Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.11

[1] The fight being ended, they assigned a sufficient number of galleys to lie opposite to those of the enemy and the rest to lie under a little island not far off, in which also they encamped, and sent to Athens for a supply.

[2] For the Peloponnesians had with them for aid of their galleys the Corinthians the next day,. and not long after, divers others of the inhabitants thereabouts. But when they considered that the guarding of them in a desert place would be painful, they knew not what course to take; and once they thought to have set the galleys on fire; but it was concluded afterwards to draw them to the land and guard them with their landmen till some good occasion should be offered for their escape. And Agis also, when he heard the news, sent unto them Thermon, a Spartan.

[3] The Lacedaemonians, having been advertised of the departure of these galleys from the isthmus (for the ephores had commanded Alcamenes when he put to sea to send them word by a horseman), were minded presently to have sent away also the five galleys also that were in Laconia, and Chalcideus the commander of them, and with him Alcibiades. But afterwards, as they were ready to go out, came the news of the galleys chased into Peiraeus, which so much discouraged them, in respect they stumbled in the very entrance of the Ionic war, that they purposed now not only not to send away those galleys of their own but also to call back again some of those that were already at sea.

[1] After this they separated, and the Athenians, detaching a sufficient number of ships to blockade those of the enemy, anchored with the rest at the islet adjacent, upon which they proceeded to encamp, and sent to Athens for reinforcements;

[2] the Peloponnesians having been joined on the day after the battle by the Corinthians, who came to help the ships, and by the other inhabitants in the vicinity not long afterwards. These saw the difficulty of keeping guard in a desert place, and in their perplexity at first thought of burning the ships, but finally resolved to haul them up on shore and sit down and guard them with their land forces, until a convenient opportunity for escaping should present itself. Agis also, on being informed of the disaster, sent them a Spartan of the name of Thermon .

[3] The Lacedaemonians first received the news of the fleet having put out from the Isthmus, Alcamenes having been ordered by the Ephors to send off a horseman when this took place, and immediately resolved to despatch their own five vessels under Chalcideus, and Alcibiades with him. But while they were full of this resolution came the second news of the fleet having taken refuge in Spiraeum; and disheartened at their first step in the Ionian war proving a failure, they laid aside the idea of sending the ships from their own country, and even wished to recall some that had already sailed.

Nachdem dann beide Theile von einander geschieden waren,
stellten die Athener eine hinlängliche Zahl Schiffe aus, um jene zu
beobachten, und gingen mit den übrigen bei einem Jnselchen'^) vor
Anker, wo sie — da es nur eine kleine Strecke entfernt lag — ein
Standlager errichteten und nach Athen um Verstärkung' schickten.
Am folgenden Tag nämlich waren peloponnesischcr Seits auch
Korinther erschienen und Andere aus der Nachbarschaft, um ihren
Schiffen.Hilfe zu leisten. Da sie aber sahen, wie schwierig die Bewachung
derselben in der verlassenen Gegend war, so geriethen sie in
Verlegenheit und dachten erst daran, die Schiffe zu verbrennen, dann aber
beschlossen sie, dieselben ganz auf trockenes Land zu ziehen und mit
Landtruppen dabei Wache zu halten, bis . sich eine
günstige.Gelegenheit zum Entkommen für dieselben zeigen würde. Auch Agis,, der
davon erfuhr, schickte ihnen einen Spartiaten, den Thermon, / Die
Lakedämonier aber hatten zuerst die Meldung erhalten, daß die
Schiffe.vom Jsthmos aus unter Segel gegangen seien — es war
nämlich dem AlkameneS von den Ephoren befohlen gewesen, in diesem ^{1 2 3 4}
Falle ihnen einen Reiter zuzuschicken,-- und sie wollten dann sofort ⁵
ihrerseits die fünf Schiffe unter 'dem Oberbefehl des Chalkideus ab-)
senden, dem auch Alkibiades beigegeben war. Dann aber, als dme
sich schon zur Abfahrt fertig gemacht hatten, wurde ihnen die Flucht
jener andern Schiffe nach dem Piräon gemeldet, und nun, darüber
muthloS geworden, daß ihr erstes Unternehmen im Ionischen Kriege
ihnen fehlgeschlagen wäre, wollten sie nicht nur keine Schiffe mehr
von ihrem Gebiet auslaufen lassen, sondern sogar auch die schon
früher ausgelaufenen zurückrufen. , -j.

