Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.85

[1] In the end, when many dead lay heaped in the river, and the army was utterly defeated, part at the river, and part (if any gat away) by the horsemen, Nicias yielded himself unto Gylippus (having more confidence in him than in the Syracusians) to be for his own person at the discretion of him and the Lacedaemonians, and no further slaughter to be made of the soldiers.

[2] Gylippus from thenceforth commanded to take prisoners. So the residue, except such as were hidden from them (which were many), they carried alive into the city. They sent also to pursue the three hundred which brake through their guards in the night, and took them.

[3] That which was left together of this army to the public was not much; but they that were conveyed away by stealth were very many;

[4] and all Sicily was filled with them, because they were not taken, as those with Demosthenes were, by composition. Besides, a great part [of these] were slain; for the slaughter [at this time] was exceeding great, none greater in all the Sicilian war. They were also not a few that died in those other assaults in their march. Nevertheless, many also escaped, some then presently and some by running away after servitude; the rendezvous of whom was Catana.

[1] At last, when many dead now lay piled one upon another in the stream, and part of the army had been destroyed at the river, and the few that escaped from thence cut off by the cavalry, Nicias surrendered himself to Gylippus, whom he trusted more than he did the Syracusans, and told him and the Lacedaemonians to do what they liked with him, but to stop the slaughter of the soldiers.

[2] Gylippus, after this, immediately gave orders to make prisoners; upon which the rest were brought together alive, except a large number secreted by the soldiery, and a party was sent in pursuit of the three hundred who had got through the guard during the night, and who were now taken with the rest.

[3] The number of the enemy collected as public property was not considerable; but that secreted was very large, and all Sicily was filled with them, no convention having been made in their case as for those taken with Demosthenes.

[4] Besides this, a large portion were killed outright, the carnage being very great, and not exceeded by any in this Sicilian war. In the numerous other encounters upon the march, not a few also had fallen. Nevertheless many escaped, some at the moment, others served as slaves, and then ran away subsequently. These found refuge at Catana .

Endlich nun, als die Leichname schon in großer Zahl^)
und über einander gehäuft im Flusse lagen, und das Heer theils am
Flusse selbst, theils auch, was weiterhin entkam, von den Reitern
zusammengehauen war, ergab sich Nikias dem Gylippos, weil er diesem
eher traute, als den Syrakusanern. Ueber ihn selbst, sagte er, solle
Jener und die Lakedämonier verfügen, wie sie wollten, nur sollten sie
aufhören, die andern Soldaten niederzumetzeln. Da befahl
dennGylippoS, sie lebendig gefangen zu nehmen, und so brachte man die
Uebrigen, außer die, welche sie selbst versteckten, deren Zahl sehr groß
war, lebendig ein, und auch gegen die dreihundert, welche zur
Nachtzeit die Wachen durchbrochen hatten, schickten fie Leute zur Verfolgung
und wurden ihrer habhaft. Was auf diese Weise vom Heere als
Gefangene für das Gemeinwesen zusammenkam, war nicht viel ^'),
dagegen war die Zahl der heimlich auf die Seite Gebrachten groß, und
ganz Sicilien war später voll davon, da sie nicht, wie die unter
Demotshenes, in Folge eines Vergleichs gefangen worden waren.
Eine bedeutende Zahl war aber auch gefallen ^); denn es war da
ein großes Schlachten gewesen, und nicht geringer, als bei irgend
einer Gelegenheit während dieses Krieges^). Und auch bei den
andern Angriffen, die während dieses Zuges zahlreich vorkamen, waren ^{1 2 3 4}
Viele geblieben; Viele hingegen entkamen auch, theils bei dieser Ge- ⁵
legenbeit selbst, theils später, indem sie nach längerer Sklaverei
entliefen. Diesen war Katana Zufluchtsort.

LXXXV. Déjà des monceaux de cadavres étaient entassés entre les rives, l’armée était anéantie; une partie avait péri dans le fleuve; la cavalerie avait détruit ce qui avait pu s’échapper. Nicias alors, se fiant plus à Gylippe qu’aux Syracusains, se rendit à lui; il s’en remit entièrement à sa discrétion et à celle des Lacédémoniens, en le priant seulement de faire cesser le car- nage. Gylippe ordonna de faire des prisonniers : tous ceux que les Syracusains ne purent cacher ¹ , — car il y en eut beaucoup de soustraits, — furent dès lors amenés vivants. On envoya à la poursuite des trois cents qui s’étaient échappés la nuit en forçant les gardes, et on les arrêta. Toutefois il n’y eut que peu de prisonniers rassemblés au profit de l’État. Ne s’étant pas rendus par capitulation, comme les soldats de Déraosthènes ² , ils avaient été détournés pour la plupart; la Sicile entière en fut remplie. Le nombre des morts fut considérable; car ce fut un affreux carnage, et cette guerre de Sicile n’offre rien de comparable. Bien des soldats périrent aussi dans les attaques réitérées durant la marche. Néanmoins beaucoup s’échappèrent au moment même, ou s’évadèrent après avoir été réduits en esclavage. Catane leur offrit un refuge.

