Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.53

[1] Gylippus, when he saw the navy of the enemy vanquished and carried past the piles and their own harbour, came with a part of his army to the pier to kill such as landed and to cause that the Syracusians might the easier pull the enemy's galleys from the shore, whereof themselves were masters.

[2] But the Tuscans, who kept guard in that part for the Athenians, seeing them coming that way in disorder, made head, and charging these first, forced them into the marsh called Lysimeleia.

[3] But when afterwards a greater number of the Syracusians and their confederates came to help them, then also the Athenians, to help the Tuscans and for fear to lose their galleys, fought with them; and having overcome them, pursued them, and not only slew many of their men of arms, but also saved the most of their galleys and brought them back into the harbour. Nevertheless the Syracusians took eighteen and slew the men taken in them.

[4] And amongst the rest they let drive before the wind (which blew right upon the Athenians) an old ship full of faggots and brands set on fire to burn them. The Athenians on the other side, fearing the loss of their navy, devised remedies for the fire, and having quenched the flame and kept the ship from coming near, escaped that danger.

[1] Gylippus seeing the enemy's fleet defeated and carried ashore beyond their stockades and camp, ran down to the breakwater with some of his troops, in order to cut off the men as they landed and make it easier for the Syracusans to tow off the vessels by the shore being friendly ground.

[2] The Tyrrhenians who guarded this point for the Athenians seeing them come on in disorder, advanced out against them and attacked and routed their van, hurling it into the marsh of Lysimeleia.

[3] Afterwards the Syracusan and allied troops arrived in greater numbers, and the Athenians fearing for their ships came up also to the rescue and engaged them, and defeated and pursued them to some distance and killed a few of their heavy infantry. They succeeded in rescuing most of their ships and brought them down by their camp; eighteen however were taken by the Syracusans and their allies, and all the men killed.

[4] The rest the enemy tried to burn by means of an old merchantman which they filled with faggots and pine-wood, set on fire and let drift down the wind which blew full on the Athenians. The Athenians, however, alarmed for their ships, contrived means for stopping it and putting it out, and checking the flames and the nearer approach of the merchantman, thus escaped the danger.

Gylippos aber, da er die Schiffe der Feinde besiegt und
außerhalb ihres Pfahlwerks und Standlagers umhertreiben sah,
wollte die an's Land Steigenden in die Pfanne hauen und den
Shrakusanern das Wegziehen der Schiffe vom User, wenn sie dieß durch
Freunde'besetzt sähen, erleichtern? und eilte mit einem Theile seines
Heeres gegen den Uferrand. Die Tyrfener aber, die'athenischer Seits
hier die Wache hielten, als sie jene ohne Ordnung herankommen
sahen, eilten ihnen rasch entgegen, stießen mit den'Vordersten
zusammen/ schlügen ise'und trieben sie in den See, der Lysimeleia heißt: ¹
Als aber dann von Seiten der Syrakusaner und ihrer
Bundesgenossen mehr Truppen erschienen, so rückten auch die Athener, um ihre
Schiffe besorgt, eilends gegen jene heran, nahmen den Kampf mit
ihnen aus, schlugen und verfolgten sie. Dabei tödteten sie ihnen auch
etliche Schwerbewaffnete. Von ihren Schiffen hatten sie zwar den
größeren,Theil gerettet und nach dem Standlager zurückgebracht,
aber die Syrakusaner und ihre Bundesgenossen hatten.ihnen doch
achtzehn abgenommen und, die ganze Bemannung derselben getödtet.
Um die übrigen athenischen Schiffe in Brand zu steckens füllten sie
ein altes Lastschiff mit Reifig und Kienholz, warfen Feuer hinein und
ließen eS treiben, denn der Wind war dazu günstig und wehte gegen
die Athener hin. Diese nun geriethen in große Furcht, trafen aber
Löschanstalten und entgingen der Gefahr, indem sie das brennende
Schiff löschten und seine Annäherung verhinderten. ?

