§14.51.1Διονύσιος δὲ τῇ πολυχειρίᾳ τῶν ἐργαζομένων συντελέσας τὸ χῶμα, προσήγαγε παντοίας μηχανὰς τοῖς τείχεσι, καὶ τοῖς μὲν κριοῖς ἔτυπτε τοὺς πύργους, τοῖς δὲ καταπέλταις ἀνέστελλε τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπάλξεων μαχομένους· προσήγαγε δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν τροχῶν πύργους τοῖς τείχεσιν, ἑξωρόφους ὄντας, οὓς κατεσκεύασε πρὸς τὸ τῶν οἰκιῶν ὕψος.
Dionysius, having completed the mound by the great number of his laborers, brought siege engines of every kind against the walls, and with the battering rams he kept striking the towers, while with the catapults he held back those fighting on the breastworks; he also brought the towers on wheels, which were six stories high, up to the walls, which he had constructed to match the height of the houses.
§14.51.2οἱ δὲ τὴν Μοτύην κατοικοῦντες ἐν χερσὶ τοῦ κινδύνου καθεστῶτος ὅμως οὐ κατεπλάγησαν τὴν τοῦ Διονυσίου δύναμιν, καίπερ ὄντες ἔρημοι συμμάχων κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρόν.
But the inhabitants of Motya, although the danger was close at hand, nevertheless were not terrified by the force of Dionysius, even though they were destitute of allies at that time.
ὑπερτιθέμενοι δὲ τῇ φιλοδοξίᾳ τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐκ τῶν μεγίστων ἱστῶν κεραίαις ἱσταμέναις ἐβάσταζον ἄνδρας ἐν θωρακίοις, οὗτοι δʼ ἀφʼ ὑψηλῶν τόπων δᾷδας ἡμμένας ἠφίεσαν καὶ στυππεῖα καιόμενα μετὰ πίττης εἰς τὰς τῶν πολεμίων μηχανάς.
Outdoing the besiegers in their desire for glory, at first they raised men in armor by means of yards suspended from the tallest masts; and these men from their high positions cast lighted torches and burning tow with pitch upon the engines of the enemy.
§14.51.3ταχὺ δὲ τῆς φλογὸς ἐπινεμομένης τὴν ὕλην, ὀξέως οἱ Σικελιῶται παραβοηθήσαντες ταύτην μὲν ἀπέσβεσαν, τοῖς δὲ κριοῖς πυκνὰς τὰς ἐμβολὰς διδόντες κατέβαλον μέρος τοῦ τείχους.
But as the flame was quickly spreading over the wood, the Siceliotes quickly brought aid and extinguished it, and by delivering frequent blows with the battering rams they threw down a part of the wall.
συνδραμόντων δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ἀθρόων ἐξ ἑκατέρου μέρους ἰσχυρὰν συνέβαινε τὴν μάχην γίνεσθαι.
When crowds rushed together to the spot from both sides, it happened that a fierce battle took place.
§14.51.4οἱ μὲν γὰρ Σικελιῶται κεκρατηκέναι τῆς πόλεως ἤδη νομίζοντες, πᾶν ὑπέμενον ἕνεκεν τοῦ τοὺς Φοίνικας ἀμύνεσθαι, περὶ ὧν πρότερον εἰς αὐτοὺς ἡμαρτήκεισαν· οἱ δʼ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν λαμβάνοντες τὰ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας δεινά, καὶ φυγὴν οὐδεμίαν ὁρῶντες ὑπάρχουσαν οὔτε κατὰ γῆν οὔτε κατὰ θάλατταν, οὐκ ἀγενῶς ὑπέμενον τὸν θάνατον.
For the Siceliotes, thinking that they had already captured the city, endured everything for the sake of taking vengeance on the Phoenicians for the wrongs they had previously committed against them; while those in the city, keeping before their eyes the terrors of captivity, and seeing that no escape existed for them either by land or by sea, met death nobly.
§14.51.5θεωροῦντες δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἐπικουρίαν περιῃρημένην, ἐνέφραττον τοὺς στενωπούς, καὶ ταῖς ἐσχάταις οἰκίαις ἐχρῶντο καθάπερ τειχίῳ πολυτελῶς ᾠκοδομημένῳ.
And seeing that the defense from the walls was taken away, they blocked up the narrow streets, and used the outermost houses as if they were a solidly built wall.
ὅθεν εἰς μείζονα δυσχέρειαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Διονύσιον παρεγενήθησαν.
Hence Dionysius and his men found themselves in greater difficulty.
§14.51.6παρεισπεσόντες γὰρ ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους, καὶ δοκοῦντες ἤδη κυριεύειν τῆς πόλεως, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις ὄντων ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων τόπων κατετιτρώσκοντο.
For having burst inside the wall, and thinking they were already masters of the city, they were wounded from advantageous high positions by those who were in the houses.
§14.51.7οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τοὺς ξυλίνους πύργους προσαγαγόντες ταῖς πρώταις οἰκίαις ἐπιβάθρας κατεσκεύασαν.
Nevertheless, having brought the wooden towers up to the first houses, they constructed boarding bridges.
ἴσων δʼ ὄντων τῶν μηχανημάτων τοῖς οἰκοδομήμασι, τὸ λοιπὸν ἐκ χειρὸς συνέβαινεν εἶναι τὴν μάχην.
Since the engines were of equal height with the buildings, for the rest it happened that the battle was hand-to-hand.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ Σικελιῶται τὰς ἐπιβάθρας ἐπιρριπτοῦντες, διὰ τούτων ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκίας ἐβιάζοντο·
For the Siceliotes, throwing across the boarding bridges, forced their way over them into the houses;