Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.24

[1] The Syracusians, though such were their success in the battle by sea, yet they won the fortification in Plemmyrium, and set up three trophies, for every wall one. One of the two walls last taken they demolished; but two they repaired and kept with a garrison.

[2] At the taking of these walls, many men were slain and many taken alive; and their goods, which altogether was a great matter, were all taken. For the Athenians using these works for their storehouse, there was in them much wealth and victual belonging unto merchants and much unto captains of galleys. For there were sails within it for forty galleys, besides other furniture, and three galleys drawn to land.

[3] And this loss of Plemmyrium was it that most and principally impaired the Athenians' army. For the entrance of their provision was now no longer safe; for the Syracusians lying against them there with their galleys kept them out, and nothing could be brought in unto them but by fight; and the army besides was thereby otherwise terrified and dejected.

[1] Unsuccessful at sea, the Syracusans had nevertheless the forts in Plemmyrium, for which they set up three trophies. One of the two last taken they razed, but put in order and garrisoned the two others.

[2] In the capture of the forts a great many men were killed and made prisoners, and a great quantity of property was taken in all. As the Athenians had used them as a magazine, there was a large stock of goods and corn of the merchants inside, and also a large stock belonging to the captains; the masts and other furniture of forty galleys being taken, besides three galleys which had been drawn up on shore.

[3] Indeed the first and chiefest cause of the ruin of the Athenian army was the capture of Plemmyrium; even the entrance of the harbor being now no longer safe for carrying in provisions, as the Syracusan vessels were stationed there to prevent it, and nothing could be brought in without fighting; besides the general impression of dismay and discouragement produced upon the army.

In der Seeschlacht also war es den Syrakusanern so
ergangen, die Vershcanzungen auf dem Plemmyrion aber blieben in
ihren Händen, und sie stellten dafür drei Siegeszeichen auf. DaS
eine von den beiden zuletzt genommenen Kastellen rissen sie nieder, ^{1 2 3}
die zwei andern aber setzten sie wieder in Stand und legten
Mannschaft hinein. Bei der Erstürmung dieser Kastelle waren viele Leute
gefallen oder gefangen worden und auch sämmtliche Vorräthe in
Feindeshand gefallen; denn da die Athener sich dieser Verschanzungen
als Magazine bedienten, so lagen dort viele Kaufmannswaaren und
Getreide aufgestapelt, und auch viele Vorräthe der Schisssbefehliger,
wie denn auch das Segelwerk für vierzig Dreiruderer und die
übrigen Ausrüstungsgegenstände und auch drei an's Land gezogene
Dreiruderer dort verloren gingen. So wurde die Einnahme von
Plemmyrion für das Heer der Athener zu einem der ersten und
bedeutendsten Verluste; denn es war jetzt auch nicht einmal mehr die Einfahrt
für die Zufuhren an Lebensmitteln gesichert, weil sich die
Syrakusaner dort mit Schiffen vor Anker gelegt hatten, um die Zufuhr zu
hindern, so daß man um dieselbe bereits fechten mußte; und auch sonst
kam über das Heer Bestürzung und Muthlofigkeit.

XXIV. Telle fut pour les Syracusains l’issue de cet engagement naval; mais ils demeuraient maîtres des retranchements de Plemmyrion, pour la prise desquels ils élevèrent trois trophées. Un des deux forts pris en dernier lieu fut démoli; ils réparèrent les deux autres et y mirent garnison. Beaucoup d’hommes périrent à la prise des forts, beaucoup furent faits prisonniers; le butin était immense, et rien ne leur échappa. Comme ces forts servaient aux Athéniens de magasins, il s’y trouvait beaucoup d’argent déposé par les négociants, beaucoup de vivres et d’objets appartenant aux triérarques. On y avait même déposé les voiles et les autres agrès de quarante trirèmes, ainsi que trois trirèmes tirées à sec. Mais le plus grand et le plus notable dommage pour l’armée athénienne fut la prise même de Plemmyrion; de ce moment, il n’y eut plus de sécurité pour l’entrée des convois de vivres; car ils étaient interceptés par les vaisseaux syracusains qui croisaient en cet endroit; les arrivages n’avaient plus lieu sans combat; sous tous les rapports enfin, cet événement jeta le trouble et le découragement dans l’armée.