XI. Lorsqu’on se fut séparés, les Athéniens placèrent en station un nombre suffisant de vaisseaux pour bloquer le port, et, avec le reste, allèrent aborder à un îlot peu éloigné, où ils campèrent. De là ils envoyèrent à Athènes réclamer des renforts. Car, dès le lendemain, les Corinthiens, suivis peu après des autres peuples du voisinage, étaient accourus au secours de la flotte péloponnésienne. Quand ils reconnurent la difficulté de la défendre sur une plage déserte, leur embarras fut grand : d’abord ils songèrent à brûler les vaisseaux; mais ensuite ils résolurent de les tirer à terre et de faire camper auprès l’armée de terre pour les garder, jusqu’à ce qu’il s’offrît quelque occasion favorable d’échapper. Agis, informé de cette situation, leur envoya le Spartiate Thermon. A Lacédémone, on apprit d’abord que les vaisseaux avaient quitté l’isthme; car les éphores avaient ordonné à Alcaménès d'expédier aussitôt un courrier pour en porter la nouvelle. Sur-lechamp on résolut de faire partir, sous le commandement de Chalcidéus, accompagné d’Alcibiade, les cinq vaisseaux armés en Laconie. Mais, au moment même où l'on pressait le départ, la nouvelle arriva que la flotte s’était réfugiée à Piréos. Consternés de cet échec au début de la guerre d’Ionie, ils songèrent bien moins dès lors à expédier'les vaisseaux équipés chez eux qu’à rappeler les quelques bâtiments déjà en mer.

Lorsqu’on se fut séparé, les Athéniens laissèrent un nombre suffisant de vaisseaux pour tenir les ennemis bloqués; avec le reste, ils allèrent mouiller à la petite île qui est située à peu de distance et où ils campèrent. De là ils envoyèrent à Athènes demander du renfort; en effet, dès le lendemain , les Corinthiens, et bientôt après les autres peuples du voisinage, accoururent au secours de la flotte ; mais, voyant la difficulté de la défendre sur une plage déserte , ils ne savaient à quoi s'arrêter. Leur première idée fut de brûler leurs vaisseaux ; ensuite ils résolurent de les tirer à sec et de les garder avec leur infanterie, jusqu’à ce qu’il s’offrit une occasion de s’échapper. Informé de leur situation, Agis leur envoya le Spartiate Thermon.

A Lacédémone on apprit d’abord que les vaisseaux avaient quitté l’Isthme ; en effet les éphores avaient enjoint à Alcaménès de leur expédier un cavalier à l’instant du départ. Aussitôt on décida d’envoyer, sous la conduite de Chalcidéus accompagné d’Alcibiade , les cinq vaisseaux armés en Laconie ; mais, au moment où ils appareillaient, on apprit la retraite de la flotte à Piréos. Découragés par ce fâcheux début de la guerre d’Ionie, les Lacédémoniens renoncèrent à faire partir leurs vaisseaux, et songèrent même à rappeler les quelques bâtiments qui étaient déjà en mer.

[1] After drawing off, the Athenians posted a sufficient number of ships to keep watch upon those of the enemy, but with the rest cast anchor at an islet not far distant, on which they proceeded to make their camp; and they also sent to Athens for reinforcements.

[2] For the Corinthians had joined the Peloponnesians the day after the battle, bringing reinforcements to their fleet, and not long afterward the peoples of the neighbourhood also came. And the Peloponnesians, seeing the difficulty of guarding the ships in a desert place, were in perplexity; and they even thought of burning the ships, but afterwards determined to draw them up on shore and, settling down there with their land-force, to keep guard over them until some favourable opportunity of escape should offer. And Agis, hearing of their predicament, sent to them Thermon, a Spartan.

[3] Now the first news that came to the Lacedaemonians was that the ships had put to sea from the Isthmus—for orders had been given to Alcamenes by the ephors to despatch a horseman as soon as that should happen—and they were planning to send immediately their own five ships under the command of Chalcideus, and Alcibiades with him; afterwards, when they were eager to sail, word came to them about their ships having taken refuge at Peiraeum; and they were so discouraged, because in this their first undertaking in the Ionian war they had failed, that they from that time on ceased planning to send out the ships that were in home waters, but on the contrary even thought of recalling some that had previously gone out to sea.