LIII. Gylippe voit la flotte ennemie vaincue et rejetée on dehorsdes pilotis et du camp des Athéniens ¹ ; ^{2 3 4 5} voulant exterminer ceux qui en descendent et faciliter aux Syracusains la remorque des vaisseaux sur un rivage dont ils seraient maîtres, il se porte sur la jetée ⁶ suivi d’un détachement. Les Tyrséniens, qui gardaient cette position pour les Athéniens, voyant l’ennemi s’avancer en désordre, se portent à sa rencontre, tombent sur l’avant-garde, la mettent en fuite et la rejettent dans le marais nommé Lysimélia. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés arrivent alors en forces; mais les Athéniens, craignant pour leurs vaisseaux, se portent au secours de leurs alliés, sont vainqueurs, poursuivent l’ennemi et lui tuent quelques hoplites. La plus grande partie de la flotte fut sauvée par là et put être recueillie en avant du camp, sauf dix-huit vaisseaux que les Syracusains avaient pris et dont ils tuèrent tous les équipages. Dans le dessein d’incendier les autres, ils remplirent de sarments et de torches un vieux bâtiment de charge, et, profitant du vent qui portait sur les Athéniens, ils y mirent le feu et le laissèrent aller en dérive. Les Athéniens, effrayés pour leur flotte, mirent tout en oeuvre pour arrêter l’incendie; ils parvinrent à étouffer la flamme, enpêchèrent le bâtiment d’approcher et échappèrent au danger.

Gylippe, voyant les vaisseaux ennemis vaincus et jetés hors de l’estacade et de leur camp, voulut faire main basse sur les hommes qui débarquaient, et faciliter aux Syracusains la remorque des vaisseaux en occupant le rivage. Il s’avança donc le long de la grève avec une partie de ses troupes; mais les Tyrrhéniens, qui étaient de garde en cet endroit, voyant ce corps s’approcher en désordre, sortent à sa rencontre, fondent sur les premiers, les arrêtent court, et les jettent dans le marais nommé Lysimélia. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés s’avancent alors en force; les Athéniens, inquiets pour leurs vaisseaux, accourent, sont vainqueurs, et poursuivent l’ennemi en lui tuant quelques hoplites. Ils sauvèrent ainsi la plupart de leurs vaisseaux, et les réunirent près du camp. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés leur en prirent dix-huit, dont ils massacrèrent les équipages. Dans le dessein d’anéantir ce qui restait de la flotte, ils remplirent un vieux vaisseau de sarments et de matières inflammables ; puis, profitant du vent qui portait sur les Athéniens, ils mirent le feu à ce brûlot, et le laissèrent aller en dérive. Les Athéniens, effrayés pour leur flotte, mirent tout en œuvre pour écarter le navire incendiaire. Ils y réussirent, et en furent quittes pour la peur.

[1] Now Gylippus, when he saw the ships of the enemy being defeated and driven ashore at a point beyond the stockades and their own camp, wishing to destroy the men as they landed, and also that the Syracusans might more easily tow the ships away from a shore that would be friendly to them, came down to the causeway ¹ with part of his army to assist them.

[2] The Tyrrhenians, however, who were guarding the causeway for the Athenians, saw these troops rushing to the attack in disorder and went out against them, and falling upon the first comers put them to flight and drove them into the marsh called Lysimeleia.

[3] But afterwards, when a larger force of the Syracusans and their allies had now arrived, the Athenian troops also went out against them and, fearing for their ships, engaged in battle with the enemy, whom they defeated and pursued, killing a few hoplites; and as for the ships, they saved most of them and assembled them at their camp, but eighteen were captured by the Syracusans and their allies and their crews slain to a man.

[4] Against the ships also that remained the Syracusans, wishing to set them afire, turned loose an old merchant-ship which they had filled with faggots and pine-wood, after casting fire into it, the wind being in the direction of the Athenians. And the Athenians, alarmed for their ships, devised in their turn means for hindering and quenching the flames, and having stopped the fire and prevented the ship from coming near, escaped the danger.

