste se porta à la rencontre de la flotte qui longeait l’île au sortir de l’arsenal. Le combat s’engagea immédiatement à l’entrée du grand port; la lutte fut vive de part et d’autre, les uns voulant forcer le passage, les autres le défendre.

La flotte ainsi préparée, Gylippe fit prendre les armes pendant la nuit à toutes les troupes de terre, et les conduisit à l’attaque des forts du Plemmyrion. En même temps, les trirèmes syracusaines mirent en mer à un signal donné ; trente-cinq sortirent du grand port, quarante-cinq du petit, où se trouvait l’arsenal de la marine. Celles-ci tournèrent l’île pour rejoindre les autres et se porter ensemble contre le Plemmyrion, dans le but de déconcerter les ennemis par cette attaque simultanée. Les Athéniens montèrent à la hâte sur soixante vaisseaux; vingt-cinq s’élancèrent contre les trente-cinq trirèmes syracusaines du grand port ; le reste alla au-devant de celles qui venaient de l’arsenal. L’action s’engagea à l’entrée du grand port ; elle fut longue et opiniâtre, les uns s’acharnant à forcer le passage, les autres à le fermer.

[1] When the fleet was ready, Gylippus led out his whole land-force under cover of night, intending in person to make an assault by land upon the forts of Plemmyrium, and at the same time, on a preconcerted signal, thirty-five Syracusan triremes sailed to the attack from the Great Harbour, while forty-five sailed round from the lesser harbour, where their ship-yard was, purposing to form a junction with those inside the harbour and simultaneously attack Plemmyrium, so that the Athenians, thus assailed from both directions, might be thrown into confusion.

[2] But the Athenians, hastily manning sixty ships to oppose them, with twenty-five engaged the thirty-five Syracusan ships that were in the Great Harbour, and with the rest went to meet the squadron that was sailing round from the ship-yard. And so they at once engaged in battle in front of the mouth of the Great Harbour, and for a long time held out against one another, one side wishing to force the entrance, the other to prevent this.

[1] When Gylippus had prepared the fleet for action, he took the whole army under cover of the night, and himself intended to assault by land the forts on Plemyrium, while at the same time, according to agreement, thirty-five of the Syracusan triremes sailed to the attack from the great harbour, and forty-five sailed round from the lesser, where their arsenal was situated; wishing to effect a junction with those within, and at the same time to sail against Plemyrium, in order that the enemy might be disconcerted by an attack on both sides.

[2] The Athenians, on the other hand, having with all speed manned sixty ships to oppose them, with five and twenty of them engaged the five and thirty of the Syracusans that were in the great harbour, and with the remainder went to meet those that were sailing round from the arsenal. Thus they immediately entered into action before the mouth of the great harbour, and for a long time resisted each other, the one side wishing to force an entrance, the other being anxious to prevent them.

[1] Gylippus vero, postquam classis instructa erat, omnes pedestres copias sub noctem eduxit, et ipse quidem a terra munitiones in Plemyrio exstructas aggressurus erat, triremium vero Syracusanorum eodem tempore signo dato quinque quidem et triginta ex magno portu provehebantur, aliae vero quinque et quadraginta ex minore, ubi etiam erant ipsorum navalia, circumvehebantur, eo consilio, ut se conjungerent cum illis navibus, quae intus erant, et simul Plemyrium invaderent, ut Athenienses utrinque turbarentur.

[2] Sed Athenienses celeriter instructis sexaginta navibus, cum quinque et viginti adversus illas quinque et triginta Syracusanorum naves pugnabant, quae erant in magno portu, cum reliquis vero occurrebant iis, quae ex navalibus circumvehebantur. Et statim ante magni portus ostium confligebant, et diu alteri alteros sustinebant, quum hi quidem in portum per vim ingredi conarentur, illi vero impedire.

E poiché la flotta fu in concio, Gilippo mosse di notte tutte le genti da piè per assalire in persona le fortificazioni di Plemrairio dalla parte di terra, mentre data la posta alle triremi siracusane, venticinque di essi mossero dal porto grande , e quarantacinque dal piccolo ove avevano l’arsenale, e volteggiavano per accozzarsi eoa quelle di dentro al porto grande, e per navigare insieme srjpra Plemmirio, affinchè gli Ateniesi restassero da dm' parti scompigliati. Ma questi dal canto loro misero prestamente all’ordine sessanta navi, e con venticinque di esse combattevano contro le trentacinquc siracusane che erano

«idi porto grande ; e con le altre andavano incontro a quelle che uscite dall’arsenale volteggiavano. Commisero subito la battaglia in sulla bocca del porto grande, e lungamente entrambi resisterono, volendo gli uni penetrar dentro a forza , gli altri impedirli.