Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.72

[1] After this cruel battle, and many galleys and men on either side consumed, the Syracusians and their confederates, having the victory, took up the wreck and the bodies of their dead, and returning into the city, erected a trophy.

[2] But the Athenians, in respect of the greatness of their present loss, never thought upon asking leave to take up their dead or wreck, but fell immediately to consultation how to be gone the same night.

[3] And Demosthenes, coming unto Nicias, delivered his opinion for going once again aboard and forcing the passage, if it were possible, betimes the next morning, saying that their galleys which were yet remaining and serviceable were more than those of the enemy; for the Athenians had yet left them about sixty, and the Syracusians under fifty.

[4] But when Nicias approved the advice and would have manned out the galleys, the mariners refused to go aboard, as being not only dejected with their defeat, but also without opinion of ever having the upperhand any more. Whereupon they now resolved all to make their retreat by land.

[1] The sea-fight having been a severe one, and many ships and lives having been lost on both sides, the victorious Syracusans and their allies now picked up their wrecks and dead, and sailed off to the city and set up a trophy.

[2] The Athenians, overwhelmed by their misfortune, never even thought of asking leave to take up their dead or wrecks, but wished to retreat that very night.

[3] Demosthenes, however, went to Nicias and gave it as his opinion that they should man the ships they had left and make another effort to force their passage out next morning; saying that they had still left more ships fit for service than the enemy, the Athenians having about sixty remaining as against less than fifty of their opponents.

[4] Nicias was quite of his mind; but when they wished to man the vessels, the sailors refused to go on board, being so utterly overcome by their defeat as no longer to believe in the possibility of success.

Nach diesem gewaltigen'Seekampfe, in welchem beide
Theile viele Schiffe^) und Menschen verloren hatten, sammelten die
siegreichen.Syrakusaner und ihre Bundesgenossen die Schiffstrümmer
..und die Todten und segelten dann nach der Stadt und errichteten ein
Siegeszeichen; die Athener aber dachten wegen der Größe der
augenblicklichen Gefahr nicht einmal daran, um die Auslieferung ihrer
Todten oder Schiffstrümmer zu bitten, sondern faßten den Beschluß,
sogleich in" der folgenden Nacht abzuziehen. Demosthenes seinerseits
kam zu Nikias und meinte/ise sollten die noch übrigen Schiffe
bemannen und wo möglich mit Tagesanbruch die Durchfahrt erzwingen,
denn', sagte er, sie selbst hätten mchr'seetüchtige Schiffe übrig
behalten, als die Feinde. Es waren nämlich den Athenern deren gegen
sechzig /übrig geblieben, den Gegnern'aber nicht einmal fünfzig.
Nikias nun trat seiner Meinung bei; als sie aber die Schiffe
bemannen wollten, so weigerten sich die Männschaften, sie zu besteigen; so
entnmthi'gt waren sie durch die Niederlage und so sehr verzweifelten
sie, je wieder einen Sieg zu gewinnen. Demnach also vereinigte sich
Aller Meinung dahin, daß man. zu Lande abziehen wolle. ¹

LXXII. Le combat avait été acharné, et beaucoup de vaisseaux, beaucoup d’hommes avaient péri de part et d’autre. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés, après la victoire, recueillirent les débris des navires et leurs morts, retournèrent à la ville et dressèrent un trophée. Les Athéniens, succombant sous l’excès de leurs maux, ne songèrent pas même à réclamer leurs morts et les débris de leurs vaisseaux; ils méditaient de partir sans retard la nuit même. Démosthènes, s’étant rendu auprès de Nicias, ouvrit l’avis d’équiper de nouveau ce qui restait de vaisseaux et de forcer le passage, s’il était possible, au point du jour. Il ajouta qu’ils avaient encore plus de vaisseaux propres au serviee que les ennemis; et, en effet, il en restait aux Athéniens environ soixante, et à leurs adversaires moins de cinquante. Nicias se rangea à cet avis; mais lorsqu’il fut question de s’embarquer, les marins s’y refusèrent : frappés de leur défaite, ils désespéraientde vaincre désormais et n’avaient tous qu’une même pensée, celle d’opérer leur retraite par terre.

