by Polybius
[1] πλου. Πόπλιος δ᾽ ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς θεωρῶν τοὺς μὲν πολεμίους παρὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ δόξαν οὔτ᾽ εἴκοντας οὔτε καταπεπληγμένους τὸν ἐπίπλουν ἀλλὰ πρὸς τῷ ναυμαχεῖν ὄντας, [2] τῶν δὲ σφετέρων νεῶν τὰς μὲν ἐντὸς ἤδη τοῦ λιμένος οὔσας τὰς δ᾽ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ στόματι, τὰς δὲ φερομένας ἐπὶ τὸν εἴσπλουν, πάσαις ἀναστρέφειν παρήγγειλε καὶ ποιεῖσθαι τὸν πλοῦν ἔξω πάλιν. [3] ἔνθα δὴ τῶν μὲν ἐν τῷ λιμένι τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὸν εἴσπλουν ἐκ τῆς μεταβολῆς συμπιπτουσῶν, οὐ μόνον θόρυβος ἦν ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἄπλετος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ταρσοὺς ἐθραύονθ᾽ αἱ νῆες ἀλλήλαις συγκρούουσαι. [4] ὅμως δ᾽ οὖν ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀνατρέχοντας ἐκτάττοντες οἱ τριήραρχοι παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν γῆν ταχέως ἐποίουν ἀντιπρώρρους τοῖς πολεμίοις. [5] ὁ δὲ Πόπλιος αὐτὸς ἐπέπλει μὲν ἀρχῆθεν κατόπιν ἐπὶ παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ, τότε δ᾽ ἐπιστρέψας κατ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸν πλοῦν πρὸς τὸ πέλαγος ἔλαβε τὴν εὐώνυμον τῆς ὅλης δυνάμεως τάξιν. [6] Ἀτάρβας δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν ὑπεράρας τὸ λαιὸν τῶν πολεμίων [Ῥωμαίων], ἔχων πέντε ναῦς ἐπίπλους, ὑπέστησε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ναῦν ἀντίπρωρρον τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὸ πέλαγος μέρους: [7] ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐπιπλεόντων ἀεὶ τοῖς συνάπτουσι προσεπιταττομένοις ταὐτὸ ποιεῖν παραγγείλας διὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν, [8] καταστάντων δὲ πάντων εἰς μέτωπον σημήνας διὰ τῶν συνθημάτων τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς ἐποιεῖτο τὸν ἐπίπλουν ἐν τάξει, μενόντων πρὸς τῇ γῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων διὰ τὸ προσδέχεσθαι τὰς ἐκ τοῦ λιμένος ἀνατρεχούσας ναῦς. [9] ἐξ οὗ συνέβαινε μεγάλα τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐλαττωθῆναι πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ γῇ
50. When the Consul Publius saw, to his surprise, that the enemy, so far from giving in or being dismayed at his approach, were determined upon fighting him at sea: while of his own ships some were already within the harbour, others just in the very entrance channel, and others still on their way towards it; he at once issued orders to all the ships to turn round and make the best of their way out again. The result of this was that, as some of the ships were in the harbour, and others at the entrance, they fouled each other when they began reversing their course; and not only did a great confusion arise among the men, but the ships got their oars broken also in the collisions which occurred. However, the captains exerted themselves to get the ships into line close under the shore, as they successively cleared the harbour, and with their prows directed towards the enemy. Publius himself was originally bringing up the rear of the entire squadron; but he now, while the movement was actually in execution, turned towards the open sea and transferred himself to a position on the left wing of the fleet. At the same moment Adherbal succeeded in outflanking the left of his opponents with five vessels furnished with charging beaks. He turned his own ship with its prow towards the enemy, and brought to. As each of the others came up, and fell into line with him, he sent orders to them by his staff officers to do the same as he had done. Thus they all fell in and formed a complete line. The signal which had been agreed upon before was given, and an advance was begun, which was made at first without disarranging the line. The Romans were still close in-shore, waiting for the coming out of their ships from the harbour; and this proximity to the land proved of infinite disadvantage to them in the engagement.