Les Syracusains avaient perdu la bataille; en revanche ils étaient maîtres des forts de Plemmyrion, pour la prise desquels ils élevèrent trois trophées. Ils rasèrent Vun des deux forts enlevés les derniers ; mais ils réparèrent les autres et y mirent garnison. Dans la prise des forts, beaucoup de leurs défenseurs furent tués ou faits prisonniers. Toutes les riohesses en furent enlevées, ce qui donna un butin considérable ; ces forts servant de magasins à l’armée athénienne, il s’y trouvait quantité d’argent, de provisions et d’effets appartenant aux marchands ou aux triérarques ; on y saisit les voiles de quarante trirèmes, toute sorte d’agrès et trois galères tirées à sec. La perte de Plemmyrion fut un des coups les plus sensibles pour l’armée athénienne. Dès ce moment, l’arrivage des subsistances ne fut plus assuré ; car les Syracusains établirent en ce lieu une croisière pour arrêter les convois, dont l’entrée ne s’effectua plus sans combat. Aussi toute l’armée fut-elle plongée dans la consternation et le découragement.

[1] The Syracusans had fared thus in the sea-fight, but they held possession of the forts on Plemmyrium and set up three trophies for these. One of the two forts last taken they demolished, but the other two they repaired and garrisoned.

[2] In the capture of the forts many men were killed or made prisoners, and much property in all was taken; for since the Athenians used the forts as a warehouse, there were in them many wares belonging to merchants as well as food, and also much property belonging to the trierarchs ¹ —in fact the sails and other tackle of forty triremes were taken there, as well as three triremes that had been drawn up on shore.

[3] But the greatest and most serious blow suffered by the Athenian army was the taking of Plemmyrium; for the work of bringing in provisions through the entrance to the harbour could no longer be carried on with safety (since the Syracusans lying in wait there with ships hindered this, and from now on the convoys could only make their entrance by fighting), and in general this event brought consternation and discouragement to the army.

[1] But although the Syracusans had thus fared with regard to the sea-fight, they were still in possession of the three forts on Plemyrium, and erected three trophies for them. One of the two forts last taken they razed, but the other two they repaired, and held with garrisons.

[2] In the capture of the forts many men were killed, and many made prisoners, and a large amount of property in all was taken: for inasmuch as the Athenians used them as a magazine, there was in them much property and corn belonging to merchants, and much also belonging to trierarchs, since there were taken in them, besides other things, masts for forty triremes, with the rest of their equipments, and also three triremes which had been drawn up on shore.

[3] Indeed, what most and principally ruined the army of the Athenians was the taking of Plemyrium; since even the entrance into the harbour was no longer secure for carrying in provisions; (for the Syracusans, blockading them at that point with their vessels, prevented it, and their getting them in was now always effected by battle;) and in other respects it struck consternation and dismay into their forces.

[1] Atque Syracusani in navali quidem proelio ita reni gesserant, munitiones autem in Plemyrio sitas obtinebant, et tria de iis tropaea statuerunt. Atque alteram quidem c duabus munitionibus posterius, captis diruerunt, duas veru refecerunt, et imposito praesidio tuebantur.

[2] Homines autem in hac istarum munitionum expugnatione mulli perierunt vivique capti sunt, praeterea et res universae, quae multae erant, captae sunt; quum enim Athenienses his munitionibus ut aerario uterentur, multae quidem negotiatorum res et frumentum inerat, multae etiam trierarcharum, siquidem et quadraginta triremium vela, et cetera instrumenta illic deprehensa sunt, et tres triremes subducta1.

[3] Maxime autem et vel praecipue haec Plemyrii expugnatio Atheniensium copias afflixit; jam enim nec commeatus in castra tuto amplius importari poterant (nam Syracusani, qui cum suis navibus illic stationem habebant, prohibebant, jamqne importabantur tantum praelio commisso), et celeris etiam in rebus illa clades terrorem animique demissionem exercitui attulit.

Tale fu pei Siracusani l’esito di questa battaglia navale; ma erano padroni dei muri di Plemmirio, e vi ersero tre trofei. Demolirono uno di quei muri ultimamente espugnati, racconciarono gli altri due e vi misero presidio. Molti furono i morti e molti i prigioni nell’espugnare quelle fortificazioni, e fu tutto preso il denaro dir vi era in abbondanza. Imperciocché siccome gli Ateniesi servivansi di esse per magazzino, così vi era gran quautità di frumento e ricchezze apparteuenti ai mercatanti, e molte cose dei trierarchi, essendovi state lasciate le vele per quaranta triremi ed altri attrazzi, con più tre triremi tirate a secco. La presa di Plem mirio afflisse allora principalmente l’esercito ateniese, avvegnaché l’accesso alle navi per introdurre i viveri non era più sicuro, perchè i Siracusani stando ivi sull’ancora lo impedivano, e le introduzioni non seguivano ornai senza battaglia ; ed anche nel restante causò la costernazione e lo sbigottimento nel campo.