Après ce grand combat naval, où une foule d’hommes et de vaisseaux avaient péri de part et d’autre, les Syracusains et leurs alliés victorieux recueillirent les débris et les morts, rentrèrent dans la ville et dressèrent un trophée. Les Athéniens, dans l’excès de leurs maux, ne songeaient pas même à réclamer leurs morts ou les débris de leurs navires ; leur unique pensée était de partir immédiatement, cette nuit même. Démosthène alla trouver Nicias, et lui proposa d’équiper à nouveau ce qui restait de la flotte, pour essayer de forcer le passage au lever de l’aurore. Il soutint qu'on avait encore plus de vaisseaux en état de tenir la mer que les ennemis; ce qui était vrai,puisqu'il en restait aux Athéniens une soixantaine, et moins de cinquante aux Syracusains. Nicias donna les mains h ce projet; mais, quand on parla de s’embarquer, les matelots, encore consternés de leur défaite et désespérant de reprendre l’avantage, s’y refusèrent obstinément. Dès lors il ne fut plus question que de se retirer par terre.

[1] The battle having been thus stubbornly fought and many men and ships lost on both sides, the Syracusans and their allies were victorious and gathered up their wrecks and their dead and after that sailed home and set up a trophy.

[2] The Athenians, however, were so affected by the magnitude of their present ills that they did not even give a thought to wrecks or dead, or ask leave to take them up, but were planning an immediate retreat during the night.

[3] But Demosthenes went to Nicias and proposed that they should man once more what remained of their fleet and force their way out, if they could, at daybreak, saying that a larger number of seaworthy ships still were left to them than to the enemy; for there yet remained to the Athenians about sixty, but to their opponents less than fifty. Nicias agreed to this proposal, and the generals desired to man the ships at once;

[4] but the sailors refused to embark, because they were utterly dejected by their defeat and felt that it was no longer possible for them to win. So they were now unanimously of the opinion that they must make their retreat by land.

[1] After the battle had been thus obstinately disputed, and many ships and men destroyed on both sides, the Syracusans and allies, having gained the victory, took up their wrecks and dead, and then sailed away to the city, and erected a trophy.

[2] The Athenians, from the extent of their present misery, did not so much as think about their dead or their wrecks, or of asking permission to take them up, but wished to retreat immediately during the night.

[3] Demosthenes, however, went to Nicias, and expressed it as his opinion, that they should still man their remaining ships, and force their passage; out, if they could, in the morning; alleging that they still had left more ships fit for service than the enemy; for the Athenians had about sixty remaining, while their adversaries had less than fifty.

[4] But when Nicias agreed with this opinion, and they wished to man them, the seamen would not embark, through being dismayed at their defeat, and thinking that they could not now gain a victory. And so they all now made up their minds to retreat by land.

[1] Itaque quum acris pugna fuisset et multae naves utrisque multique mortales perissent, Syracusani sociique victoriam adepti navium fractarum reliquiae et cesorum corpora sustulerunt, et ad urbem reversi tropaeum statuerunt;

[2] Athenienses vero prae magnitudine praesentium malorum, de suorum cadaveribus quidem naviumque fragmentis ne cogitabant quidem ad ea suscipienda fidem publicam petere, sed volebant de nocte protinus abire.

[3] Demosthenes autem ad Niciam accessit et sententiam proponebat, ut instructis iterum reliquis navibus per vim si possent, sub auroram eruptionem temptarent, docens plures adhuc naves ad navigationem idoneas sibi superesse.qiiam hostibus; Atheniensibus enim naves circiter sexaginta supererant, hostibus vero pauciores quam quinquaginta.

[4] Et quum Nicias ei assentiretur, et naves implere vellent, nautae illas conscendere nolebant, quod adverso praelio perterriti essent, nec amplius se superiores fore sperarent.

Atque tii quidem universi jam itinere terrestri se recipere in animo habebant;

Dopo sì feroce battaglia, ove da tutte e due le parti molte navi e persone erano perite, i Siracusani e gli alleati vincitori ripresero i rottami ed i cadaveri, e tornati in città alzarono il trofeo. Gli Ateniesi, per la grandezza delle presenti calamità , non pensarono neppure a domandare la restituzione dei rottami e dei morti, e deliberavano di ritirarsi subito nella notte. Ma Demostene andato a trovar Nicia proponeva che si armassero quante navi ancora restavano, e sul far dell’aurora si tentasse a forza d’uscire del porto ; e diceva che tuttora rimanevano ad essi più navi servibili che non ai nemici, poiché agli Ateniesi ne erano avanzate da sessanta , ed ai Siracusani meno di cinquanta. E quantunque Nicia fosse in ciò d’accordo con lui, e volessero entrambi armare le navi, i marinari ricusarono di salirvi, sì per la costernazione di quella rotta, sì per l’opinione di non poter più aver vittoria. Onde tutti ornai applicavano l’animo a far la ritirata per terra.