Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.23

[1] In the meantime, Gylippus (the Athenians in Plemmyrium being now come down to the water side, and having their minds busied upon the fight of the galleys) betimes in the morning and on a sudden assaulted the fortifications before they could come back again to defend them, and possessed first the greatest and afterwards the two lesser; for they that watched in these, when they saw the greatest so easily taken, durst stay no longer.

[2] They that fled upon the losing of the first wall and put themselves into boats and into a certain ship got hardly into the camp; for whilst the Syracusians in the great haven had yet the better in the fight upon the water, they gave them chase with one nimble galley. But by that time that the other two walls were taken, the Syracusians upon the water were overcome; and the Athenians which fled from those two walls got to their camp with more ease.

[3] For those Syracusian galleys that fought before the haven's mouth, having beaten back the Athenians, entered in disorder, and falling foul one on another, gave away the victory unto the Athenians, who put to flight not only them, but also those other by whom they had before been overcome within the haven, and sunk eleven galleys of the Syracusians and slew most of the men aboard them, save only the men of three galleys, whom they took alive.

[4] Of their own galleys they lost only three. When they had drawn to land the wreck of the Syracusian galleys and erected a trophy in the little island over against Plemmyrium, they returned to their camp.

[1] In the meantime, while the Athenians in Plemmyrium were down at the sea, attending to the engagement, Gylippus made a sudden attack on the forts in the early morning and took the largest first, and afterwards the two smaller, whose garrisons did not wait for him, seeing the largest so easily taken.

[2] At the fall of the first fort, the men from it who succeeded in taking refuge in their boats and merchantmen, found great difficulty in reaching the camp, as the Syracusans were having the best of it in the engagement in the great harbor, and sent a fast sailing galley to pursue them. But when the two others fell, the Syracusans were now being defeated; and the fugitives from these sailed along shore with more ease.

[3] The Syracusan ships fighting off the mouth of the harbor, forced their way through the Athenian vessels and sailing in without any order fell foul of one another, and transferred the victory to the Athenians; who not only routed the squadron in question, but also that by which they were at first being defeated in the harbor,

[4] sinking eleven of the Syracusan vessels and killing most of the men, except the crews of three ships whom they made prisoners. Their own loss was confined to three vessels; and after hauling ashore the Syracusan wrecks and setting up a trophy upon the islet in front of Plemmyrium, they retired to their own camp.

Gylippos nun, während die Athener von Plemmyrion
gegen das Meer herabfliegen und ihre Aufmerksamkeit dem Seegefecht
zuwandten, überrascht dieselben, indem er ganz unerwartet mit
Tagesanbruch die Verschanzungen angreift und zuerst die größte, dann
aber auch die zwei kleineren wegnimmt, da deren Besatzungen nicht
Stand hielten, wie sie sahen, daß die größere so leicht genommen
worden war. Aus der zuerst genommenen Verschanzung kam die
flüchtige Mannschaft, so viel ihrer sich auf die Kriegsschiffe und ein
Lastschiff retten konnten, mit knapper Noth noch glücklich in'S
Lager"); denn weil zu der Zeit im großen Hafen die Syrakufaner im
Seegefecht noch die Oberhand hatten, so ließen sie jene durch einen
schnellsegelnden Dreiruderer verfolgen. Als aber die beiden andern
Kastelle eingenommen wurden, waren die Syrakusaner bereits
geschlagen, und so konnten die Flüchtlinge aus diesen Vershcanzungen
leichter an ihnen vorbeifahren. Es hatten nämlich die Schiffe der
Syrakufaner vor der Hafeneinfahrt im Gefecht die Schiffe der Athener
überwältigt, waren aber ohne Ordnung in deren Linie eingedrungen,
hatten sich selbst einander in Verwirrung gebracht und spielten so den
Sieg den Athenern wieder in die Hände, welche nicht nur diese
eingedrungenen, sondern auch die im Hafen früher gegen sie siegreichen
Schiffe in die Flucht jagten. Eilf Schiffe der Syrakufaner versenkten
sie dabei und die Mehrzahl der Bemannung tödteten sie,
ausgenommen die von drei Schiffen, welche sie zu Gefangenen machten; ihnen
selbst waren drei Schiffe verloren gegangen. Nachdem sie dann die
Schiffstrümmer der Syrakufaner an's Land gezogen und auf der
kleinen Insel vor dem Plemmyrion ein Siegeszeichen ausgestellt
hatten, zogen sie sich in ihr Lager zurück.