[1] ποιησαμένους τὴν συμπλοκήν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ σύνεγγυς αὑτῶν ἦσαν, ἀρθέντων τῶν συνθημάτων ἐφ᾽ ἑκατέρας τῆς ναυαρχίδος συνέβαλλον ἀλλήλοις. [2] τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἰσόρροπος ἦν ὁ κίνδυνος, ὡς ἂν ἀμφοτέρων τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἐκ τῆς πεζικῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιβάταις χρωμένων: [3] ἀεὶ δὲ μᾶλλον ὑπερεῖχον οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι διὰ τὸ πολλὰ προτερήματα παρ᾽ ὅλον ἔχειν τὸν ἀγῶνα. [4] τῷ τε γὰρ ταχυναυτεῖν πολὺ περιῆσαν διὰ τὴν διαφορὰν τῆς ναυπηγίας καὶ τὴν τῶν πληρωμάτων ἕξιν, ἥ τε χώρα μεγάλα συνεβάλλετ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἅτε πεποιημένων τὴν ἔκταξιν ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὸ πέλαγος τόπων. [5] εἴτε γὰρ πιέζοιντό τινες ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, κατόπιν ἀνεχώρουν ἀσφαλῶς διὰ τὸ ταχυναυτεῖν εἰς τὸν ἀναπεπταμένον τόπον: [6] κἄπειτ᾽ ἐκ μεταβολῆς τοῖς προπίπτουσι τῶν διωκόντων, τοτὲ μὲν περιπλέοντες τοτὲ δὲ πλάγιοι προσπίπτοντες στρεφομένοις καὶ δυσχρηστοῦσι διὰ τὸ βάρος τῶν πλοίων καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπειρίαν τῶν πληρωμάτων, ἐμβολάς τε συνεχεῖς ἐδίδοσαν καὶ πολλὰ τῶν σκαφῶν ἐβάπτιζον: [7] εἴτε κινδυνεύοι τις τῶν συμμάχων, ἑτοίμως παρεβοήθουν ἔξω τοῦ δεινοῦ καὶ μετ᾽ ἀσφαλείας, παρὰ τὰς πρύμνας κατὰ τὸ πέλαγος ποιούμενοι τὸν πλοῦν. [8] τοῖς γε μὴν Ῥωμαίοις τἀναντία τούτων συνέβαινε: τοῖς τε γὰρ πιεζομένοις οὐκ ἦν εἰς τοὔπισθεν δυνατὸν ἀποχωρεῖν, πρὸς τῇ γῇ ποιουμένοις τὸν κίνδυνον, ἀεὶ δὲ τὸ θλιβόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον σκάφος ἢ τοῖς βραχέσι περιπῖπτον ἐκάθιζε κατὰ πρύμναν ἢ πρὸς τὴν γῆν φερόμενον ἐπώκελλε. [9] διεκπλεῖν μὲν οὖν διὰ τῶν πολεμίων νεῶν καὶ κατόπιν ἐπιφαίνεσθαι τοῖς ἤδη πρὸς ἑτέρους διαμαχομένοις, ὅπερ ἐν τῷ ναυμαχεῖν ἐστι πρακτικώτατον, ἀδυνάτως εἶχον διά τε τὴν βαρύτητα τῶν πλοίων, προσέτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀπειρίαν τῶν πληρωμάτων. [10] οὐδὲ μὴν ἐπιβοηθεῖν τοῖς δεομένοις κατὰ πρύμναν ἐδύναντο διὰ τὸ συγκεκλεῖσθαι πρὸς τῇ γῇ καὶ μηδὲ μικρὸν ἀπολείπεσθαι τόπον τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐπαρκεῖν τῷ δεομένῳ. [11] τοιαύτης δὲ δυσχρηστίας ὑπαρχούσης περὶ τὸν ὅλον ἀγῶνα, καὶ τῶν μὲν καθιζόντων ἐν τοῖς βράχεσι, τῶν δ᾽ ἐκπιπτόντων σκαφῶν, κατιδὼν ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὸ συμβαῖνον ὥρμησε πρὸς φυγήν, ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων παρὰ τὴν γῆν ἐξελίξας, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ περὶ τριάκοντα νῆας, αἵπερ ἔτυχον ἐγγὺς οὖσαι. [12] τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν σκαφῶν, ὄντων ἐνενήκοντα καὶ τριῶν, ἐκυρίευσαν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ τῶν πληρωμάτων, ὅσοι μὴ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τὰς ναῦς εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐκβαλόντες ἀπεχώρησαν.