[1] When Gylippus saw the enemy's ships defeated, and carried beyond the stockades and their own station, wishing to cut off the men that were landing from them, and that the Syracusans might more easily tow off the vessels, through the land being in possession of their friends, he ran down to meet them at the break-water with some part of his army.

[2] The Tyrrhenians (for it was they who were keeping guard at this point) seeing them coming on in disorder, advanced towards them, and fell upon and routed their van, and drove them into what was called the marsh of Lysimelea.

[3] Afterwards, when the force of the Syracusans and their allies had now come up in greater numbers, the Athenians also advanced against them, being afraid for their ships, and entered into action with them, and defeated and pursued them to some distance, killing a few heavy-armed. They saved also the greater part of their own ships, and brought them together alongside their station; eighteen of them, however, the Syracusans and their allies captured, and put all the men to the sword.

[4] Wishing also to burn the rest of them, they filled an old merchantman with faggots and pine-wood, and having thrown fire into it, and the wind blowing right on the Athenians, they let the vessel drift towards them. The Athenians, alarmed for their ships, contrived, on the other hand, means for checking and extinguishing it; and having stopped the flames and the near approach of the merchantman, they thus escaped the danger.

[1] Gylippus vero, cernens hostium classem jam superari , et extra vallum et castra sua deferri, cupiens eos profligare, qui in terram egrederentur, et efficere ut Syracusani naves facilius retraherent, quod ab amicis terra teneretur, ad portus crepidinem cum quadam copiarum parte accurrit.

[2] Atque Hetrusci (hi enim Atheniensibus illic excubabant) quum eos incomposite adventantes animadverterent, in eet eruptionem fecerunt, et impressione in primos facta, eos in fugam conjecerunt, et in paludem nomine Lysimeleam deturbarunt.

[3] Postea vero quum major jam Syracusanorum sociorumque manus advenisset, ipsi quoque Athenien· ses subsidio venerunt, suis navibus timentes, et cum fc proelium commiserunt, viclosque persecuti sunt, et gravis armaturae milites non multos interfecerunt, et navium majorem quidem partem conservarunt et in castra reduxerunt , sed earum duodeviginti Syracusani sociique ceperunt. oronesque viros interfecerunt.

[4] Et in ceteras, quas con- cremare cupiebant, navem onerariam vetustam, quam sarmentis ac taedis onerarant (erat autem ventus in Athenienses secundus) igne iojecto dimiserunt. Atque Athenienses suae classi timentes remedia ad ignem restinguendum idonea excogitarunt, restinctaque flamma, et impedito navis onerariae cursu, ne propius accederet, hoc periculo sunt liberali.

Gilippo al veder vinte le navi de’ nemici, le quali correvano a terra fuori delle palizzate e del suo alloggiamento, accorreva con parte dell’esercito alla costa con animo di trucidar quelli che sbarcassero, e di facilitare ai Siracusani il modo di trarre a sé le navi ateniesi collo spazzar dai nemici quella spiaggia. Ma i Tirreni che ivi erano di guardia per gli Ateniesi vedendo avanzarsi costoro disordinatamente, corrono ad incontrarli, ed avventatisi sui primi gli fugano, e li rispingono verso la palude chiamata Lisimelea. E siccome poi i Siracusani e gli alleati vi tornarono più grossi, così gli Ateniesi accorsero ad opporsi loro; e temendo per le navi, appiccaronsi a battaglia con essi, li vinsero, li perseguitarono, uccisero non molli soldati gravi, salvarono la maggior parte delle navi, e le ridussero all’alloggiamento. Nondimeno diciotto di esse vennero in potere de’Siracusani e degli alleati, che trucidarono quante persone vi erano. Tentarono ancora di bruciare il rimanente della flotta , avendo a quest’oggetto piena di sarmenti e fiaccole una vecchia barca da carico; e poiché il vento soffiava verso gli Ateniesi, la lasciarono andare acciò vi appiccasse il fuoco. Gli Ateniesi impauriti per le proprie navi, trovarono dal canto loro degli argomenti per ispegnere il fuoco, estinsero la fiamma , provvidero che la barca non potesse avvicinarsi di più, e così libera ronsi da quel pericolo.