Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.84

[1] And Nicias, when it was day, led his army forward, the Syracusians and their confederates still pressing them in the same manner, shooting and darting at them from every side.

[2] The Athenians hasted to get the river Asinarus, not only because they were urged on every side by the assault of the many horsemen and other multitude and thought to be more at ease when they were over the river, but out of weariness also and desire to drink.

[3] When they were come unto the river, they rushed in without any order, every man striving who should first get over. But the pressing of the enemy made the passage now more difficult. For being forced to take the river in heaps, they fell upon and trampled one another under their feet; and falling amongst the spears and utensils of the army, some perished presently; and others, catching hold one of another, were carried away together down the stream.

[4] And [not only] the Syracusians standing along the farther bank, being a steep one, killed the Athenians with their shot from above as they were many of them greedily drinking and troubling one another in the hollow of the river;

[5] but the Peloponnesians came also down and slew them with their swords, and those especially that were in the river. And suddenly the water was corrupted; nevertheless they drunk it, foul as it was with blood and mire; and many also fought for it.

[1] As soon as it was day Nicias put his army in motion, pressed, as before, by the Syracusans and their allies, pelted from every side by their missiles, and struck down by their javelins.

[2] The Athenians pushed on for the Assinarus, impelled by the attacks made upon them from every side by a numerous cavalry and the swarm of other arms, fancying that they should breathe more freely if once across the river, and driven on also by their exhaustion and craving for water.

[3] Once there they rushed in, and all order was at an end, each man wanting to cross first, and the attacks of the enemy making it difficult to cross at all; forced to huddle together, they fell against and trod down one another, some dying immediately upon the javelins, others getting entangled together and stumbling over the articles of baggage, without being able to rise again.

[4] Meanwhile the opposite bank, which was steep, was lined by the Syracusans, who showered missiles down upon the Athenians, most of them drinking greedily and heaped together in disorder in the hollow bed of the river.

[5] The Peloponnesians also came down and butchered them, especially those in the water, which was thus immediately spoiled, but which they went on drinking just the same, mud and all, bloody as it was, most even fighting to have it.

Als es Tag geworden war, führte Nikias sein Heer
weiter; die Syrakusaner und ihre Bundesgenossen aber setzten ihnen auf
dieselbe Weise zu, indem sie von allen Seiten schossen und Wurfspeere
schleuderten. Die Athener eilten nach dem Flusse Assinaros, theils
durch die von allen Seiten angreifende zahlreiche Reiterei und den
übrigen Hausen nach diesem Flusse gedrängt, nach dessen
Überschreitung sie überdieß Erleichterung hofften, zum Theil aber auch aus
Erschöpfung und Begierde zu trinken. Als sie am Fluß angekommen
waren, stürzten sie sich ohne alle Ordnung hinein; Jeder wollte nur
zuerst hinnberkommen, und die nachdrängenden Feinde erschwerten
bereits den Uebergang. Denn da die Athener in einem Haufen dicht
bei einander zu marshciren genöthigt waren, so stürzte Einer über den ¹
Andern, und man trat sich gegenseitig nieder. Viele stürzten in die
Lanzen und blieben sogleich todt, Andere verwickelten sich in das
Gepäck und wurden vom Strom mit fortgerissen. Die herangekommenen
Syrakusaner aber schossen vom andern Ufer des Flusses aus die
Athener herab, — denn das Ufer war steil, — während die Meisten
derselben mit Gier tranken und in der tieseingeshcnittenen Bettung des
Flusses wie in einen Knäuel verwickelt waren; die Peloponnesier aber
stiegen ihnen nach in den Fluß hinab und tödteten vorzüglich die noch
in demselben Befindlichen, so daß das Wasser schnell verunreinigt
war. Trotzdem aber wurde es, mit Schlamm und Blut vermischt,
wie es war, getrunken, und die Masse raufte sich noch darum.

LXXXIV. Le jour venu, Nicias remit l’armée en marche. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés continuaient à les harceler dans tous les sens, à tirer sur eux, et à les accabler de traits. Les Athéniens s’efforçaient de gagner le fleuve Assinaros; refoulés de toutes parts par les charges d’une nombreuse cavalerie et par une nuée d’ennemis, ils espéraient respirer un peu derrière le fleuve, s’ils parvenaient à le franchir; l’épuisement et la soif les y poussaient également. Arrivés sur les bords, ils s’y précipitent sans ordre; chacun veut passer le premier. L’ennemi qui les presse ajoute aux difficultés du passage. Obligés de se serrer en avançant, ils se précipitent les uns sur les autres, se foulent aux pieds; ceux-ci tombent sur les pointes des lances, au milieu des bagages, et périssent avant de toucher le bord; ceux-là s’embarrassent et tombent dans le courant. Les Syracusains, postés sur l’autre rive, escarpée en cet endroit, tirent d’en haut sur les Athéniens occupés la plupart à boire avidemeht, et confondus en désordre dans le lit encaissé du fleuve. Les Péloponnésiens descendent à leur suite et s’attachent surtout à égorger ceux qui sont dans le fleuve. L’eau, souillée dès le premier instant, roule bourbeuse et sanglante; on la boit néanmoins, le plus souvent on se la dispute les armes à la main.