[1] After parting, they posted a sufficient number of ships to keep watch over those of the enemy, and with the rest came to anchor at the small island ¹ [opposite the mouth of the harbour]; on which, as it was not far off, they proceeded to encamp, and sent to Athens for a reinforcement.

[2] For the Corinthians, too, had joined the Peloponnesians on the day after the battle, coming to the succour of the ships; and not long after, the rest of the people in the neighbourhood also. But when they saw that to keep guard over them in so desert a spot was a difficult service, they were at a loss what to do, and thought of burning the ships; but afterwards they determined to draw them up on shore, and station themselves by them with their land forces, and keep guard until some favourable opportunity of escape presented itself.

[3] Agis also, on receiving intelligence of this, sent to them a Spartan, namely Thermon. Now news had first been taken to the Lacedaemonians that their ships had put to sea from the isthmus, (for Alcamenes had been told by the ephors to send a horseman when that took place,) and they immediately wished to despatch their five ships, with Chalcideus in command, and Alcibiades with him. Afterwards, when they had resolved on this, the news of their fleet taking refuge in Piraeus reached them; and being disheartened, because they had failed in their first operations in the Ionian war, they no longer thought of sending the ships from their own country, but even of recalling some that had previously put out to sea.

[1] Dirempto autem proelio naves quidem, quot eatis esse videbantur, disposuerunt, quae stationem adversus hostiles obtinerent; cum reliquis vero in parvulae insulae stationem se receperunt, in qua non multum illinc distante castra posuerunt, et nuntium Athenas ad subsidium arcessendum mittebant.

[2] Nam aderant etiam Peloponnesiis postero die et Corinthii ad opem navibus ferendam, et paulo post etiam reliqui finitimi. Et quum animadverterent, hanc navium custodiam in loco deserto sibi laboriosam fore, consilii inopes erant, et inclinabant quidem eo, ut naves incenderent, deinde vero-statuerunt eas subducere, et peditatu assidentes agere excubias, donec aliqua commoda effugiendi facultas offerretur. Agis etiam, his cognitis, Thermonem, virum Spartanum, iis misit

[3] Lacedaemoniis autem primo quidem nunciatum erat, naves solvisse ab Isthmo, (Alcameni enim ab ephoris imperatum erat, ut, quum hoc fieret, equitem mitteret); et statim quinque naves, quas ipsi praebebant, et Chalcideum ducem, et Alcibiadem cum eo mittere volebant; deinde vero, jam iis rem urgentibus, allatus est nuntius de navibus, quae in Piraeum fuga se receperant; quamobrem animis consternati, quod in ipso initio Ionici belli offendissent, naves e suo paratas non jam volebant mittere, imo etiam nonnullas, quae jam discesserant, revocare.

I quali finalmente separatisi schierarono in osservazione delle navi nemiche un Numero sufficiente delle loro, e col rimanente si trassero ad un’ isoletta non molto lontana, ove si accamparono, e spedirono ad Atene per dei rinforzi, avvegnaché il giorno appresso fossero arrivati i Corìntii in soccorso delle navi peloponnesie, e non guari dopo anche gli altri circonvicini. Laonde, vedendo che sarebbe malagevole il tenersi sulle difese in quel luogo deserto, stavano perplessi, ed ebbero il pensiero di abbruciare le navi ; ma poi risolvettero di tirarle a terra e guardarle, standovi d’appresso colla fanteria, finché non si presentasse qualche comoda occasione di scampo. Agide informato di ciò, mandò loro un personaggio spartano per nomeTermone. Tornando ora ai Lacedemoni, erano essi stati ragguagliati della partenza delle navi dall’istmo (perchè appena che ella seguisse, Alcamene aveva ordine dagli Efori di mandarne l’avviso per un cavaliere), e subito si disponevano a spedir le loro cinque navi sotto la condotta di Calcideo insieme con Alcibiade. Mentre però stavano esse per partire, ebbero la nuova che la flotta peloponnesia erasi dovuta rifugiare in Pireo ; onde scoraggiatisi chè al primo muover della guerra ionica fossero incappati male, pensavano di non mandare altrimenti le navi dal loro paese, e piuttosto di richiamar indietro quelle che già si erano avviate.