§6.72.1καὶ οἱ μὲν ταύτῃ τῇ γνώμῃ ἀπέπλευσαν ἐς τὴν Νάξον καὶ Κατάνην διαχειμάσοντες, Συρακόσιοι δὲ τοὺς σφετέρους αὐτῶν νεκροὺς θάψαντες ἐκκλησίαν ἐποίουν.
With this intention, they sailed away to Naxos and Katane to spend the winter, while the Syracusans, having buried their own dead, held an assembly.
§6.72.2καὶ παρελθὼν αὐτοῖς Ἑρμοκράτης ὁ Ἕρμωνος, ἀνὴρ καὶ ἐς τἆλλα ξύνεσιν οὐδενὸς λειπόμενος καὶ κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐμπειρίᾳ τε ἱκανὸς γενόμενος καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ ἐπιφανής, ἐθάρσυνέ τε καὶ οὐκ εἴα τῷ γεγενημένῳ ἐνδιδόναι· §6.72.3τὴν μὲν γὰρ γνώμην αὐτῶν οὐχ ἡσσῆσθαι, τὴν δὲ ἀταξίαν βλάψαι.
And Hermocrates the son of Hermon came forward to them, a man who in other respects was second to none in sagacity, and during the war had become sufficiently experienced and was distinguished for courage; he encouraged them and would not allow them to give way to what had happened, saying that their spirit had not been defeated, but their lack of discipline had done them harm.
οὐ μέντοι τοσοῦτόν γε λειφθῆναι ὅσον εἰκὸς εἶναι, ἄλλως τε καὶ τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐμπειρίᾳ ἰδιώτας ὡς εἰπεῖν χειροτέχναις ἀνταγωνισαμένους.
Yet they had not been so far inferior as might have been expected, especially since they, being so to speak mere novices, had contended against those who were the first of the Greeks in experience, like amateurs against craftsmen.
§6.72.4μέγα δὲ βλάψαι καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στρατηγῶν καὶ τὴν πολυαρχίαν (ἦσαν γὰρ πέντε καὶ δέκα οἱ στρατηγοὶ αὐτοῖς) τῶν τε πολλῶν τὴν ἀξύντακτον ἀναρχίαν.
He said that the great number of the generals and the divided command (for they had fifteen generals) had also done great harm, as well as the disorderly lack of discipline of the multitude.
ἢν δὲ ὀλίγοι τε στρατηγοὶ γένωνται ἔμπειροι καὶ ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι τούτῳ παρασκευάσωσι τὸ ὁπλιτικόν, οἷς τε ὅπλα μὴ ἔστιν ἐκπορίζοντες, ὅπως ὡς πλεῖστοι ἔσονται, καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ μελέτῃ προσαναγκάζοντες, ἔφη κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς κρατήσειν σφᾶς τῶν ἐναντίων, ἀνδρείας μὲν σφίσιν ὑπαρχούσης, εὐταξίας δ’ ἐς τὰ ἔργα προσγενομένης·
But if only a few experienced generals were chosen, and if during this winter they prepared their heavy infantry, providing arms for those who had none so that they might be as numerous as possible, and compelling them to undergo other training, he said they would in all probability defeat their opponents, since courage was already theirs, and discipline would be added to their actions.
ἐπιδώσειν γὰρ ἀμφότερα αὐτά, τὴν μὲν μετὰ κινδύνων μελετωμένην, τὴν δ’ εὐψυχίαν αὐτὴν ἑαυτῆς μετὰ τοῦ πιστοῦ τῆς ἐπιστήμης θαρσαλεωτέραν ἔσεσθαι.
For both of these would improve, discipline being practiced in the midst of danger, and courage itself becoming bolder than its former self when accompanied by the confidence of knowledge.
§6.72.5τούς τε στρατηγοὺς καὶ ὀλίγους καὶ αὐτοκράτορας χρῆναι ἑλέσθαι καὶ ὀμόσαι αὐτοῖς τὸ ὅρκιον ἦ μὴν ἐάσειν ἄρχειν ὅπῃ ἂν ἐπίστωνται· οὕτω γὰρ ἅ τε κρύπτεσθαι δεῖ μᾶλλον ἂν στέγεσθαι καὶ τἆλλα κατὰ κόσμον καὶ ἀπροφασίστως παρασκευασθῆναι.
He added that they ought to choose generals who were both few and absolute in power, and take an oath to them that they would indeed allow them to command as they knew best; for in this way what ought to be kept secret would be better concealed, and everything else would be prepared in an orderly manner and without any excuses.