§13.16.1διὸ καὶ πολλοὶ ταῖς τῶν ἐναντίων πρῴραις ἐπιβάντες, τῆς οἰκείας νεὼς ὑφʼ ἑτέρας τρωθείσης, ἐν μέσοις τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπελαμβάνοντο.
Therefore, many, having boarded the prows of the enemy, while their own ship was damaged by another, were cut off in the midst of the enemy.
ἔνιοι δὲ σιδηρᾶς χεῖρας ἐπιβάλλοντες ἠνάγκαζον τοὺς ἀντιταττομένους ἐπὶ τῶν νεῶν πεζομαχεῖν. §13.16.2πολλάκις δὲ τὰς ἰδίας ἔχοντες ναῦς συντετριμμένας, εἰς τὰς τῶν ἐναντίων μεθαλλόμενοι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀποκτείνοντες, τοὺς δʼ εἰς τὴν θάλατταν προωθοῦντες, ἐκυρίευον τῶν τριήρων.
Others, throwing grappling irons, forced their opponents to fight a land-battle on the ships. Often, though having their own ships shattered, they leaped into those of the enemy, and by killing some and pushing others into the sea, they made themselves masters of the triremes.
ἁπλῶς δὲ καθʼ ὅλον τὸν λιμένα τῶν τʼ ἐμβολῶν ψόφος ἐγίνετο καὶ βοὴ τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων ἐναλλὰξ ἀπολλυμένων. §13.16.3ὅτε γὰρ ἀποληφθείη ναῦς ὑπὸ πλειόνων τριήρων, πανταχόθεν τυπτομένη τοῖς χαλκώμασι, τοῦ ῥεύματος εἰσπίπτοντος αὔτανδρος ὑπὸ τῆς θαλάττης κατεπίνετο.
In short, throughout the whole harbor there arose the crash of the rams and the shouting of the combatants as they perished one after another. For whenever a ship was cut off by several triremes and struck from all sides by their bronze rams, as the water rushed in, it was swallowed up by the sea with all hands.
ἔνιοι δὲ καταδυομένων τῶν νεῶν ἀποκολυμβῶντες τοῖς τε τόξοις κατετιτρώσκοντο καὶ τοῖς δόρασι τυπτόμενοι διεφθείροντο. §13.16.4οἱ δὲ κυβερνῆται θεωροῦντες τεταραγμένην τὴν μάχην, καὶ πάντα τόπον ὄντα πλήρη θορύβου, καὶ πολλάκις ἐπὶ μίαν ναῦν πλείους ἐπιφερομένας, οὔθʼ ὅ,τι σημαίνοιεν εἶχον, μὴ τῶν αὐτῶν πρὸς ἅπαντα συμφερόντων, οὔτε πρὸς τοὺς κελεύοντας τοὺς ἐνεδέχετο βλέπειν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν βελῶν. §13.16.5ἁπλῶς δὲ τῶν παραγγελλομένων οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν ἤκουε, τῶν σκαφῶν θραυομένων καὶ παρασυρομένων τῶν ταρσῶν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῇ κραυγῇ τῶν ναυμαχούντων καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς συμφιλοτιμουμένων. §13.16.6τοῦ γὰρ αἰγιαλοῦ παντὸς τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν πεζῶν τῶν Ἀθηναίων κατείχετο, τὸ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν Συρακοσίων, ὥστʼ ἐνίοτε τοὺς παρὰ τὴν γῆν ναυμαχοῦντας συμμάχους ἔχειν τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς χέρσου στρατοπεδεύοντας. §13.16.7οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν τειχῶν ὅτε μὲν ἴδοιεν τοὺς ἰδίους εὐημεροῦντας, ἐπαιάνιζον, ὅτε δʼ ἐλαττουμένους, ἔστενον καὶ μετὰ δακρύων τοῖς θεοῖς προσηύχοντο.
Some, as the ships sank, swam away but were wounded by arrows or slain by being struck with spears. The helmsmen, seeing the battle thrown into confusion, and every place full of uproar, and often several ships rushing upon a single one, neither knew what signals to make, since the same instructions were not suitable for all situations, nor was it possible for them to look toward those giving orders, because of the multitude of missiles. In short, no one could hear any of the orders given, while the vessels were being shattered and the oars swept away, and at the same time amidst the shouting of those engaged in the sea-fight and of those on land who were encouraging their own men. For since of the whole shore part was held by the infantry of the Athenians and part by the Syracusans, it followed that sometimes those fighting near the land had as allies those encamped upon the shore. Those on the walls, whenever they saw their own men successful, would sing the paean, but when they saw them losing, they would wail and with tears pray to the gods.
ἐνίοτε γάρ, εἰ τύχοι, τῶν Συρακοσίων τριήρων παρὰ τὰ τείχη διαφθείρεσθαί τινας συνέβαινε, καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν συγγενῶν ἀναιρεῖσθαι, καὶ θεωρεῖν γονεῖς μὲν τέκνων ἀπώλειαν, ἀδελφὰς δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἀδελφῶν οἰκτρὰν καταστροφήν.
For sometimes, as it happened, some of the Syracusan triremes were destroyed close to the walls, and their own men were slain before the eyes of their kinsmen, with the result that parents beheld the destruction of their children, and sisters and wives the miserable end of their husbands and brothers.