Déjà les cadavres étaient amoncelés dans la rivière ; déjà l’armée était anéantie, une partie ayant péri sur les rives, une autre dans la fuite sous les coups des cavaliers, lorsque enfin Nicias se rendit à Gylippe, auquel il se confiait plus qu’aux Syracusains. Il livra sa personne à la discrétion de ce général et des Lacédémoniens, les priant seulement de mettre fin au carnage. Dès lors Gylippe ordonna de faire'des prisonniers. Ce qui restait, déduction faite d’un bon nombre distrait par les Syracusains, fut emmené vivant. On envoya aussi à la poursuite de la colonne fugitive et on l’arrêta. Cependant ce qu’on recueillit de captifs pour le compte de l’Etat fut peu de chose ; la plupart furent détournés par les particuliers. Toute la Sicile en fut remplie, attendu qu'ils n’avaient pas été pris par capitulation comme ceux de Démosthène. Le nombre des morts fut aussi très-grand, car le massacre fut immense et surpassa tout ce qui s’était vu dans le cours de cette guerre; enfin l’armée avait souffert d’énormes pertes dans les fréquents engagements soutenus pendant la retraite. Plusieurs parvinrent à s’échapper, soit à Tinstant, soit plus tard, et après avoir subi l'esclavage. Catane leur servit de refuge.

[1] At length, when the dead ¹ now lay in heaps one upon the other in the river, and the army had perished utterly, part in the river, and part—if any got safely across—at the hands of the cavalry, Nicias surrendered himself to Gylippus, having more confidence in him than in the Syracusans; and he bade him and the Lacedaemonians do with himself whatever they pleased, but to stop slaughtering the rest of the soldiers. Whereupon Gylippus at last gave orders to make prisoners;

[2] and those of the survivors who had not been secretly appropriated by the Syracusan soldiers—and these were many— were brought in a body to Syracuse alive. They also sent men in pursuit of the three hundred, who had got through the guards the night before, and captured them.

[3] Now that part of the army which was collected into the common stock was not large, ² but that which was secretly taken by the soldiers was large, and all Sicily was filled with them, inasmuch as they had not been taken by capitulation, as had the force under Demosthenes.

[4] Besides, no small number had been killed; for the slaughter at the river had been very great—in fact, not inferior to any in this Sicilian war. And in the other frequent encounters which occurred on the march not a few had lost their lives. Notwithstanding all this, many escaped, some at the time, others afterwards, having become slaves and then making their escape; and the refuge for these was Catana.

[1] At length, when many dead were now heaped one upon another in the river, and the army was destroyed, either at the river, or, even if any part had escaped, by the cavalry, Nicias surrendered himself to Gylippus, placing more confidence in him than in the Syracusans; and desired him and the Lacedaemonians to do what they pleased with himself, but to stop butchering the rest of the soldiers. After this, Gylippus commanded to make prisoners;

[2] and they collected all that were alive, excepting such as they concealed for their own benefit (of whom there was a large number). They also sent a party in pursuit of the three hundred, who had forced their way through the sentinels during the night, and took them.

[3] The part of the army, then, that was collected as general property, was not large, but that which was secreted was considerable; and the whole of Sicily was filled with them, inasmuch as they had not been taken on definite terms of surrender, like those with Demosthenes.

[4] Indeed no small part was actually put to death; for this was the most extensive slaughter, and surpassed by none of all that occurred in this Sicilian war. In the other encounters also, which were frequent on their march, no few had fallen. But many also escaped, nevertheless; some at the moment, others after serving as slaves, and running away subsequently. These found a place of refuge at Catana.

[1] Tandem vero quum multa cadavera alia super alia in flumine jacerent, et exercitus profligatus esset, partim apud amnem, parlim, si quis etiam effugeret, ab equitibus, Nicias se Gylippo dedidit, quod ei majorem, quam Syracusanis, fidem haberet; et de se quidem facere jubebat illum et Lacedaemonios quidquid vellent, reliquorum vero militum caede jam abstinere.

[2] et Gylippus post haec jam vivos capi jubebat; atque ceteros, quotquot a Syracusanis nondum occultati erant (multi autem hi fuerunt), vivos abduxerunt, et trecentos illos, qui noctu per praesidia elapsi erant, missis, qui eos persequerentur, comprehenderunt.

[3] Verum hujus exercitus ea quidem pars, quae in unum publice contracta est, haud magna fuit, ea vero, quae surrepta erat, magna, et tota Sicilia iis repleta est, quippe quod non ex pacto ut illi, qui cum Demosthene erant, capti erant.

[4] Quaedam etiam non exigua pars interiit; maxima enim caedes haec nec ulla minor earum omnium fuit, quae in hoc Siculo bello acciderunt. Et in ceteris incursionibus, quae in itinere frequentes factae erant, non pauci obierant. Multi tamen etiam evaserunt, partim in ipsa re praesenti, partim etiam tolerata servitute postea fuga elapsi; his vero in Catanam erat receptus.

Finalmente gran quantità di cadaveri giacendo ammontati nel fiume, e disfatto l' esercito o nel fiume stesso, o dai cavalli se qualche banda si fosse causata , Nicia , fidandosi più di Gilippo che dei Siracusani, si rende alla discrezione di lui e de9 Lacedemoni, pregandolo a ritirar dalla strage anche il rimanente dell’esercito. Dopo di che Gilippo ordinava ai suoi che i nemici fossero fatti prigionieri ; e vivi condussero via tutti quelli che uon si erano nascosti (e questi furono molti), e spedirono ad inseguire i trecento passati a forza di mezzo alle sentinelle, e li arrestarono. i\è già furono molte queste milizie accolte insieme, ma bensì molte si trafugarono, e ne fu ripiena tutta Sicilia, non essendo esse state prese per convenzione come quelle di Demostene. Una buona parte dell’ esercito ateniese vi rimase morta, che certo questa strage non fu minore di verun’ altra accaduta in questa guerra di Sicilia ; e non pochi erano periti ne'diversi passati attacchi, durante il cammino. Con tutto questo molti o fuggirono nel tempo della battaglia, o si trafugarono poi dopo essere stati fatti prigioni ; e tutti si riducevano a Catana.