Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.102

[1] The Athenians that lay with eighteen galleys at Sestos knew that the Peloponnesians were entering into the Hellespont by the fires, both those which their own watchmen put up and by the many which appeared on the enemies' shore; and therefore the same night in all haste as they were, kept the shore of Chersonnesus towards Elaeus, desiring to get out into the wide sea and to decline the fleet of the enemy, and went out unseen of those sixteen galleys that lay at Abydos, though these had warning before from the fleet of their friends that came on to watch them narrowly that they went not out.

[2] But in the morning, being in sight of the fleet with Mindarus and chased by him, they could not all escape, but the most of them got to the continent and into Lemnos;

[3] only four of the hindmost were taken near Elaeus, whereof the Peloponnesians took one with the men in her that had run herself aground at the temple of Protesilaus, and two other without the men, and set fire on a fourth, abandoned upon the shore of Imbros.

[1] Meanwhile the warnings of the fire-signals and the sudden increase in the number of fires on the enemy's shore informed the eighteen Athenian ships at Sestos of the approach of the Peloponnesian fleet. That very night they set sail in haste just as they were, and hugging the shore of the Chersonese , coasted along to Elaeus, in order to sail out into the open sea away from the fleet of the enemy.

[2] After passing unobserved the sixteen ships at Abydos , which had nevertheless been warned by their approaching friends to be on the alert to prevent their sailing out, at dawn they sighted the fleet of Mindarus, which immediately gave chase. All had not time to get away; the greater number however escaped to Imbros and Lemnos , while four of the hindmost were overtaken off Elaeus.

[3] One of these was stranded opposite to the temple of Protesilaus and taken with its crew, two others without their crews; the fourth was abandoned on the shore of Imbros and burned by the enemy.

Die Athener aber, welche mit achtzehn Schiffen vor
Sestos lagen, als ihnen ihre Späher die Feuerzeichen gaben ^), ^{1 2 3}
und fie auch an den feindlichen Küsten plötzlich die vielen Feuer
erblickten, erkannten daraus, daß die Peloponnesier in den Hellespont
eingelaufen seien, und zogen sich noch in derselben Nackt, so, wie sie
waren, in aller Eile mehr gegen den Cbersonnes und fuhren längs
der Küste gegen Elaius hin, um auf offenem Meere den feindlichen
Schiffen zu entkommen. Und wirklich entgingen sie auch den sechzehn
Schiffen bei Abydos, obgleich diesen schon vorher von den
ansegelnden Freunden anbefohlen worden war, gute Wacht zu halten, wenn
jene hinaussegeln wollten. Mit Sonnenaufgang aber kamen sie den
Schiffen des Mindaros in Sicht und wurden von diesen sogleich in
Jagd genommen. Zwar entkamen sie nicht alle, aber doch konnten
sich die meisten nach JmbroS und Lesbos flüchten : die vier aber,
welche zuhinterst segelten, wurden bei Elaius genommen. Eins
davon, welches beim Tempel des Protesilaos auf deu Strand lief,
nahmen die Feinde, mit sammt der Mannschaft, zwei andere, ohne
die Bemannung, und eines leer bei Jmbros, welches sie in Brand
steckten.

CII Les Athéniens, qui étaient à Sestos avec dixhuit bâtiments, furent avertis par les feux de leurs vedettes et par le grand nombre de ceux qu’ils virent tout à coup s’allumer dans les campagnes ennemies, que les Péloponnésiens entraient dans l’Hellespont. Ils se dérobèrent cette nuit même, avec toute la célérité possible, se dirigèrent vers la Chersonnèse et rangèrent la côte jusqu’à Éléous, afin d’éviter la flotte ennemie en gagnant le large. Ils échappèrent aux seize vaisseaux d’Abydos ¹ , quoique la flotte péloponnésienne qui arrivait eût prévenu ces derniers de faire bonne garde, et de se tenir prêts pour le cas où les Athéniens ² tenteraient de sortir. Mais à l’aurore ils découvrirent les vaisseaux de Mindaros et se hâtèrent de fuir, sans pouvoir cependant échapper à tous. La plupart se réfugièrent à Imbros et à Lemnos; mais les quatre vaisseaux qui fermaient la marche furent atteints en côtoyant Éléous : l’un, poussé à terre vers la chapelle de Protésilas, fut pris avec son équipage; deux autres étaient abandonnés quand ils tombèrent aux mains de l’ennemi; le dernier, également abandonné, fut brûlé près d’Imbros.