XXIII. Pendant ce temps, Gylippos profita du moment où la garnison athénienne de Plemmyrion était descendue au rivage et concentrait toute son attention sur le combat naval, pour la surprendre et attaquer les forts à l’improviste dès la pointe du jour. Il s’empara d’abord du plus grand, puis des deux petits, la garnison n’ayant pas tenu lorsqu’elle vit avec quelle facilité le premier avait été emporté. Après la prise du premier fort, les hommes, réfugiés sur des barques et sur un bâtiment de charge, eurent grand’peine à regagner le camp : car, la division syracusaine du grand port ayant eu l’avantage dans l’engagement naval, une trirème d’une marche supérieure s’était mise à leur poursuite. Mais, lorsque les deux fortins furent emportés, la flotte syracusaine venait d’être vaincue, ce qui rendit plus facile la traversée du port à ceux qui s’en échappèrent. Les vaisseaux syracusains qui combattaient à l’entrée du port forcèrent d’abord la flotte athénienne; mais ils entrèrent sans aucun ordre, s’embarrassèrent mutuellement, et livrèrent ainsi la victoire aux Athéniens; ceux-ci les mirent en fuite, et en firent autant de ceux qui d’abord les avaient vaincus dans le port. Ils coulèrent onze des bâtiments syracusains et tuèrent la plupart des hommes, à l’exception des équipages de trois vaisseaux, qu’ils firent prisonniers. Ils perdirent de leur côté trois bâtiments. Après avoir remorqué à terre les débris des galères syracusaines et élevé un trophée sur l'ilot en face de Plemmyrion, ils retournèrent à leur camp.

Les Athéniens du Plemmyrion étaient descendus va le rivage pour être spectateurs du combat naval. Tout à coup, à la pointe du jour, Gylippe attaque lés forts et enlève d’abord le plus grand, puis les deux autres , que les gardes abandonnèrent quand ils virent avec quelle promptitude le premier avait été pris. Les soldats athéniens qui se sauvèrent du premier fort, surdes barques et sur un bâtiment de charge,n’atteignirent le camp qu’avec peine, car la division syracusaine du grand port, qui se trouvait en oet instant avoir l’avantage, détacha à leur poursuite un vaisseau fin marcheur; au contraire, quand les deux derniers forts furent emportés , la flotte syracusaine venait d’être vaincue , ce qui facilita la retraite des fuyards.

Les vaisseaux syracusains qui combattaient à l’entrée du port forcèrent d'abord la ligne athénienne ; mais ils entrèrent sans ordre, s’embarrassèrent mutuellement, et livrèrent ainsi la victoire aux Athéniens. Ceux-ci les mirent en fuite, et défirent pareillement la division qui avait eu, dans le port, un avantage momentané. Ils coulèrent onze vaisseaux syracusains, et tuèrent la plupart des hommes, excepté les équipages de trois trirèmes, qu’ils firent prisonniers ; eux-mêmes perdirent irois vaisseaux. Ils recueillirent les débris des navires syracusains. dressèrent un trophée sur l’îlot qui est devant le Plemmyrion. et rentrèrent dans leur camp. ^

[1] Meanwhile Gylippus, noticing that the Athenians on Plemmyrium had gone down to the sea and were giving their attention to the sea-fight, surprised them by making a sudden attack at daybreak upon the forts; and first he captured the largest, and afterwards the two smaller ones also, their garrisons not awaiting the attack when they saw the largest so easily taken.

[2] Of the garrison of the fort that was taken first, all that succeeded in escaping to the boats and to a certain merchant ship were rescued and brought to camp, but it was with difficulty; for the Syracusans were at the time having the best of the fight with their ships in the Great Harbour, and a trireme, and that a fast sailer, was sent in pursuit. But when the other two forts were taken, the Syracusans, as it chanced, were by this time losing the fight, and those who fled from these forts had less difficulty in sailing past them.

[3] For the Syracusan ships that were fighting in front of the entrance, after they had forced back the Athenian ships, sailed into the harbour in disorder, and falling foul of one another made a present of their victory to the Athenians, who routed not only this squadron but also the ships by which they were at first being beaten inside the harbour.

