§3.51.1ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ θέρει μετὰ τὴν Λέσβου ἅλωσιν Ἀθηναῖοι Νικίου τοῦ Νικηράτου στρατηγοῦντος ἐστράτευσαν ἐπὶ Μινῴαν τὴν νῆσον, ἣ κεῖται πρὸ Μεγάρων· ἐχρῶντο δὲ αὐτῇ πύργον ἐνοικοδομήσαντες οἱ Μεγαρῆς φρουρίῳ.
In the same summer, after the capture of Lesbos, the Athenians, under the command of Nicias son of Niceratus, made an expedition against the island of Minoa, which lies off Megara; the Megarians had built a tower on it and used it as a fortress.
§3.51.2ἐβούλετο δὲ Νικίας τὴν φυλακὴν αὐτόθεν δι’ ἐλάσσονος τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ Βουδόρου καὶ τῆς Σαλαμῖνος εἶναι, τούς τε Πελοποννησίους, ὅπως μὴ ποιῶνται ἔκπλους αὐτόθεν λανθάνοντες τριήρων τε, οἷον καὶ τὸ πρὶν γενόμενον, καὶ λῃστῶν ἐκπομπαῖς, τοῖς τε Μεγαρεῦσιν ἅμα μηδὲν ἐσπλεῖν.
For Nicias wished that the Athenian guard-station should be closer at hand, rather than from Budorum and Salamis, and also to prevent the Peloponnesians from slipping out thence unobserved with triremes, as had happened before, or sending out privateers, while at the same time ensuring that nothing should be imported for the Megarians.
§3.51.3ἑλὼν οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς Νισαίας πρῶτον δύο πύργω προύχοντε μηχαναῖς ἐκ θαλάσσης καὶ τὸν ἔσπλουν ἐς τὸ μεταξὺ τῆς νήσου ἐλευθερώσας ἀπετείχιζε καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου, ᾗ κατὰ γέφυραν διὰ τενάγους ἐπιβοήθεια ἦν τῇ νήσῳ οὐ πολὺ διεχούσῃ τῆς ἠπείρου.
Having therefore first captured from the side of Nisaea, by means of engines from the sea, two projecting towers, and having cleared the passage into the channel between the island and the mainland, he began to build a wall to block off the approach from the mainland also, where, by a bridge across a shallow lagoon, assistance used to be sent to the island, which was not far distant from the mainland.
§3.51.4ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐξειργάσαντο ἐν ἡμέραις ὀλίγαις, ὕστερον δὴ καὶ ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τεῖχος ἐγκαταλιπὼν καὶ φρουρὰν ἀνεχώρησε τῷ στρατῷ.
When they had completed this work in a few days, he subsequently built a wall on the island as well, and having left a garrison, withdrew with his army.