§13.56.1οἱ δὲ Σελινούντιοι τῶν ἱππέων τοὺς κρατίστους ἐπιλέξαντες διὰ νυκτὸς εὐθέως ἀπέστειλαν τοὺς μὲν εἰς Ἀκράγαντα, τοὺς δʼ εἰς Γέλαν καὶ Συρακούσας, δεόμενοι τὴν ταχίστην βοηθεῖν, ὡς οὐ δυναμένης πλείω χρόνον τῆς πόλεως ὑποστῆναι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν δύναμιν.
But the Selinuntines, having selected the best of their horsemen, straightway sent them during the night, some to Acragas, others to Gela and Syracuse, begging them to render aid as quickly as possible, on the ground that the city was not able to withstand the force of the enemy for any longer time.
§13.56.2οἱ μὲν οὖν Ἀκραγαντῖνοι καὶ Γελῷοι περιέμενον τοὺς Συρακοσίους, βουλόμενοι τὴν δύναμιν ἀθρόαν ἄγειν ἐπὶ τοὺς Καρχηδονίους· οἱ δὲ Συρακόσιοι πυθόμενοι τὰ περὶ τὴν πολιορκίαν, πρὸς μὲν Χαλκιδεῖς πόλεμον ἔχοντες διελύσαντο, τὰς δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας δυνάμεις ἀθροίζοντες, μεγάλην ποιούμενοι παρασκευὴν ἐχρόνιζον, νομίζοντες ἐκπολιορκηθήσεσθαι τὴν πόλιν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀναρπασθήσεσθαι.
Now the Acragantini and Geloans waited for the Syracusans, wishing to lead their force in a body against the Carthaginians; but the Syracusans, having learned of the siege, brought to an end the war they were waging against the Chalcidians, and while gathering their forces from the countryside, they delayed because they were making great preparations, thinking that the city indeed would be reduced by siege, but would not be carried by storm.
§13.56.3Ἀννίβας δὲ τῆς νυκτὸς διελθούσης ἅμα ἡμέρᾳ πανταχόθεν μὲν προσέβαλε, τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν πεπτωκὸς μέρος τοῦ τείχους καὶ τὸ συνάπτον τούτῳ κατέβαλε ταῖς μηχαναῖς.
And Hannibal, when the night had passed, at daybreak launched an assault from all sides, and threw down with his engines the part of the wall that had fallen and that which adjoined it.
§13.56.4ἀνακαθάρας δὲ τὸν πεσόντα τόπον τοῦ τείχους, καὶ τοῖς κρατίστοις ἐκ διαδοχῆς ἀγωνιζόμενος, ἐπʼ ὀλίγον ἐξέωσε τοὺς Σελινουντίους· οὐ μήν γε βιάσασθαι δυνατὸν ἦν τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων διαγωνιζομένους.
Having cleared the place where the wall had fallen, and fighting with his best men in succession, he pushed back the Selinuntines for a short distance; nevertheless, it was not possible to force a way through those who were fighting for their all.
§13.56.5πολλῶν δʼ ἀναιρουμένων παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις, τοῖς μὲν Καρχηδονίοις νεαλεῖς διεδέχοντο τὴν μάχην, τοῖς δὲ Σελινουντίοις οὐκ ἦν τὸ βοηθῆσον.
And as many were being slain on both sides, fresh men succeeded to the battle for the Carthaginians, but for the Selinuntines there was no force to reinforce them.
τῆς δὲ πολιορκίας ἐφʼ ἡμέρας ἐννέα γενομένης μετὰ φιλοτιμίας ἀνυπερβλήτου, πολλὰ συνέβη τοὺς Καρχηδονίους κακοπαθεῖν καὶ δρᾶσαι δεινά.
And since the siege was carried on for nine days with unsurpassed rivalry, it happened that the Carthaginians both suffered many hardships and committed terrible deeds.
§13.56.6κατὰ δὲ τὸ πεπτωκὸς τεῖχος ἀναβάντων τῶν Ἰβήρων, αἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν οὖσαι γυναῖκες ἀνεβόησαν, οἱ δὲ Σελινούντιοι νομίζοντες ἁλίσκεσθαι τὴν πόλιν κατεπλάγησαν, καὶ τὰ τείχη λιπόντες κατὰ τὰς εἰσβολὰς τῶν στενωπῶν ἀθρόοι συνίσταντο, καὶ τὰς μὲν ὁδοὺς διοικοδομεῖν ἐνεχείρησαν, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἠμύνοντο.
And when the Iberians mounted up through the fallen wall, the women who were on the houses shrieked aloud, and the Selinuntines, thinking that the city was being taken, were struck with terror, and abandoning the walls, they gathered in crowds at the entrances of the narrow streets, and they attempted to barricade the streets, and kept warding off the enemy for a long time.
§13.56.7βιαζομένων δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων, τὰ πλήθη τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων ἔφευγον ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκίας, καὶ τούς τε λίθους καὶ τὰς κεραμίδας ἔβαλλον ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους.
And as the Carthaginians forced their way, the crowds of women and children fled to the houses, and threw both stones and tiles upon the enemy.
ἐπὶ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι κακῶς ἀπήλλαττον, οὔτε περιστῆναι δυνάμενοι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς στενωποῖς διὰ τοὺς τῶν οἰκιῶν τοίχους, οὔτʼ ἐπʼ ἴσης διαγωνίσασθαι διὰ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν στεγῶν βάλλοντας.
And for a long time the Carthaginians fared badly, being neither able to surround those in the narrow streets because of the walls of the houses, nor to fight on equal terms because of those throwing from the roofs.
§13.56.8οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τοῦ κινδύνου μέχρι δείλης παρεκτείνοντος, τοῖς μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκιῶν ἀγωνιζομένοις ἐνέλιπε τὰ βέλη, τοῖς δὲ Καρχηδονίοις οἱ διαδεχόμενοι τοὺς κακοπαθοῦντας ἀκέραιοι διηγωνίζοντο.
Nevertheless, as the danger was prolonged until late afternoon, missiles failed those who were fighting from the houses, while on the side of the Carthaginians, fresh men, succeeding those who were hard-pressed, fought on.
τέλος δὲ τῆς μὲν ἔνδον δυνάμεως ἀφαίρεσιν λαμβανούσης, τῶν δὲ πολεμίων ἀεὶ πλειόνων εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐμπιπτόντων, ἐξεώσθησαν ἐκ τῶν στενωπῶν οἱ Σελινούντιοι.
And finally, while the force inside was experiencing a reduction, and more of the enemy were continually pouring into the city, the Selinuntines were driven out of the narrow streets.