Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.29

[1] The Thracians, therefore, that came too late to go with Demosthenes, they presently sent back, as being unwilling to lay out money in such a scarcity, and gave the charge of carrying them back to Diitrephes, with command as he went along those coasts (for his way was through the Euripus), if occasion served, to do somewhat against the enemy.

[2] He accordingly landed them by Tanagra and hastily fetched in some small booty. Then going over the Euripus from Chalcis in Euboea, he disbarked again in Boeotia and led his soldiers towards Mycalessus,

[3] and lay all night at the temple of Mercury undiscovered, which is distant from Mycalessus about sixteen furlongs. The next day he cometh to the city, being a very great one, and taketh it; for they kept no watch nor expected that any man would have come in and assaulted them so far from the sea. Their walls also were but weak, in some places fallen down, and in others low-built, and their gates open through security.

[4] The Thracians, entering into Mycalessus, spoiled both houses and temples, slew the people without mercy on old or young, but killed all they could light on, both women and children, yea, and the labouring cattle, and whatsoever other living thing they saw. For the nation of the Thracians, where they dare, are extreme bloody, equal to any of the barbarians. Insomuch as there was put in practice at this time, besides other disorder, all forms of slaughter that could be imagined;

[5] they likewise fell upon the schoolhouse, which was in the city a great one, and the children newly entered into it; and killed them every one. And the calamity of the whole city, as it was as great as ever befell any, so also was it more unexpected and more bitter.

[1] Accordingly, not wishing to incur expense in their present want of money, they sent back at once the Thracians who came too late for Demosthenes, under the conduct of Diitrephes, who was instructed, as they were to pass through the Euripus, to make use of them if possible in the voyage along shore to injure the enemy.

[2] Diitrephes first landed them at Tanagra and hastily snatched some booty; he then sailed across the Eurious in the evening from Chalcis in Euboea and disembarking in Boeotia led them against Mycalessus.

[3] The night he passed unobserved near the temple of Hermes, not quite two miles from Mycalessus, and at daybreak assaulted and took the town, which is not a large one; the inhabitants being off their guard and not expecting that any one would ever come up so far from the sea to molest them, the wall too being weak, and in some places having tumbled down, while in others it had not been built to any height, and the gates also being left open through their feeling of security.

[4] The Thracians bursting into Mycalessus sacked the houses and temples, and butchered the inhabitants, sparing neither youth nor age, but killing all they fell in with, one after the other, children and women, and even beasts of burden, and whatever other living creatures they saw; the Thracian race, like the bloodiest of the barbarians, being ever most so when it has nothing to fear.

[5] Everywhere confusion reigned and death in all its shapes; and in particular they attacked a boys' school, the largest that there was in the place, into which the children had just gone, and massacred them all. In short, the disaster falling upon the whole town was unsurpassed in magnitude, and unapproached by any in suddenness and in horror.