Les dix-huit vaisseaux athéniens qui étaient à Sestos comprirent, aux signaux des vigies et au grand nombre des feux allumés tout à coup sur le territoire ennemi, que les Péloponésieus entraient dans l’Hellespont. Sa conséquence, et sans attendre la fin de la nuit, ils se dirigèrent de toute leur vitesse sur Ëléonte, en côtoyant la Chersonèse et tâchant de gagner le large avant la rencontre des ennemis. Ils échappèrent aux seize vaisseaux péloponésiens qui étaient à Abydos, bien que ceux-ci eussent reçu des leurs qui s’avançaient l’ordre d’avoir l’œil ouvert sur les mouvements des Athéniens ; mais, au point du jour, ils furent aperçus par la flotte de Mindaros, qui aussitôt leur donna la chasse. La plupart se sauvèrent dans la direction d’Lmbros et de Lemnos; mais quatre vaisseaux qui fermaient la marche furent atteints devant Ëléonte. L’un d’eux alla s’échouer près du sanctuaire de Protésilas ¹ et fut pris avec ceux qui le montaient; deux autres furent capturés sans leurs équipages; le quatrième, qui était vide, fut brûlé devant Imbros.

[1] But the Athenians who were at Sestus with eighteen ships, when their signallers gave them notice and they observed the sudden blaze of numerous fires on the hostile shore, realized that the Peloponnesians were entering the straits. So that same night, making what speed they could and keeping close to the shore of the Chersonesus, they sailed toward Elaeus, wishing to get by the enemy's ships and out into the open water.

[2] And they did elude the sixteen ships at Abydos, ¹ although these had been cautioned by a friendly boat that sailed ² up to be on the alert in case the Athenians should try to leave the straits; but the ships commanded by Mindarus, which they descried at dawn—and these immediately gave chase—they could not outstrip with their entire fleet, but though most of their ships made good their escape to Imbros and Lemnos, four of them that brought up the rear were overtaken near Elaeus.

[3] One of these, which was stranded at the sanctuary of Protesilaus, was captured with all on board, and two others without their crews; the fourth, which had been deserted by its crew, the enemy burned close to Imbros.

[1] Now the Athenians were at Sestos with eighteen ships; and when their friends gave them notice by fire signals, while they also observed the fires on the hostile shore suddenly appear numerous, they were aware that the Peloponnesians were entering the Hellespont. Accordingly that same night, sailing as quickly as they could, and keeping close under the shore of the Chersonese, they coasted along towards Elaeus, wishing to escape from the enemy's fleet into the open sea.

[2] And they eluded the observation of the sixteen ships at Abydus, although orders for keeping guard had been before given by their friends who went to them, that they might be on the alert against the Athenians in case they should sail out. But descrying those with Mindarus in the morning, and being immediately chased by them, they had not all time to escape, but the greater part of them did, to Imbros and Lemnus; while four of the ships, which were sailing last, were overtaken off Elaeus.

[3] One of these, which was stranded opposite the temple of Protesilaus, they took together with its crew, and two others without their crews; while the remaining one they burnt, after it had been deserted, close to Imbros.

[1] Athenienses vero, qui apud Sestum erant cum duodeviginti navibus, ut et per ignes sublatos rem accipiebant et animadvertebant multos ignes repente in hostili agro accensos, intellexerunt Peloponnesios in Hellespontum ingredi. Quamobrem hac ipsa nocte, celeritate quanta maxima poterant, maritimam Chersonesi oram legentes, ad Elaeuntem praetervecti contendebant, quod hostium classem in apertum mare navigantes vitare vellent.

[2] Et illas quidem sexdecim naves, quae ad Abydum erant, latuerunt, quamvis ab amica suorum classe praemonitas essent, ut diligenter observarent, si illi exirent. Quum autem primo statim diluculo illas naves, quae cum Mindaro erant, conspexissent, et e vestigio Peloponnesii inseqdi coepissent, non omnes naves ocius evaserunt, sed pleraeque quidem in continentem et in Lemnum diffugerunt, quatuor vero quae postremae navigabant, prope Elseuntem interceptae sunt.

[3] Atque unam quidem, ad Protesilai delubrum impactam, cum ipsis hominibus ceperunt, et duas alias sine viris; quartam vacuam ad Imbrum combusserunt.

Gli Ateniesi che erano a Sesto con diciotto navi, poiché videro il segnale delle faci e molti fuochi accesi repentinamente nel territorio occupato dai nemici, conobbero che i Peloponnesi entravano nell9 Ellesponto. E nella medesima notte , al più presto possibile, tenendosi dappresso alla costa del Chersoneso navigarono ad Eieunte, volendo schivare le navi nemiche col tirarsi in alto mare, E veramente non furono osservati dalle sedici navi di Abido, tuttoché elle avessero ordine dalla flotta amica di Mindaro di stare in guardia per osservare diligentemente se gli Ateniesi uscissero dalla loro stazione. I quali, avendo veduta , sul far dell’aurora , la flotta condotta da Mindaro , si diedero tostamente a fuggire. Nè già poterono tutte le loro navi sottrarsi al nemico : nondimeno la maggior parte di esse si ricovrarono ad Imbro edaLemno; e quattro che erano alla coda dell’ armata furono prese dinanzi ad Eieunte; una urtata a terra presso il tempio di Prolesilao fu presa insieme colle persone, due altre senza persone , ed una abbruciata vuota presso ad Imbro.