§16.18.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Διονύσιος μὲν στρατηγὸν ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσσας Νύψιον τὸν Νεαπολίτην, ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ συνέσει στρατηγικῇ διαφέροντα· συνεξέπεμψε δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ φορτηγὰ πλοῖα σίτου καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀγορᾶς γέμοντα.
After this, Dionysius sent Nypsius the Neapolitan, a man distinguished for bravery and military understanding, as general to Syracuse; and he also sent out with him cargo ships laden with grain and other provisions.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκ Λοκρῶν ἀναχθεὶς ἐτέλει τὸν εἰς Συρακούσσας πλοῦν.
This man, then, setting sail from Locri, was completing his voyage to Syracuse.
§16.18.2οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν μισθοφόροι τοῦ τυράννου, κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν ἐπιλιπόντος τοῦ σίτου, καὶ τῇ σπάνει τῶν ἀναγκαίων δεινῶς πιεζούμενοι μέχρι μέν τινος ὑπέμενον εὐψύχως τὴν ἔνδειαν, τῆς δὲ φύσεως ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἡττωμένης καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπογινωσκομένης συνδραμόντες εἰς ἐκκλησίαν νυκτὸς ἐψηφίσαντο παραδοῦναι τὴν ἀκρόπολιν καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τοῖς Συρακοσίοις ἅμʼ ἡμέρᾳ.
But the tyrant's mercenaries in the acropolis, since at this time the grain had failed and they were terribly pressed by the scarcity of necessary provisions, for a certain time endured the want with good courage; but when human nature was overcome by necessity and safety was despaired of, they ran together to an assembly at night and voted to surrender the acropolis and themselves to the Syracusans at daybreak.
§16.18.3ἤδη δὲ τῆς νυκτὸς ληγούσης οἱ μὲν μισθοφόροι κήρυκας ἐξέπεμπον πρὸς τοὺς Συρακοσίους περὶ τῆς διαλύσεως, ὁ δὲ Νύψιος διαφαινούσης ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας κατέπλευσε μετὰ τοῦ στόλου καὶ καθωρμίσθη περὶ τὴν Ἀρέθουσαν.
And already as the night was ending, the mercenaries were sending heralds to the Syracusans concerning the settlement, but Nypsius, as day was already breaking, sailed in with his fleet and came to anchor near Arethusa.
διόπερ τῆς ἐνδείας παραχρῆμα μεταβαλούσης εἰς πολλὴν δαψίλειαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὁ μὲν στρατηγὸς Νύψιος ἐκβιβάσας τοὺς στρατιώτας, κοινὴν ἐκκλησίαν συναγαγὼν καὶ διαλεχθεὶς οἰκείως τοῖς παροῦσι καιροῖς, προθύμους κατεσκεύασε πρὸς τοὺς μέλλοντας κινδύνους.
Therefore, the want changing immediately into a great abundance of provisions, the general Nypsius, having disembarked his soldiers, gathered a common assembly and spoke appropriately to the present circumstances, making them eager for the coming dangers.
ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀκρόπολις ἤδη παραδιδομένη τοῖς Συρακοσίοις τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ἀνελπίστως διεφυλάχθη,
Thus, then, the acropolis, though already being surrendered to the Syracusans in the manner described, was unexpectedly preserved.
§16.18.4οἱ δὲ Συρακόσιοι πληρώσαντες ἁπάσας τὰς τριήρεις ἐπέπλευσαν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔτι περὶ τὴν ἐξαίρεσιν τῆς ἀγορᾶς διατρίβουσιν.
But the Syracusans, having manned all their triremes, sailed against the enemy while they were still occupied with the unloading of the provisions.
ἀπροσδοκήτου δὲ τῆς ἐφόδου γενομένης καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν μισθοφόρων τεθορυβημένως ἀντιταχθέντων ταῖς πολεμίαις τριήρεσιν, ἐγένετο ναυμαχία, καθʼ ἣν οἱ Συρακόσιοι προετέρησαν, καὶ τινὰς μὲν τῶν νεῶν κατέδυσαν, τινῶν δʼ ἐγκρατεῖς κατέστησαν, τὰς δὲ λοιπὰς πρὸς τὴν γῆν κατεδίωξαν.
Since the attack was unexpected and the mercenaries in the acropolis had drawn up in confusion against the enemy triremes, a sea-battle took place, in which the Syracusans gained the upper hand, and they sank some of the ships, got possession of others, and pursued the rest to the shore.
§16.18.5μετεωρισθέντες δʼ ἐπὶ τῷ προτερήματι τοῖς μὲν θεοῖς μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἔθυσαν ἐπινίκια, αὐτοὶ δʼ εἰς εὐωχίας καὶ πότους ἐκτραπέντες, καταφρονοῦντες τῶν ἡττημένων ῥᾳθύμως εἶχον τὰ περὶ τὰς φυλακάς.
And being elated by their success, they sacrificed magnificently to the gods for victory, but turning themselves to feasting and drinking, they despised the defeated and were negligent about their guard-duties.