§13.98.1Καλλικρατίδας δʼ ὁ ναύαρχος συναγαγὼν τὰ πλήθη καὶ παραθαρσύνας τοῖς οἰκείοις λόγοις, τὸ τελευταῖον εἶπεν· εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος κίνδυνον οὕτως εἰμὶ πρόθυμος αὐτός, ὥστε τοῦ μάντεως λέγοντος διὰ τῶν ἱερείων ὑμῖν μὲν προσημαίνεσθαι νίκην, ἐμοὶ δὲ θάνατον, ὅμως ἕτοιμός εἰμι τελευτᾶν.
The admiral Callicratidas, having assembled the multitudes and encouraged them with his own words, finally said: "For the danger on behalf of our fatherland, I myself am so eager that, even though the seer says that through the victims victory is portended for you but death for me, nevertheless I am ready to die.
εἰδὼς οὖν μετὰ τὸν τῶν ἡγεμόνων θάνατον ἐν θορύβῳ τὰ στρατόπεδα γινόμενα, νῦν ἀναδεικνύω ναύαρχον, ἂν ἐγώ τι πάθω, τὸν διαδεξόμενον Κλέαρχον, ἄνδρα πεῖραν δεδωκότα τῶν κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἔργων. §13.98.2ὁ μὲν οὖν Καλλικρατίδας ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν οὐκ ὀλίγους ἐποίησε ζηλῶσαι τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ προθυμοτέρους γενέσθαι πρὸς τὴν μάχην.
Knowing, therefore, that after the death of their commanders armies fall into confusion, I now designate as admiral, if anything should happen to me, Clearchus as my successor, a man who has given proof of his experience in the deeds of war." Callicratidas, by speaking these words, caused not a few to admire his valor and to become more eager for the battle.
καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν παρακαλοῦντες ἀλλήλους ἀνέβαινον εἰς τὰς ναῦς· οἱ δʼ Ἀθηναῖοι, παρακληθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγῶν εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα, κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐπλήρουν τὰς τριήρεις καὶ πάντες εἰς τάξιν καθίσταντο.
And the Lacedaemonians, encouraging one another, embarked upon the ships; while the Athenians, exhorted to the contest by their generals, manned the triremes in haste and all took their places in the formation.
§13.98.3τοῦ μὲν οὖν δεξιοῦ κέρατος Θράσυλλος ἡγεῖτο καὶ Περικλῆς ὁ Περικλέους τοῦ προσαγορευθέντος κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν Ὀλυμπίου· συμπαρέλαβε δὲ καὶ Θηραμένην εἰς τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας, ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας τάξας· ὃς ἰδιώτης ὢν μὲν συνεστράτευε τότε, πρότερον δὲ πολλάκις ἦν ἀφηγημένος δυνάμεων·
Now Thrasyllus and Pericles, the son of the Pericles who because of his power had been surnamed 'the Olympian', commanded the right wing; furthermore, he associated Theramenes also with the right wing, having placed him in a position of command, who at that time was serving as a private citizen, though previously he had often commanded forces.
τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους στρατηγοὺς παρʼ ὅλην τὴν φάλαγγα διέταξε, καὶ τὰς καλουμένας Ἀργινούσας νήσους συμπεριέλαβε τῇ τάξει, σπεύδων ὅτι πλεῖστον παρεκτεῖναι τὰς ναῦς.
He stationed the other generals along the entire phalanx, and included the so-called Arginusae Islands in the formation, striving to extend the ships as far as possible.
§13.98.4ὁ δὲ Καλλικρατίδας ἀνήχθη τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν μέρος αὐτὸς ἔχων, τὸ δʼ εὐώνυμον παρέδωκε Βοιωτοῖς, ὧν Θρασώνδας ὁ Θηβαῖος τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔσχεν.
Callicratidas put to sea holding the right wing himself, and turned over the left to the Boeotians, of whom Thrasondas the Theban held the command.
οὐ δυνάμενος δὲ τὴν τάξιν ἐξισῶσαι τοῖς πολεμίοις διὰ τὸ τὰς νήσους πολὺν ἐπέχειν τόπον, διείλατο τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ δύο ποιήσας στόλους πρὸς ἑκάτερον μέρος δίχα διηγωνίζετο.
But since he was unable to equal the enemy's formation in length because the islands occupied a large space, he divided his force, and having made two fleets, he fought the battle divided in two against each part.
§13.98.5διὸ καὶ παρείχετο μεγάλην κατάπληξιν πολλαχῇ τοῖς θεωμένοις, ὡς ἂν τεττάρων μὲν στόλων ναυμαχούντων, τῶν δὲ νεῶν συνηθροισμένων εἰς ἕνα τόπον οὐ πολλαῖς ἐλάττω τῶν τριακοσίων· μεγίστη γὰρ αὕτη μνημονεύεται ναυμαχία γεγενημένη Ἕλλησι πρὸς Ἕλληνας.
Wherefore also it presented a great astonishment in many ways to the onlookers, as though four fleets were fighting a naval battle, with the ships gathered into one place numbering not many fewer than three hundred; for this is remembered as the greatest naval battle that ever took place between Greeks and Greeks.