A l'aube du jour, Nicias remit l’armée en marche. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés ne cessèrent de les harceler en tirant sur eux de toutes parts et en les criblant de javelots. Les Athéniens se hâtaient de gagner le fleuve Assinaros; ils espéraient, une fois au delà, être moins exposés aux attaques des cavaliers et des troupes légères, comme aussi échapper aux tourments de la faim et de la soif. Arrivés sur le bord de ce fleuve, iis s’y précipitèrent pêle-mêle, chacun voulant traverser le premier. Les ennemis, qui les poursuivaient de près, ajoutèrent bientôt à la difficulté du passage. Les Athéniens, forcés de marcher en colonne serrée, se jetaient les uns sur les autres et se foulaient aux pieds. Enchevêtrés au milieu des lances et des bagages, les uns succombaient sur-le-champ, les autres étaient entraînés par les flots. Les Syracusains, postés sur l’escarpement de la rive opposée, dirigeaient des coups plongeants sur les Athéniens, occupés pour la plupart à étancher leur soif et entassés confusément dans le lit encaissé de la rivière. A la fin, les Pélopo-nésiens y descendirent, et massacrèrent tout ce qui s'y trouvait. Bientôt l’eau fut troublée ; cependant on la buvait encore, toute bourbeuse et ensanglantée qu’elle était ; on se la disputait même les armes à la main.

[1] When day came ¹ Nicias led his army forward; but the Syracusans and their allies kept attacking in the same fashion, hurling missiles and striking them down with javelins on all sides.

[2] The Athenians pushed on to the river Assinarus, ² partly because they thought, hard pressed as they were on all sides by the attack of numerous horsemen and of the miscellaneous troops, that they would be somewhat better off if they crossed the river, and partly by reason of their weariness and desire for water.

[3] And when they reached it, they rushed in, no longer preserving order, but everyone eager to be himself the first to cross; and at the same time the pressure of the enemy now made the crossing difficult. For since they were obliged to move in a dense mass, they fell upon and trod one another down, and some perished at once, run through by their own spears, while others became entangled in their trappings and were carried away by the current.

[4] The Syracusans stood along the other bank of the river, which was steep, and hurled missiles down upon the Athenians, most of whom were drinking greedily and were all huddled in confusion in the hollow bed of the river.

[5] Moreover, the Peloponnesians went down to the water's edge and butchered them, especially those in the river. The water at once became foul, but was drunk all the same, although muddy and dyed with blood, and indeed was fought for by most of them.

[1] As soon as it was day, Nicias led his troops forward; while the Syracusans and allies pressed on them in the same manner, discharging their missiles at them, and striking them down with their javelins on every side.

[2] The Athenians were hurrying on to reach the river Assinarus, being urged to this at once by the attack made on every side of them by the numerous cavalry and the rest of the light-armed multitude, (for they thought they should be more at ease if they were once across the river,) and also by their weariness and craving for drink.

[3] When they reached its banks, they rushed into it without any more regard for order, every man anxious to be himself the first to cross it; while the attack of the enemy rendered the passage more difficult. For being compelled to advance in a dense body, they fell upon and trode down one another; and some of them died immediately ¹ on the javelins and articles of baggage, while others were entangled together, and floated down the stream.

[4] On the other side of the river, too, the Syracusans lined the bank, which was precipitous, and from the higher ground discharged their missiles on the Athenians, while most of them were eagerly drinking, and in confusion amongst themselves in the hollow bed of the stream.

[5] The Peloponnesians, moreover, came down to them and butchered them, especially those in the river. And thus the water was immediately spoiled; but nevertheless it was drunk by them, mud and all, bloody as it was, and was even fought for by most of them.

[1] Nicias vero quum dies illuxisset, exercitum abducebat; Syracusani vero et socii urgebant eodem modo, undique telis et jaculis eos petentes.

[2] Atque Athenienses properabant ad flumen Assinarum, simul quod undique graviter urgerentur multorum equitum ceteraeque multitudinis incursionibus, rati minus asperas sibi res fore, si fluvium trajecissent, simul etiam lassitudine bibendique desiderio.

[3] Utautem perveniunt ad eum, irrumpunt nullo jam ordine servato, sed pro se quisque primus transire cupiens, atque hostes instantes difficilem jam transitum reddebant; quum enim iter conferti facere cogerentur, alii super alios cadebant, et se conculcabant, et circa tela et vasa alii con- festim peribant, alii elisi delabebantur.

[4] Et in ulteriorem fluminis ripam transgressi Syracusani (erat autem praeceps) e superiore loco Athenienses telis petebant, qui et plerique avide potabant et inter se ipsos in cavo fluminis alveo perturbabantur.

[5] Et Peloponnesii ultro etiam descendentes trucidabant eos praecipue, qui erant in fluvio. Atque aqua confestim corrupta erat, sed nihilo minus bibebatur et caeno simul et sanguine polluta, et plerique de ea digladiabantur.

Venuto appena giorno Micia muoveva l’esercito ; ed i Siracusani con gli alleati lo incalzavano nel modo stesso, e da ogni banda scagliavano dardi e saette. Affretta vansi gli Ateniesi di arrivare al fiume Assinaro perchè assaltati da tutte le parti da numerosi cavalli e dall’altra moltitudine, pensavano di doversi trovar meglio quando lo avesser guadato ; e perchè erano oppressi dalla fatica e dalla sete. Pervenuti in sulla sponda di quello, vi si precipitan dentro senz’ordine veruno, studiandosi ciascuno di guadarlo il primo; ma i nemici che sta van loro a ridosso rendevano ornai difficile il tragittarlo. Tmperciocché costretti a camminar serrati cadevano l’un sopra l’altro é si pestavano, e parte morivano urtati dalle lanciole e dall’ armi , parte cadati nella melmetta erano trascinati via dalla corrente. Passarono i Siracusani alla riva opposta che era scoscesa, e di sopra scagliavano dardi su gli Ateniesi, molti de’quali avidamente bevevano, e giù nell’alveo del fiume erano tra loro stessi abbaruffati ; e i Peloponnesi calati al basso faceano sopra tutto strage di quelli che si trovavano nel fiume. L’acqua fu subito guasta , nondiro meno ell’era bevuta lorda di fango insieme e di sangue, e molti per averla combattevano.