Die für den Demotshenes zu spät gekommenen Thraker
also schickten die Athener sogleich wieder zurück, da sie bei dem
drückenden Geldmangel die Kosten für dieselben nicht bestreiten wollten.
Das Kommando über dieselben auf dem Rückweg gaben sie dem
DiitrepheS, dem sie zugleich auftrugen, auf der Fahrt — die durch
den EuripuS ging — womöglich mit diesen Leuten dem Feind
Abbruch zu thun. DiitrepheS nun ließ sie bei Tanagra landen und in
der Eile etwas plündern. Von Chalkis auf Euböa fuhr er dann zur
Abendzeit über den EuripuS, ließ seine Leute aus Böotischem Gebiet
an'S Land steigen und führte sie gegen MykalessoS. Die Nacht über
hielt er sich, ohne bemerkt worden zu sein, beim HermeStempel, der
von Mykalessos gegen sechzehn Stadien entfernt ist; mit
Tagesanbruch aber fiel er über die Stadt her, die nicht groß ist, und nahm
sie ein, da man dort ganz sicher war und Niemand erwartete, daß
jemals Einer einen so weiten Marsch vom Meer aus landeinwärts thun
werde, um sie anzugreifen, wie denn auch die Mauer schwach, an
einzelnen Stellen zerfallen, oder nur sehr niedrig war, und auch die
Thore bei der allgemeinen Sicherheit offen standen. Die Thraker
nun, indem sie in MykalessoS eindrangen, verwüsteten die
Heiligtümer und die Häuser und mordeten die Menschen, nicht das Alter
verschonend und nicht die Jugend, sondern Alles, was ihnen in den Weg
kam, tödteten sie, Kinder und Weiber und gar auch die Zugthiere,
und was sie nur immer Lebendiges sahen. Denn das Volk der Thra- ¹
ter gehört zu den mordlustigsten unter allen Barbaren, wenn sie sich ²
sicher fühlen. Da trat denn die entsetzlichste Verwirrung vor die
Augen und jedes Bild des Verderbens, und so fielen sie auch in eine
Knabenschule ein, die größte im Orte, wo die Knaben eben grade
eingetreten waren, und hieben sie alle nieder. So unerwartet und
entsetzlich war der Schlag, der diese ganze Stadt traf, daß er
vonkeinem ähnlichen übertroffen wurde.

XXIX. Les Thraces, arrivés trop tard pour se joindre à Démosthènes, furent donc renvoyés sur-le-champ, par mesure d’économie, à cause de la pénurie du trésor. On les mit sous la conduite de Diitréphès, et on leur recommanda de faire, sur leur passage, en suivant l’Euripe, tout le mal possible à l’ennemi. Diitréphès descendit avec eux sur le territoire de Tanagre, et y fit à la hâte quelque butin; puis, étant parti le soir de Chalcis en Eubée, il traversa l’Earipe, débarqua en Béotie, et les conduisit contre Mycalessos. Il bivouaqua la nuit, sans que sa présence fût soupçonnée, près du temple de Mercure, à seize stades de Mycalessos. Au point du jour il se jeta sur la ville, qui était grande, et s’en empara; car les habitants, lorsqu’il fondit à l’improviste, n’étaient pas sur leurs gardes, et ne soup- çonnaient pas qu’on pût jamais remonter à une aussi grande distance de la mer pour les attaquer. Les murailles étaient faibles, écroulées même sur quelques points, peu élevées partout; enfin les portes étaient ouvertes, tant la sécurité était grande. Les Thraces se précipitèrent dans Mycalessos, saccagèrent les maisons et les temples, égorgèrent les habitants, sans épargner ni la vieillesse ni l’enfance; ils firent main basse sur tout ce qu’ils rencontrèrent, massacrant les femmes et les enfants, même les bêtes de somme, et tout ce qu’ils virent d’êtres vivants. Car les Thraces sont une race sanguinaire à l’égal des barbares les plus féroces, lorsqu’ils croient n’avoir rien à craindre. Ce fut une affreuse désolation, et une horrible variété de sanglants épisodes : les barbares, entre autres, se jetèrent dans une école d’enfants : elle était considérable et les enfants venaient d’y entrer; tous furent taillés en pièces. Jamais désastre plus inattendu et plus terrible ne fondit sur une ville entière.

