Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.6

[1] After this, when he saw his opportunity, he brought out the army again. Nicias and the Athenians, who thought it necessary, if not to begin the battle, yet by no means to set light by the wall in hand (for by this time it wanted but little of passing the point of theirs, and proceeding, would give the enemy advantage, both to win if he fought, and not to fight unless he listed), did therefore also set forth to meet the Syracusians.

[2] Gylippus, when he had drawn his men of arms farther without the walls than he had done before, gave the onset. His horsemen and darters he placed upon the flank of the Athenians, in ground enough, to which neither of their walls extended.

[3] And these horsemen, after the fight was begun, charging upon the left wing of the Athenians next them, put them to flight; by which means the rest of the army was by the Syracusians overcome likewise and driven headlong within their fortifications.

[4] The night following, the Syracusians brought up their wall beyond the wall of the Athenians so as they could no longer hinder them, but should be utterly unable, though masters of the field, to enclose the city.

[1] After this he embraced the first opportunity that offered of again leading them against the enemy. Now Nicias and the Athenians were of opinion that even if the Syracusans should not wish to offer battle, it was necessary for them to prevent the building of the cross wall, as it already almost overlapped the extreme point of their own, and if it went any further it would from that moment make no difference whether they fought ever so many successful actions, or never fought at all. They accordingly came out to meet the Syracusans.

[2] Gylippus led out his heavy infantry further from the fortifications than on the former occasion, and so joined battle; posting his horse and darters upon the flank of the Athenians in the open space, where the works of the two walls terminated.

[3] During the engagement the cavalry attacked and routed the left wing of the Athenians, which was opposed to them; and the rest of the Athenian army was in consequence defeated by the Syracusans and driven headlong within their lines.

[4] The night following the Syracusans carried their wall up to the Athenian works and passed them, thus putting it out of their power any longer to stop them, and depriving them, even if victorious in the field, of all chance of investing the city for the future.

Und danach, als die Gelegenheit sich gab, führte er sie
wieder gegen den Feind. Nikias aber und die Athener waren der
Meinung, auch wenn jene nicht den Kampf zuerst beginnen wollten,
so dürften sie doch nicht ruhig zusehen, wie jene ihre Mauer längs
ihrer eigenen immer weiter führten — denn die Syrakusische Mauer
war schon genau bis zum Ende der Athenischen gekommen, — und
wenn sie über ihre eigene hinausgeführt werde, so hätten die
Syrakusaner auch ohne die Waffen anzurühren bereits denselben Vortheil,
als wenn sie in allen Gefechten siegten. Deßhalb gingen sie den
Syrakusiern entgegen. Gylippos aber stellte feine
Schwerbewaffneten mehr außerhalb der Mauer auf, als das erste Mal, und nahm
das Gefecht mit ihnen an, seine Reiter und Schützen aber stellte er
den Athenern in die«Flanke aus offenem Feld, wo der Bau der
beiderseitigen Mauern schon aufhörte. Im Gefecht nun warfen sich die
Reiter auf den linken athenischen Flügel, der ihnen gegenüberstand,
und trieben ihn in die Flucht, und somit wurde denn auch das
übrige Heer von den Syrakusanern geschlagen und in die
Verschanzungen zurückgeworfen. In derselben Nacht aber kamen jene in
Weiterführung ihrer Mauer den Athenern zuvor, so daß sie von jetzt
an nicht mehr von denselben gehindert werden konnten, und diese,
selbst wenn sie siegten, durchaus nicht mehr die Möglichkeit hatten,
jene mit ihrer Mauer zu umfassen.

VI. Ensuite, le moment venu, il les conduisit de nouveau au combat. Nicias et les Athéniens sentaient ¹ bien, de leur côté, que, même sans être provoqués au combat par les Syracusains, il y avait nécessité pour eux de s’opposer à la construction du mur élevé près de leurs travaux, — car déjà le mur des Syracusains atteignait presque l’extrémité de leur retranchement, et s’il le dépassait, il devenait indifférent pour eux de vaincre dans des combats sans cesse renouvelés, ou de ne pas combattre du tout ² . — Ils sortirent donc à la rencontre des Syracusains. Gylippos porta ses hoplites plus en avant des murs que la première fois et en vint aux mains. La cavalerie et les gens de trait étaient rangés sur le flanc des Athéniens dans une plaine ouverte, par delà l’extrémité des fortifications des deux armées. Dans l’action, la cavalerie fondit sur l’aile gauche des Athéniens qui lui était opposée et la mit en déroute; le reste de l’armée, entraîné dans ce mouvement, fut vaincu par les Syracusains et rejeté en désordre dans ses retranchements. La nuit suivante, les Syracusains eurent le temps de prolonger leur muraille jusqu’aux travaux des Athéniens et au delà; de sorte qu’ils n’avaient plus aucun obstacle à craindre de leur part, et leur ôtaient, même vainqueurs, tout moyen de les enfermer désormais.

