§13.77.1Κόνων δʼ ὁ τῶν Ἀθηναίων στρατηγὸς εἶχε μὲν ἑβδομήκοντα ναῦς, οὕτως ἐξηρτυμένας τὰ πρὸς ναυμαχίαν ὡς οὐδεὶς ἕτερος τῶν πρότερον στρατηγῶν ἦν κατεσκευακώς.
On the other hand, Conon, the Athenian general, had seventy ships, equipped for naval battle in such a way as no other of the previous generals had prepared.
ἔτυχε μὲν οὖν ἁπάσαις ἀνηγμένος ἐπὶ τὴν βοήθειαν τῆς Μηθύμνης·
Now, he happened to have put to sea with all of them for the relief of Methymna.
§13.77.2εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτὴν ἡλωκυῖαν τότε μὲν ηὐλίσθη πρός τινι νήσῳ τῶν Ἑκατὸν καλουμένων, ἅμα δʼ ἡμέρᾳ κατανοήσας τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ναῦς προσπλεούσας, τὸ μὲν αὐτοῦ διαναυμαχεῖν ἔκρινεν ἐπισφαλὲς εἶναι πρὸς διπλασίας τριήρεις, διενοεῖτο δὲ ἔξω πλέων φυγεῖν καὶ προσεπισπασάμενός τινας τῶν πολεμίων τριήρων ναυμαχῆσαι πρὸς τῇ Μιτυλήνῃ· οὕτως γὰρ ὑπελάμβανε νικῶν μὲν ἕξειν ἀναστροφὴν εἰς τὸ διώκειν, ἡττώμενος δʼ εἰς τὸν λιμένα καταφεύξεσθαι.
But finding that it had already been captured, for the time being he encamped near one of the islands called Hecaton, and at daybreak, having observed the ships of the enemy sailing against him, he judged that to fight a decisive battle on the spot was risky against twice as many triremes, and he intended to flee by sailing out into the open sea and, having drawn some of the enemy's triremes after him, to fight near Mitylene; for in this way he supposed that, if he were victorious, he would have room to turn for pursuit, but if defeated, he could flee into the harbor.
§13.77.3ἐμβιβάσας οὖν τοὺς στρατιώτας ἔπλει σχολαίως ταῖς εἰρεσίαις χρώμενος, ὅπως αἱ τῶν Πελοποννησίων ἐγγίσωσιν.
Therefore, having embarked his soldiers, he sailed slowly, using easy rowing, so that the ships of the Peloponnesians might draw near.
οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι προσιόντες ἀεὶ μᾶλλον ἤλαυνον τὰς ναῦς, ἐλπίζοντες αἱρήσειν τὰς ἐσχάτας τῶν πολεμίων.
And the Lacedaemonians, as they came on, rowed their ships faster and faster, hoping to capture the hindmost of the enemy's ships.
§13.77.4τοῦ δὲ Κόνωνος ὑποχωροῦντος οἱ τὰς ἀρίστας ἔχοντες ναῦς τῶν Πελοποννησίων κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐδίωκον, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐρέτας διὰ τὴν συνέχειαν τῆς εἰρεσίας ἐξέλυσαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπεσπάσθησαν.
While Conon was retreating, those of the Peloponnesians who had the best ships pursued in haste, and they exhausted their oarsmen because of the continuous rowing, and they themselves were drawn far away from the others.
ἃ δὴ συνιδὼν ὁ Κόνων, ὡς ἤδη τῆς Μιτυλήνης ἤγγιζον, ἦρεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας νεὼς φοινικίδα· τοῦτο γὰρ σύσσημον ἦν τοῖς τριηράρχοις.
Conon, observing these very facts, when they were already drawing near to Mitylene, raised a red flag from his own ship; for this was a signal to the trierarchs.
§13.77.5διόπερ αἱ μὲν ναῦς, τῶν πολεμίων ἐξαπτομένων, ἐξαίφνης πρὸς ἕνα καιρὸν ἐπέστρεψαν, καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ἐπαιάνισεν, οἱ δὲ σαλπικταὶ τὸ πολεμικὸν ἐσήμηναν·
Therefore, just as the enemy was close upon them, the ships suddenly turned back at one and the same moment, and the multitude sang the paean, and the trumpeters sounded the battle signal.
οἱ δὲ Πελοποννήσιοι καταπλαγέντες ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι ταχέως ἐπεχείρουν ἀντιπαρατάττειν τὰς ναῦς, τοῦ καιροῦ δʼ ἀναστροφὴν οὐ διδόντος οὗτοι μὲν ἐν πολλῷ θορύβῳ καθειστήκεισαν διὰ τὸ τὰς ἀφυστερούσας ναῦς τὴν εἰθισμένην λελοιπέναι τάξιν,
The Peloponnesians, terrified by what had happened, quickly attempted to draw up their ships in battle line, but since the occasion gave them no time to turn, they were thrown into great confusion because the lagging ships had abandoned their customary order,