51. And now the fle
ets were within a short distance of each other: the signals were raised from the ships of the respective commanders; the charge was made; and ship grappled with ship. At first the engagement was evenly balanced, because each fleet had the pick of their land forces serving as marines on board. But as it went on the many advantages which, taking it as a whole, the Carthaginians possessed, gave them a continually increasing superiority. Owing to the better construction of their ships they had much the advantage in point of speed, while their position with the open sea behind them materially contributed to their success, by giving them freer space for their manœuvres. Were any of them hard pressed by the enemy? Their speed secured them a sure escape, and a wide expanse of water was open to their flight. There they would swing round and attack the leading ships which were pursuing them: sometimes rowing round them and charging their broadsides, at other times running alongside them as they lurched awkwardly round, from the weight of the vessels and the unskilfulness of the crews. In this way they were charging perpetually, and managed to sink a large number of the ships. Or was one of their number in danger? They were ready to come to the rescue, being out of danger themselves, and being able to effect a movement to right or left, by steering along the sterns of their own ships and through the open sea unmolested. The case of the Romans was exactly the reverse. If any of them were hard pressed, there was nowhere for them to retreat, for they were fighting close to the shore; and any ship of theirs that was hard driven by the enemy either backed into shallow water and stuck fast, or ran ashore and was stranded. Moreover, that most effective of all manœuvres in sea fights, — sailing through the enemy’s line and appearing on their stern while they are engaged with others, — was rendered impossible for them, owing to the bulk of their vessels; and still more so by the unskilfulness of their crews. Nor, again, were they able to bring help from behind to those who wanted it, because they were hemmed in so close to the shore that there was not the smallest space left in which those who wished to render such help might move. When the Consul saw how ill things were going for him all along the line; when he saw some of his ships sticking fast in the shallows, and others cast ashore; he took to flight. Thirty other ships which happened to be near him followed him as he sailed from the left, and coasted along the shore. But the remaining vessels, which amounted to ninety-three, the Carthaginians captured with their crews, except in the case of those who ran their ships ashore and got away.
[1] γενομένης δὲ τῆς ναυμαχίας τοιαύτης Ἀτάρβας μὲν εὐδοκίμει παρὰ τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις, ὡς δι᾽ αὑτὸν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν πρόνοιαν καὶ τόλμαν κατωρθωκώς, [2] Πόπλιος δὲ παρὰ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἠδόξει καὶ διεβέβλητο μεγάλως, ὡς εἰκῇ καὶ ἀλογίστως τοῖς πράγμασι κεχρημένος καὶ τὸ καθ᾽ αὑτὸν οὐ μικροῖς ἐλαττώμασι περιβεβληκὼς τὴν Ῥώμην: [3] διὸ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μεγάλαις ζημίαις καὶ κινδύνοις κριθεὶς περιέπεσεν. [4] οὐ μὴν οἵ γε Ῥωμαῖοι, καίπερ τοιούτων συμβεβηκότων, διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων φιλοτιμίαν οὐδὲν ἀπέλειπον τῶν ἐνδεχομένων, ἀλλ᾽ εἴχοντο τῶν ἑξῆς πραγμάτων. [5] διὸ καὶ συνάψαντος τοῦ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχαιρεσίας χρόνου, στρατηγοὺς ὑπάτους καταστήσαντες παραυτίκα τὸν ἕτερον αὐτῶν ἐξέπεμπον Λεύκιον Ἰούνιον, τάς τε σιταρχίας παρακομίζοντα τοῖς τὸ Λιλύβαιον πολιορκοῦσι καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀγορὰς καὶ χορηγίας τῷ στρατοπέδῳ: πρὸς δὲ καὶ παραπομποὺς τούτοις ἐπλήρωσαν ἑξήκοντα ναῦς. [6] ὁ δ᾽ Ἰούνιος ἀφικόμενος εἰς τὴν Μεσσήνην καὶ προσλαβὼν τὰ συνηντηκότα τῶν πλοίων ἀπό τε τοῦ στρατοπέδου καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Σικελίας παρεκομίσθη κατὰ σπουδὴν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσας, ἔχων ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι σκάφη καὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν σχεδὸν ἐν ὀκτακοσίαις ναυσὶ φορτηγοῖς. [7] ἐντεῦθεν δὲ παραδοὺς τοῖς ταμίαις τὰς ἡμισείας φορτηγοὺς καί τινα τῶν μακρῶν πλοίων ἐξαπέστειλε, διακομισθῆναι σπουδάζων τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. [8] αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσαις ὑπέμενε, τούς τε κατὰ πλοῦν ἀφυστεροῦντας ἐκ τῆς Μεσσήνης ἀναδεχόμενος καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς μεσογαίου συμμάχων σῖτον προσαναλαμβάνων.
52. The result of this sea fight gave Adherbal a high reputation at Carthage; for his success was looked upon as wholly due to himself, and his own foresight and courage: while at Rome Publius fell into great disrepute, and was loudly censured as having acted without due caution or calculation, and as having during his administration, as far as a single man could, involved Rome in serious disasters. He was accordingly some time afterwards brought to trial, was heavily fined, and exposed to considerable danger. Not that the Romans gave way in consequence of these events. On the contrary, they omitted nothing that was within their power to do, and continued resolute to prosecute the campaign. It was now the time for the Consular elections: as soon as they were over and two Consuls appointed; one of them, Lucius Junius, was immediately sent to convey corn to the besiegers of Lilybaeum, and other provisions and supplies necessary for the army, sixty ships being also manned to convoy them. Upon his arrival at Messene, Junius took over such ships as he found there to meet him, whether from the army or from the other parts of Sicily, and coasted along with all speed to Syracuse, with a hundred and twenty ships, and his supplies on board about eight hundred transports. Arrived there, he handed over to the Quaestors half his transports and some of his war-ships, and sent them off, being very anxious that what the army needed should reach them promptly. He remained at Syracuse himself, waiting for such of his ships as had not yet arrived from Messene, and collecting additional supplies of corn from the allies in the central districts of the island.
