§14.88.1οἱ δὲ Σικελοὶ παρὰ τῶν πατέρων ἐκ παλαιοῦ παρειληφότες ὅτι τὰ μέρη ταῦτα τῆς νήσου Σικελῶν κατεχόντων Ἕλληνες πρώτως καταπλεύσαντες ἔκτισαν μὲν Νάξον, ἐξέβαλον δʼ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ λόφου τοὺς τότε κατοικοῦντας Σικελούς· διὸ δὴ φάσκοντες πατρῴαν ἀνακτήσασθαι χώραν καὶ περὶ ὧν εἰς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν προγόνους ἐξήμαρτον Ἕλληνες ἀμύνασθαι δικαίως, ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο κατασχεῖν τὸν λόφον.
But the Sicels, having received from their fathers from of old that when the Sicels held these parts of the island, Greeks first sailed down and founded Naxos, and expelled from this hill the Sicels who were then dwelling there—wherefore, declaring that they were recovering their ancestral land and justly avenging themselves for the wrongs the Greeks had committed against their own ancestors, they were eager to hold the hill.
§14.88.2ὑπερβαλλούσης δὲ φιλονεικίας παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις οὔσης, ἔτυχον μὲν οὖσαι τροπαὶ χειμεριναί, καὶ διὰ τοὺς ἐπιγινομένους χειμῶνας ὁ περὶ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τόπος πλήρης ἦν χιόνος.
While there was exceeding rivalry on both sides, it happened to be the winter solstice, and because of the oncoming winter storms, the place around the acropolis was full of snow.
ἐνταῦθα δὴ Διονύσιος τοὺς Σικελοὺς διὰ τὴν ὀχυρότητα καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ τείχους ῥᾳθυμοῦντας περὶ τὴν κατὰ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν φυλακὴν εὑρών, ὥρμησε νυκτὸς ἀσελήνου καὶ χειμερίου πρὸς τοὺς ἀνωτάτω τόπους.
Thereupon Dionysius, finding that the Sicels, because of the strength of the place and the height of the wall, were negligent about the guard around the acropolis, set out on a moonless and stormy night toward the highest places.
§14.88.3πολλὰ δὲ κακοπαθήσας διά τε τὴν τῶν κρημνῶν δυσχέρειαν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς χιόνος, μιᾶς μὲν ἀκροπόλεως ἐκυρίευσε, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἐξήλκωσε καὶ τὰς ὄψεις ἔβλαψε διὰ τὸ ψῦχος· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἰς τὸ ἕτερον μέρος παρεισπεσὼν εἰσήγαγε τὴν δύναμιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν.
Having suffered much because of the difficulty of the cliffs and the abundance of snow, he made himself master of one of the acropolises, though his face was frostbitten and his vision impaired by the cold; after this, slipping in on the other side, he led his force into the city.
τῶν δὲ Σικελῶν ἀθρόων βοηθησάντων ἐξεώσθησαν οἱ μετὰ τοῦ Διονυσίου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ φυγῇ τυπτόμενος εἰς τὸν θώρακα περιεκυλίσθη, καὶ παρʼ ὀλίγον συνελήφθη ζῶν.
But when the Sicels came to the rescue in a body, Dionysius' men were pushed out, and he himself, being struck on his breastplate during the flight, was rolled down, and narrowly escaped being taken alive.
§14.88.4τῶν δὲ Σικελῶν ἐπικειμένων ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων τόπων, ἀνῃρέθησαν μὲν τῶν μετὰ Διονυσίου πλείους τῶν ἑξακοσίων, ἀπέβαλον δὲ τὰς πανοπλίας οἱ πλεῖστοι· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Διονύσιος μόνον τὸν θώρακα διέσωσεν.
As the Sicels pressed upon them from higher ground, more than six hundred of Dionysius' men were slain, and most of them threw away their armor; and Dionysius himself saved only his breastplate.
§14.88.5μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἀτυχίαν ταύτην Ἀκραγαντῖνοι καὶ Μεσσήνιοι τοὺς τὰ Διονυσίου φρονοῦντας μεταστησάμενοι, τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀντείχοντο καὶ τῆς τοῦ τυράννου συμμαχίας ἀπέστησαν.
After this misfortune, the Agrigentines and the Messenians, having banished those who favored the cause of Dionysius, clung to their freedom and revolted from their alliance with the tyrant.