§14.18.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν Διονύσιος ὁ τῶν Σικελῶν τύραννος, ἐπειδὴ τὰ κατὰ τὴν δυναστείαν αὐτῷ προεχώρει κατὰ γνώμην, διενοεῖτο μὲν πρὸς Καρχηδονίους ἐκφέρειν πόλεμον· οὔπω δὲ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς ἱκανὸς ὢν τὴν μὲν προαίρεσιν ταύτην ἔκρυπτε, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς μέλλοντας κινδύνους τὰ χρήσιμα διῴκει.
In Sicily, Dionysius, the tyrant of the Siceliots, since the affairs of his dominion were proceeding according to his wish, made up his mind to declare war against the Carthaginians; but since he was not yet sufficient in his preparations, he kept this purpose secret, and managed useful matters in view of the coming dangers.
§14.18.2εἰδὼς οὖν κατὰ τὸν Ἀττικὸν πόλεμον τὴν πόλιν ἐκ θαλάττης εἰς θάλατταν ἀποτετειχισμένην, εὐλαβεῖτο μήποτε παραπλησίοις ἐλαττώμασι περιπεσὼν ἀποκλεισθῇ τῆς εἰς τὴν χώραν ἐξόδου· εὐφυῶς γὰρ ἑώρα κειμένας τὰς καλουμένας Ἐπιπολὰς κατὰ τῆς πόλεως τῶν Συρακοσίων.
Knowing, therefore, that during the Attic War the city had been walled off from sea to sea, he was on his guard lest, falling into similar reverses, he should be shut out from his exit into the countryside; for he saw that the so-called Epipolae was advantageously situated overlooking the city of the Syracusans.
§14.18.3διόπερ τοὺς ἀρχιτέκτονας παραλαβών, ἀπὸ τῆς τούτων γνώμης ἔκρινε δεῖν τειχίσαι τὰς Ἐπιπολάς, ᾗ νῦν τὸ πρὸς τοῖς Ἑξαπύλοις ὑπάρχει τεῖχος.
Therefore, bringing the architects to himself, he decided, in accordance with their opinion, that it was necessary to fortify Epipolae, where the wall near Hexapylon now stands.
§14.18.4ὁ γὰρ τόπος οὗτος τετραμμένος ἐστὶ πρὸς ἄρκτον, ὑπόκρημνος δὲ πᾶς καὶ διὰ τὴν τραχύτητα δυσπρόσοδος ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν μερῶν.
For this place is turned toward the north, and is entirely precipitous and, because of its ruggedness, difficult of access from the outside.
βουλόμενος οὖν ταχεῖαν τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν τειχῶν γίνεσθαι, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας ὄχλον ἤθροισεν, ἐξ οὗ τοὺς εὐθέτους ἄνδρας ἐπιλέξας εἰς ἑξακισμυρίους ἐπιδιεῖλε τούτοις τὸν τειχιζόμενον τόπον.
Wishing, therefore, the construction of the walls to be rapid, he gathered the multitude from the countryside, from which, having selected the suitable men to the number of about sixty thousand, he distributed among them the place to be walled.
§14.18.5καθʼ ἕκαστον μὲν οὖν στάδιον ἀρχιτέκτονας ἐπέστησε, κατὰ δὲ πλέθρον ἐπέταξεν οἰκοδόμους, καὶ τοὺς τούτοις ὑπηρετήσοντας ἐκ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν εἰς ἕκαστον πλέθρον διακοσίους.
Thus, for each stade he placed an architect in charge, and for each plethron he appointed builders, and two hundred of the private citizens for each plethron to assist them.
χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἕτεροι παμπληθεῖς τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἔτεμνον τὸν ἀνέργαστον λίθον· ἑξακισχίλια δὲ ζεύγη βοῶν ἐπὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον τόπον παρεκόμιζεν.
Apart from these, others, infinite in number, were cutting the unworked stone, and six thousand pairs of oxen were transporting it to the proper place.
§14.18.6ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐργαζομένων πολυχειρία πολλὴν παρείχετο τοῖς θεωμένοις κατάπληξιν, ἁπάντων σπευδόντων τελέσαι τὸ τεταγμένον.
And the multitude of the workers afforded great astonishment to those who beheld them, everyone hastening to finish what had been ordered.
ὁ γὰρ Διονύσιος τὴν προθυμίαν τοῦ πλήθους ἐκκαλούμενος μεγάλας προέθηκε δωρεὰς τοῖς προτερήσασι, δίχα μὲν τοῖς ἀρχιτέκτοσι, χωρὶς δὲ τοῖς οἰκοδόμοις καὶ πάλιν τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῶν φίλων προσήδρευε τὰς ἡμέρας ὅλας τοῖς ἔργοις, ἐπὶ πάντα τόπον ἐπιφαινόμενος καὶ τοῖς κακοπαθοῦσιν αἰεὶ προσλαμβάνων.
For Dionysius, calling forth the eagerness of the multitude, offered great rewards to those who finished first, separately to the architects, and besides to the builders, and again to the workers; and he himself with his friends was in attendance at the works all day, appearing at every place and always helping those who were struggling.
§14.18.7καθόλου δʼ ἀποθέμενος τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς βάρος ἰδιώτην αὑτὸν ἀπεδείκνυε, καὶ τοῖς βαρυτάτοις τῶν ἔργων προσιστάμενος ὑπέμενε τὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἄλλοις κακοπάθειαν, ὥστε πολλὴ μὲν ἔρις ἐγίνετο καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἡμέρας ἔργοις ἔνιοι προσετίθεσαν καὶ μέρη τῶν νυκτῶν· τοσαύτη σπουδὴ τοῖς πλήθεσιν ἐνεπεπτώκει.
On the whole, laying aside the dignity of his rule, he showed himself as a private citizen, and applying himself to the heaviest of the tasks, he endured the same hardship as the others, so that a great rivalry arose, and some added parts of the nights to the day’s labours; such great eagerness had fallen upon the multitudes.
§14.18.8διόπερ ἀνελπίστως ἐν ἡμέραις εἴκοσι τέλος ἔσχε τὸ τεῖχος, τὸ μὲν μῆκος κατασκευασθὲν ἐπὶ σταδίους τριάκοντα, τὸ δὲ ὕψος σύμμετρον, ὥστε τῷ τοίχῳ τῆς ὀχυρότητος προςγενομένης ἀνάλωτον ἐκ βίας ὑπάρξαι· τοῖς γὰρ πύργοις διείληπτο πυκνοῖς καὶ ὑψηλοῖς, ἔκ τε λίθων ᾠκοδόμητο τετραπέδων φιλοτίμως συνειργασμένων.
Therefore, contrary to expectation, in twenty days the wall was completed, having been constructed in length for thirty stades, and with its height proportional, so that because of the strength added to the wall, it was impregnable by force; for it was partitioned by frequent and high towers, and had been built of four-foot stones carefully joined together.