Ce fut donc par mesure d’économie et à cause de la gêne du moment, que les Athéniens renvoyèrent les Thraces arrivés après le départ de Démosthène. On chargea Diitréphès de les emmener ; et, comme il devait traverser l’Euripe, il eut ordre de les employer à faire, pendant ce trajet, tout le mal possible à l’ennemi. Diitréphès les fit descendre sur le territoire de Tanagra, et enleva rapidement quelque butin ; puis il partit de Chalcis en Eubée, traversa l’Euripe sur le soir, débarqua les Thraces en Béotie , et les conduisit à Mycalessos. Il passa la nuit près du temple de Mercure, à seize stades de cette ville, sans que son approche eût été signalée ; au point du jour il se précipita dans la place, qui est peu étendue, et s’en empara. Les habitants n’étaient pas sur leurs gardes, et ne s’attendaient guère à être attaqués du côté de la mer, qm est si éloignée ; la muraille était faible, écroulée en certains endroits ou d’une hauteur insuffisante ; enfin les portes étaient ouvertes comme en temps de paix. Entrés dans Mycalessos, les Thraces saccagèrent les maisons et les temples, firent main basse sur toute la population, n’épargnant ni la vieillesse ni l’enfance, et passant au fil de l’épée femmes, enfants, bêtes de somme, en un mot tous les êtres vivants qu’ils rencontraient Il n’y a pas de peuple barbare plus sanguinaire que les Thraces, tant qu’ils sont dans l’ivresse du carnage. La désolation fut immense, et la mort parut sous mille formes. Il y avait à Mycalessos une école très-nombreuse, où les enfants venaient d’entrer : les Thraces y firent irruption, et les égorgèrent tous. Jamais désastre plus imprévu ni plus complet ne frappa une ville entière.

[1] As for the Thracians, ¹ then, who had come too late for Demosthenes, the Athenians immediately sent them back, being unwilling on account of the present shortage of money to incur expense; and they commissioned Dieitrephes to conduct them, giving him instructions to use them, as he sailed along the coast (for they would go by way of the Euripus), in doing whatever damage he could to the enemy.

[2] So he disembarked them in the territory of Tanagra and made a hasty raid; then he sailed immediately after nightfall from Chalcis in Euboea across the Euripus and landing the Thracians in Boeotian territory led them against Mycalessus.

[3] During the night he bivouacked unobserved near the sanctuary of Hermes, about sixteen stadia distant from Mycalessus, but at daybreak assaulted the town, which was not large, and took it; for he fell upon the people off their guard and not expecting that anybody would ever march so far inland from the sea and attack them; furthermore, their wall was weak, and at some points had even fallen down, while elsewhere it had been built low, and at the same time the gates were open because of their feeling of security.

[4] So the Thracians burst into Mycalessus and fell to plundering the houses and the temples and butchering the people, sparing neither old nor young, but killing all whom they met just as they came, even children and women, aye, pack-animals also and whatever other living things they saw. For the Thracian race, like the worst barbarians, is most bloodthirsty whenever it has nothing to fear. And so on this occasion:

[5] in addition to the general confusion, which was great, every form of destruction ensued, and in particular they fell upon a boys' school, the largest in the town, which the children had just entered, and cut down all of them. And this was a calamity inferior to none that had ever fallen upon a whole city, and beyond any other unexpected and terrible.

[1] These Thracians, then, who came too late for Demosthenes, as they did not, in consequence of their present want of money, wish to incur expense, they immediately sent back, having commissioned Diitrephes to convey them, and instructed him at the same time to inflict by their means whatever harm he could on the enemy during the voyage along shore, (for they were to pass through the Euripus.)

[2] Accordingly he landed them at Tanagra, and carried off some plunder in a hurried manner; and then in the evening sailed across the Euripus from Chalcis in Euboea, and landing them in Boeotia, led them against Mycalessus.

[3] During the night he bivouacked unobserved near the temple of Mercury, distant from Mycalessus about sixteen stades, and at day-break assaulted the town, which was not a large one, and took it; having fallen on the inhabitants whilst off their guard, and not expecting that any one would ever march up the country so far from the sea to attack them; their wall, too, being weak, and in some parts even fallen down, while in other parts it was built but low; and the gates, moreover, being open through their feeling of security.

[4] The Thracians, then, having burst into Mycalessus, plundered both private houses and temples, and butchered the inhabitants, sparing neither old age nor youth, but killing one after another all they met with, both children and women, nay, further, even cattle and beasts of burden, and whatever other living things they saw. For the Thracian race, like the most blood-thirsty of the barbarians, is most so when secure from resistance. And thus on that occasion there was no little confusion in other respects, and every form of butchery was exhibited.

