§13.85.1οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τὰς δυνάμεις διαβιβάσαντες εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν ἀνέζευξαν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν τῶν Ἀκραγαντίνων, καὶ δύο παρεμβολὰς ἐποιήσαντο, μίαν μὲν ἐπί τινων λόφων, ἐφʼ ὧν τούς τε Ἴβηρας καί τινας τῶν Λιβύων ἔταξαν εἰς τετρακισμυρίους· τὴν δʼ ἄλλην οὐκ ἄπωθεν τῆς πόλεως ποιησάμενοι τάφρῳ βαθείᾳ καὶ χάρακι περιέλαβον.
The Carthaginians, having transported their forces to Sicily, marched against the city of the Acragantines and established two camps, one upon certain hills, where they stationed the Iberians and some of the Libyans to the number of forty thousand; the other they established not far from the city, surrounding it with a deep trench and a palisade.
§13.85.2καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἀπέστειλαν πρέσβεις πρὸς τοὺς Ἀκραγαντίνους, ἀξιοῦντες μάλιστα μὲν συμμαχεῖν αὐτοῖς, εἰ δὲ μή γε, ἡσυχίαν ἔχειν καὶ φίλους εἶναι Καρχηδονίοις ἐν εἰρήνῃ μένοντας· οὐ προσδεξαμένων δὲ τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει τοὺς λόγους, εὐθὺς τὰ τῆς πολιορκίας ἐνηργεῖτο.
And first they sent ambassadors to the Acragantines, requesting preferably that they should ally with them, or, if not, that they should remain quiet and be friends to the Carthaginians, remaining at peace; but when those in the city did not accept the proposals, immediately the operations of the siege were set in motion.
§13.85.3οἱ μὲν οὖν Ἀκραγαντῖνοι τοὺς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ πάντας καθώπλισαν, καὶ καταστήσαντες εἰς τάξιν τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν τειχῶν ἔστησαν, τοὺς δὲ ἐφέδρους πρὸς τὰς τῶν καταπονουμένων διαδοχάς.
The Acragantines, therefore, armed all those of military age, and having drawn them up in order, stationed some upon the walls, and others as reserves for the relief of those who were hard pressed.
συνεμάχει δʼ αὐτοῖς Δέξιππός τε ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος προσφάτως ἐκ Γέλας παρὼν μετὰ ξένων χιλίων πεντακοσίων· οὗτος γὰρ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, ὡς Τίμαιός φησιν, ἐν Γέλᾳ διέτριβεν, ἔχων ἀξίωμα διὰ τὴν πατρίδα.
And Dexippus the Lacedaemonian was allied with them, having recently arrived from Gela with fifteen hundred mercenaries; for he was residing in Gela at that time, as Timaeus says, holding high prestige because of his native city.
§13.85.4διόπερ ἠξίωσαν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἀκραγαντῖνοι μισθωσάμενον στρατιώτας ὡς πλείστους ἐλθεῖν εἰς Ἀκράγαντα· ἅμα δὲ τούτοις ἐμισθώθησαν καὶ οἱ πρότερον Ἀννίβᾳ συμμαχήσαντες Καμπανοί, περὶ ὀκτακοσίους ὄντες.
Therefore the Acragantines requested him to hire as many soldiers as possible and come to Acragas; and at the same time with these, the Campanians who had previously been allied with Hannibal were also hired, being about eight hundred.
οὗτοι δὲ κατέσχον τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως λόφον, τὸν Ἀθήναιον μὲν ὀνομαζόμενον, κατὰ δὲ τῆς πόλεως εὐφυῶς κείμενον.
These men occupied the hill above the city, which was called the Athenaion, and was situated advantageously against the city.
§13.85.5Ἰμίλκας δὲ καὶ Ἀννίβας οἱ τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγοὶ διασκεψάμενοι τὰ τείχη, καὶ καθʼ ἕνα τόπον θεωροῦντες εὐέφοδον οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν, δύο πύργους προσήγαγον τοῖς τείχεσιν ὑπερμεγέθεις.
Himilco and Hannibal, the generals of the Carthaginians, having reconnoitered the walls, and seeing that the city was easy to assault at one point, brought up two immense towers to the walls.
τὴν μὲν οὖν πρώτην ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τούτων τειχομαχήσαντες καὶ συχνοὺς ἀνελόντες ἀνεκαλέσαντο τῇ σάλπιγγι τοὺς μαχομένους· τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐπεξελθόντες ἐνεπύρισαν τὰς μηχανάς.
On the first day, having fought from these against the walls and slain many, they recalled the combatants by the trumpet; but when night came on, those in the city made a sally and set fire to the siege engines.