Ensuite, quand il fut temps, il les mena une seconde fois au combat. Nicias et les Athéniens, lors même qu’on ne les eût pas provoqués, sentaient bien qu’il y avait nécessité pour eux de ne pas permettre l’achèvement de la muraille parallèle, car déjà elle était sur le point de dépasser l’extrémité de leur retranchement, et, une fois au delà, il devenait indifférent pour eux d’entasser victoire sur victoire ou de ne pas combattre du tout. Ils marchèrent donc à la rencontre des Syracusains. Gylippe, avant d’en venir aux mains, conduisit ses hoplites à une plus grande distance des murs que la première fois. Il plaça la cavalerie et les gens de trait sur le flanc des Athéniens, dans l’espace plus ouvert où finissaient les ouvrages des deux armées. Au milieu de l’action, cette cavalerie fondit sur l’aile gauche des Athéniens qui était en face d’elle et la culbuta; sa déroute entraîna celle du reste de l’armée, qui fut rejetée dans les retranchements. La nuit suivante, les Syracusains parvinrent à prolonger leur mur parallèle au delà des lignes ennemies; ils n’avaient donc plus d’obstacle à redouter de la part des Athéniens, tandis que ceux-ci, fussent-ils victorieux, ne pouvaient plus achever l'investissement.

[1] After this, when there was a favourable opportunity, he led them on again. Now Nicias and the Athenians thought that, even if the Syracusans were unwilling to begin fighting, they themselves could not possibly look idly on while the wall was being built past their own—for already the enemy's wall had all but passed the end of the Athenians' wall, and if it once got by, from then on it would be all one to them whether they fought and conquered in every battle or did not fight at all— accordingly they advanced against the Syracusans.

[2] And Gylippus, leading forth his hoplites more outside the walls than before, closed with the enemy, having his cavalry and javelin-men posted on the flank of the Athenians, in the open space where the work on both walls ended.

[3] And in the battle his cavalry attacked the left wing of the Athenians, which was opposed to them, and routed it; and in consequence of this the rest of the army also was beaten by the Syracusans and driven headlong within the fortifications.

[4] And the following night they succeeded in building their wall beyond the works of the Athenians and in getting past, so that they themselves were no longer hampered by them, and had altogether deprived the Athenians, even if they should be victorious, of the possibility of ever investing them.

[1] After this, when a favourable opportunity presented itself; he led them a second time against the enemy. Now Nicias and the Athenians thought, that even if the Syracusane should not wish to commence an engagement, it was necessary for themselves not to permit their wall to be carried past their own: for by this time the enemy's work had all but passed the termination of the Athenian lines; and if it went on any further, it was at once all the same to them, whether they were continually fighting and victorious, or did not fight at all;

[2] and therefore they advanced to meet the Syracusans. Gylippus led his heavy-armed further beyond the fortifications of the two parties than before, and so engaged them, posting his cavalry and dart-men on the flank of the Athenians, in the open space where the works connected with both walls terminated.

[3] During the battle, the cavalry charged the left wing of the Athenians which was opposed to them, and routed it; and in consequence of this the rest of the army also was defeated by the Syracusans, and driven within their lines.

[4] The following night they had time to build up to the Athenian works, and to pass them; so that now they could no longer be stopped by the enemy, while they deprived them, even if victorious, of all chance of investing the city in future.

[1] Atque post haec, quum tempus erat, eos rursus producebat. Nidas vero et Athenienses, existimantes, quamvis illi initium prodii facere nollent, sibi tamen necesse esse, non pati murum prope aedificari (jam enim murus, qui ab illis aedificabatur, propemodum vel ultra extremitatem muri ab Atheniensibus exstructi processerat, et si longius processisset, eliecturus erat, ut plane nihil amplius sua interesset sive pugnantes vincerent, sive omnino non pugnarent), in aciem igitur contra Syracusanos procedebant.

[2] Et Gylippus gravis armaturae militibus extra munitiones longius quam ante productis manus cum iis conserebat;equitatum vero et velites a latere Atheniensium in loco spatioso collocaverat, ubi utrarumque munitionum opera desinebant.

[3] Atque equites in proelio impressione facta in sinistrum Atheniensium cornu, quod iis erat oppositum, id in fugam verterunt; et ob eam rem reliquus etiam exercitus a Syracusanis victus in suas munitiones praeceps est compulsus.

[4] Et insequente noctc murum propter hostilem ocius aedificarunt [et munitionem Atheniensium praetergressi sunt], ita ut jam neque ipsi ab iis amplius impediri possent, et illis vel omnem in posterum sui circumvallandi facultatem, quamvis vincerent, eripuissent.

Dopo di che, venuta l’opportunità, li condusse nuovamente alla battaglia. Nicia poi e gli Ateniesi uscirono incontro ai Siracusani, perchè giudicavano che quand'anche il nemico non volesse essere il primo ad attaccare il combattimento , era per loro necessario il non permettere la continovazione del muro opposto. Conciossiachè il muro dei Siracusani era vicino ad oltrepassare l’estremità di quello degli Ateniesi, e se fosse andato innanzi procurava fin d’allora ai primi questo doppio vantaggio, di vincer sempre combattendo , e d’esser padroni di non combattere. Gilippo adunque condotti i soldati gravi fuori de’muri molto più della prima volta, si azzuffò con gli Ateniesi, sul fianco dei quali avea schierato i cavalli e i lanciatoli in luogo aperto, ove andava a finire la fabbrica de'due muri. Nel calor della pugna i cavalli dettero dentro al corno sinistro ateniese che aveano di contro e lo volsero in fuga ; per lo che anche il resto dell’esercito vinto dai Siracusani dovette ripararsi precipitosamente nelle fortificazioni. E nella seguente notte i Siracusani furono in tempo a continovare il loro muro , ed a condurlo oltre quello edificato dagli Ateniesi, dai quali non potevano esser più impediti ; laddove essi avevano loro tolto affatto il modo di cingerli con muraglia, anche nel caso che riportassero vittoria.