[1] κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Ἀτάρβας μὲν ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐν τῇ ναυμαχίᾳ ληφθέντας καὶ τὰς αἰχμαλώτους νῆας ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς τὴν Καρχηδόνα, [2] Καρθάλωνα δὲ τὸν συνάρχοντα δοὺς τριάκοντα ναῦς ἐξέπεμψε πρὸς αἷς ἔχων αὐτὸς ἑβδομήκοντα κατέπλευσεν, [3] προστάξας ἄφνω προσπεσόντα ταῖς ὁρμούσαις παρὰ τὸ Λιλύβαιον τῶν πολεμίων ναυσίν, ὧν μὲν ἂν δυνατὸς ᾖ κυριεῦσαι, ταῖς δὲ λοιπαῖς πῦρ ἐμβαλεῖν. [4] πεισθέντος δὲ τοῦ Καρθάλωνος καὶ ποιησαμένου τὸν ἐπίπλουν ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐμπιπρῶντος τὰ δ᾽ ἀποσπῶντος τῶν πλοίων, μεγάλην συνέπεσε γενέσθαι ταραχὴν περὶ τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον. [5] προσβοηθούντων γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς καὶ γινομένης κραυγῆς, συννοήσας Ἰμίλκων ὁ τὸ Λιλύβαιον τηρῶν καὶ θεωρῶν ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας ὑποφαινούσης τὸ συμβαῖνον, ἐπαποστέλλει τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως μισθοφόρους. [6] οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι, τοῦ δεινοῦ πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς περιστάντος, οὐκ εἰς μικρὰν οὐδ᾽ εἰς τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἦλθον διατροπ�
�ν. [7] ὁ δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων ναύαρχος ὀλίγα τῶν σκαφῶν τὰ μὲν ἀποσπάσας τὰ δὲ συντρίψας, μετὰ ταῦτα μικρὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Λιλυβαίου παρακομισθεὶς ὡς ἐφ᾽ Ἡρακλείας ἐτήρει, βουλόμενος διακωλύειν τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον πλέοντας. [8] προσαγγειλάντων δὲ τῶν σκοπῶν πλῆθος ἱκανὸν πλοίων προσφέρεσθαι παντοδαπῶν καὶ συνεγγίζειν, ἀναχθεὶς ἔπλει, συμμῖξαι σπεύδων διὰ τὸ καταφρονεῖν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκ τοῦ προγεγενημένου προτερήματος. [9] ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν Συρακουσῶν προαπεσταλμένοις ταμίαις ἀνήγγειλαν οἱ προπλεῖν εἰθισμένοι λέμβοι τὸν ἐπίπλουν τῶν ὑπεναντίων. [10] οἱ δὲ νομίσαντες οὐκ ἀξιόχρεως σφᾶς αὐτοὺς εἶναι πρὸς ναυμαχίαν, καθωρμίσθησαν πρός τι πολισμάτιον τῶν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ταττομένων, ἀλίμενον μέν, σάλους δ᾽ ἔχον καὶ προβολὰς περικλειούσας ἐκ τῆς γῆς εὐφυεῖς. [11] οὗ ποιησάμενοι τὴν ἀπόβασιν καὶ τούς τε καταπέλτας καὶ τοὺς πετροβόλους τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐπιστήσαντες προσεδόκων τὸν ἐπίπλουν τῶν ὑπεναντίων. [12] οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι συνεγγίσαντες τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπεβάλοντο πολιορκεῖν τούτους, ὑπολαβόντες τοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας καταπλαγέντας εἰς τὸ πολισμάτιον ἀποχωρήσειν, τῶν δὲ πλοίων ἀσφαλῶς κυριεύσειν: [13] οὐ προχωρούσης δὲ τῆς ἐλπίδος, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἀμυνομένων γενναίως, καὶ τοῦ τόπου πολλὰς ἔχοντος καὶ παντοδαπὰς δυσχρηστίας, ὀλίγα τῶν τὰς ἀγορὰς ἐχόντων πλοίων ἀποσπάσαντες ἀπέπλευσαν πρός τινα ποταμόν, ἐν ᾧ καθορμισθέντες ἐπετήρουν τὸν ἀνάπλουν αὐτῶν.