[4] And they sank eleven of the Syracusan ships, slaying most of the men, except only the crews of three ships, whom they took alive; but of their own ships three were destroyed. And drawing up on shore the wrecks of the Syracusan ships and setting up a trophy on the little island that faces Plemmyrium, they withdrew to their own camp.

[1] In the mean time Gylippus, when the Athenians in Plemyrium had gone down to the sea, and were paying attention to the naval engagement, surprised them by suddenly at daybreak assaulting the forts, of which he took the largest first, and then the other two; their garrisons not having awaited his attack, when they saw the largest easily carried.

[2] From the first that was taken the men escaped with difficulty to their camp, as many of them as took refuge in their boats and merchantmen; for as the Syracusans were getting the better in the engagement with their ships in the great harbour, the fugitives were chased by one trireme, and that a fast sailer; but when the other two forts were taken, at that time the Syracusans, in their turn, were now being beaten, and so those who were flying out of the forts sailed along shore with greater ease.

[3] For the Syracusan ships that were fighting before the mouth of the harbour, having forced their way through those of the Athenians, sailed in without any order, and being entangled with one another, transferred the victory to the Athenians; who routed both these, and those by which they were at first being defeated in the harbour.

[4] They also sank eleven of the Syracusan ships, killing most of the men on board of them, excepting those whom they took prisoners from three vessels; while on their own side three ships were lost. After hauling up the wrecks of the Syracusans, and erecting a trophy on the small island in front of Plemyrium, they withdrew to their own encampment.

[1] Interea vero quum Athenienses, qui erant in Plemyrio, ad mare descendissent, et animos ad pugnam navalem intentos haberent, Gylippus prima luce illorum monitiones repente invasit, ac primum quidem maximam cepit, deinde vero et duas minores; custodes enim, cum maximam fedle captam animadvertissent, resistere non sunt ausi.

[2] Atque ex prima quidem munitione, quae capta erat, homines, quotquot et in navigia et in quamdam onerariam navem confligerent, aegre in sua castra se recipiebant; quum enim Syracusani cum suis navibus, quas in magno portu habebant, navali praelio superiores essent, nns illorum velox triremis eos insequebatur; postquam autem reliquae duas munitiones capiebantur, interea et Syracusani jam proelio navali vincebantur, et qui ex munitionibus fugiebant, feci-lius praetervecti sunt.

[3] Nam Syracusanorum naves, quae ante portus ostium pugnabant, quum Atheniensium naves per vim loco pepulissent, nullo ordine intro navigabant, et per confusionem inter se collisae victoriam Atheniensibns praebuerunt; nam et has in fugam verterunt, et illas, a quibus initio in ipso portu superabantur.

[4] Atque undecim quidem Syracusanorum naves depresserunt, et majorem hominum partem interfecerunt, exceptis illis, qui erant in tribus navibus, quos vivos ceperunt; ipsorum vero tres naves profligatae sunt. Quum autem Syracusanorum naufragia subduxissent, et tropaeum erexissent in parva insula ante Plemyrium sita, in soa castra redierunt.

In questo, esseudo gli Ateniesi di Plemmirio calati al lido coll’animo rivolto alla battaglia navale, Gilippo in sul far dell’aurora giunge improvvisamente ad assaltare i muri, espugna da primo il più grande, poi anche i due miuori ; ove le guardie che videro preso agevolmente il più grande, non tennero il fermo. Tutti quelli che dal primo muro espugnato si erano rifugiati ai navigli e ad una barca da carico, a gran pena si riconducevano nell’accampamento, avvegnaché i Siracusani colle navi nel porto grande vincitori della battaglia, li facessero inseguire da una trireme velocissima : se non che, quando seguiva la presa di due muri, poterono i fuggitivi più facilmente tragittare, avendo allora i Siracusani la peggio. Conciossiachè le loro navi che combattevano sulla bocca del porto, cacciate a forza quelle degli Ateniesi, vi entrarono senz’ordine veruno ; e cosi confondendosi tra loro dettero la vittoria agli Ateniesi, che fugarono queste e le altre dalle quali in principio erano stati vinti dentro il porto. Ebbero i Siracusani undici triremi colate a fondo , e molte persone uccise, senza contar quelle che furono prese vive in tre navi. Gli Ateniesi perderono tre navi : e dopo aver rimorchiato i rottami delle triremi nemiche ed eretto il trofeo nell’ isoletta di faccia a Plemmirio, ritornarono ai loro alloggiamenti.