[5] And, in particular, they attacked a boys' school, the largest there was in the place, (which the children had just entered,) and cut them all to pieces. And this disaster, which fell on the whole town, was inferior to none in extent, while it was more unexpected and shocking than any other.

[1] Thraces igitur, qui ad Demosthenem non salia mature venerant, propter pnesentem inopiam pecuniae, quum sumptus facere nollent, statim dimittebant, eosque ! deducendi negotium Diitrepbi dederunt, eique praeceperunt, ot simul in ipsa praetervectione (nam per Euripum transibant) boatibus etiam, si qua ratione possent, illorum opera usus noceret.

[2] Hic autem eos et ad Tanagram exposuit et praedae nonnihil raptim egit, et ex Chalcide Euboeae sub vesperam trajecit Euripum, et eos in Boeotiam expositos adversus Mycalessum ducebat.

[3] Et illam quidem noctem ad Mercurii fimum clam subsidcns transegit i distat id autem a Mycalesso sexdecim circiter stadia), prima autem luce* urbem non amplam invadebat, et eam capit, quum et nudatos custodum praesidio homines invasisset, et non exspectantes, ullos unquam tanto itinere a mari in loca mediterranea facto sibi bellum illaturos, quum etiam murus infirmus esset, et partim quoque collapsus, partim vero humiliter aedificatus, et simul etiam portae propter securitatem essent apertae.

[4] Thraces igitur in hanc orbem irruentes, et privatas et sacras aedes diripiebant, et homines interficiebant, nec senili nec juvenili aetati parcentes, sed omnes deinceps, ut in quemque incidebant, et pueros et feminas interficientes, et praeterea etiam jumenta, et quascumque alias animantes vidissent; nam Thracum gens, plane ut qui maxime ex genere barbarico, quum fiduciam animo concepit, caedis est avidissima.

[5] Et tunc quum alia perturbatio non exigua exstitit et omne caedis genus, tum etiam irruentes in puerorum ludum, qui maximus illic erat, et pueri in eum modo erant ingressi, omnes conciderunt ; atque ista clades universae civitati omni alia gravior et magis quam ulla alia praeter opinionem accidit et atrox.

Gli Ateniesi adunque non volendo fare spese in quella penuria di denaro, rimandarono subitamente i Trari giunti troppo tardi per Demostene, e ordinarono a D»itrefe di ricondurli, al quale dissero che siccome doveano attraversare l’Euripo, così nel trascorrer le coste de’ nomici vi facesse fare il maggior guasto possibile. E Diitrefe fece loro pigliar terra a Tanagra ove prestamente accolse del bottino, e sulla sera da Calcide dell’ Eubea tragittò l’Euripo, sbarcò i Traci nella Beozia, e li condusse contro Micalesso , e pernottò inosservato presso il tempio di Mercurio distante da Micalesso circa sedici stadii. Spuntava appena il giorno quando venuto sopra la città che era grande la espugna, perocché i cittadini non erano preparati a quell’assalto, e non si aspettavano che veruno a tanta distanza dal mare volesse venire ad attaccarli ; e le mura eran deboli ed in qualche punto rovinate, e basse in qualche altro ; e le porte stavano aperte perchè di nulla si temeva. I Traci adunque precipitatisi in Micalesso, saccheggiavano le case ed i templi , facevano strage delle persone, non risparmiando nè la più vecchia nè la più giovine età , e chiunque di mano in mano incontravano tutti uccidevano , fanciulli e donne, e persino i giumenti ed ogni altro animale che scorgessero ; conciossiachè la razza de’ Traci (come sogliono fare tutte le genti più barbare) quando 4ia preso ardire è micidialissima. Laonde fuvvi allora ogni sorta di grave scompiglio, ed ogni maniera di morte ; perchè gettatisi dentro una scuola che ivi era vastissima , e dove erano entrati di poco i fanciulli, tutti li fecero in pezzi ; talché l’intera città fu assalita da imprevista e terribile sciagura non minore di qualunqu’ahra.