§14.59.1ἐναποδειξάμενος οὖν τὸ πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας μῖσος ἐν τῇ τῶν Μεσσηνίων ἀτυχίᾳ, Μάγωνα μὲν τὸν ναύαρχον ἀπέστειλε μετὰ τῆς ναυτικῆς δυνάμεως, προστάξας παραπλεῖν ἐπὶ τὸν λόφον τὸν καλούμενον Ταῦρον.
Thus, having displayed his hatred toward the Greeks in the misfortune of the Messenians, Himilco dispatched Mago the admiral with the naval force, ordering him to sail along the coast to the hill called Taurus.
τοῦτον δὲ κατειληφότες ἦσαν Σικελοί, συχνοὶ μὲν τὸ πλῆθος ὄντες, οὐδένα δʼ ἔχοντες ἡγεμόνα.
Now the Sicels had occupied this, being numerous in multitude, but having no leader.
§14.59.2τούτοις δὲ τὸ μὲν πρότερον Διονύσιος δεδώκει τὴν τῶν Ναξίων χώραν, τότε δʼ ὑπʼ Ἰμίλκου πεισθέντες ἐπαγγελίαις τὸν λόφον κατελάβοντο.
To these Dionysius had previously given the territory of the Naxians, but at that time, persuaded by the promises of Himilco, they occupied the hill.
ὀχυροῦ δʼ ὄντος τούτου, καὶ τότε καὶ μετὰ τὸν πόλεμον ᾤκουν αὐτὸν τεῖχος περιβαλόμενοι, καὶ τὴν πόλιν διὰ τὸ μεῖναι τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν Ταῦρον ἀθροισθέντας Ταυρομένιον ὠνόμασαν.
Since this place was strong, they inhabited it both then and after the war, having surrounded it with a wall, and they named the city Tauromenion because of the remaining of those who had gathered upon Taurus.
§14.59.3Ἰμίλκων δὲ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν πεζὴν στρατιὰν εὔτονον τὴν πορείαν ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ κατήντησε τῆς Ναξίας ἐπὶ τὸν προειρημένον τόπον, ἅμα καὶ Μάγωνος καταπλεύσαντος.
Himilco, taking the infantry army, made a vigorous march and arrived at the aforementioned place in the territory of Naxus, just as Mago also sailed into port.
προσφάτως δὲ πυρὸς ἐκραγέντος ἐκ τῆς Αἴτνης μέχρι τῆς θαλάττης, οὐκέτι δυνατὸν ἦν τὴν πεζὴν στρατιὰν συμπαράγειν παραπλεούσαις ταῖς ναυσίν· ἐφθαρμένων γὰρ τῶν παρὰ τὴν θάλατταν τόπων ὑπὸ τοῦ καλουμένου ῥύακος, ἀναγκαῖον ἦν τὸ πεζὸν στρατόπεδον περιπορεύεσθαι τὸν τῆς Αἴτνης λόφον.
But since fire had recently erupted from Aetna as far as the sea, it was no longer possible to lead the infantry army alongside the ships sailing along the coast; for since the places along the sea had been destroyed by the so-called lava stream, it was necessary for the infantry force to go around the hill of Aetna.
§14.59.4διόπερ Μάγωνι προσέταξε καταπλεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς Κατάνης, αὐτὸς δὲ διὰ τῆς μεσογείου ταχέως ὁρμήσας ἔσπευδε συμμῖξαι ταῖς ναυσὶ περὶ τὸν τῶν Καταναίων αἰγιαλόν· εὐλαβεῖτο γὰρ μήποτε διεσπαρμένης τῆς δυνάμεως οἱ Σικελιῶται τοῖς περὶ τὸν Μάγωνα διαναυμαχήσωσιν· ὅπερ καὶ συνετελέσθη.
Therefore he ordered Mago to sail to Catane, while he himself, setting out quickly through the interior, hastened to join the ships near the shore of the Catanaeans; for he was cautious lest, while their force was divided, the Siceliotes might fight a sea-battle against those with Mago; which indeed came to pass.
§14.59.5Διονύσιος γὰρ τὸν μὲν πλοῦν εἰδὼς τῷ Μάγωνι βραχὺν ὄντα, τὴν δὲ πορείαν τοῖς πεζοῖς ἐργώδη καὶ μακράν, ἔσπευδεν ἐπὶ τῆς Κατάνης,βουλόμενος ναυμαχῆσαι πρὸς Μάγωνα, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἰμίλκωνα.
For Dionysius, knowing that the voyage for Mago was short, but the march for the infantry was laborious and long, hastened toward Catane, wishing to fight a sea-battle against Mago before those with Himilco arrived.
§14.59.6ἤλπιζε γὰρ τῶν πεζῶν ἐκτεταγμένων παρὰ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν τοῖς μὲν ἰδίοις θάρσος παρέξεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους δειλοτέρους ἔσεσθαι· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, εἴ τι συμβαίη γενέσθαι πταῖσμα, ταῖς θλιβομέναις ναυσὶν ἐξῆν καταφυγεῖν πρὸς τὸ τῶν πεζῶν στρατόπεδον.
For he hoped that if the infantry were drawn up along the shore, they would provide courage to his own men, and the enemy would be more cowardly; and most importantly, if any setback should happen to occur, it would be possible for the hard-pressed ships to flee for refuge to the camp of the infantry.
§14.59.7ταῦτα δὲ διανοηθεὶς Λεπτίνην μὲν ἀπέστειλε μετὰ πασῶν τῶν νεῶν, παραγγείλας ἀθρόοις τοῖς σκάφεσι ναυμαχεῖν καὶ μὴ λύειν τὴν τάξιν, ὅπως μὴ κινδυνεύσωσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἐναντίων· εἶχον γὰρ οἱ περὶ τὸν Μάγωνα σὺν ταῖς ὁλκάσι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ταῖς ἐπικώποις, οὔσαις χαλκεμβόλοις, ναῦς οὐκ ἐλάττους πεντακοσίων.
Having conceived these things, he dispatched Leptines with all the ships, ordering him to fight the sea-battle with the vessels in close order and not to break the formation, so that they might not run risk because of the multitude of the adversaries; for those with Mago had, including the merchant ships and the other oared vessels which had bronze rams, not fewer than five hundred ships.