§16.19.1Νύψιος δʼ ὁ τῶν μισθοφόρων στρατηγὸς ἀναλαβεῖν καὶ ἀναμαχέσασθαι βουλόμενος τὴν ἧτταν νυκτὸς ἐκτεταγμένῃ τῇ δυνάμει παραδόξως προσέπεσε τῷ κατεσκευασμένῳ τείχει.
But Nypsius, the general of the mercenaries, wishing to retrieve and fight back against the defeat, fell unexpectedly by night with his army drawn up in order upon the wall that had been built.
εὑρὼν δὲ τοὺς φύλακας διὰ τὴν καταφρόνησιν καὶ μέθην εἰς ὕπνον τετραμμένους προσέθηκε τὰς παρεσκευασμένας κλίμακας πρὸς τὴν χρείαν.
And finding the guards turned to sleep because of their negligence and drunkenness, he applied the ladders which had been prepared for this purpose.
§16.19.2διὰ δὲ τούτων οἱ κράτιστοι τῶν μισθοφόρων ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος καὶ τοὺς φύλακας φονεύσαντες ἀνέῳξαν τὰς πύλας.
By means of these, the bravest of the mercenaries mounted the wall, and having slain the guards, they opened the gates.
εἰσπεσόντων δὲ τῶν στρατιωτῶν εἰς τὴν πόλιν οἱ μὲν στρατηγοὶ τῶν Συρακοσίων ἐκ τῆς μέθης ἀνανήφοντες ἐπειρῶντο βοηθεῖν, ἐμποδιζόμενοι δὲ τὰς ὁρμὰς διὰ τὸν οἶνον οἱ μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν, οἱ δʼ ἔφυγον.
When the soldiers rushed into the city, the generals of the Syracusans, sobering up from their drunkenness, tried to bring help; but being impeded in their movements because of the wine, some were slain and others fled.
κατειλημμένης δὲ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως στρατιωτῶν σχεδὸν ἁπάντων εἰσπεσόντων ἐντὸς τοῦ περιτειχίσματος, τῶν δὲ Συρακοσίων διὰ τὸ παράδοξον καὶ τὴν ἀταξίαν ἐκπεπληγμένων πολὺς ἐγίνετο φόνος.
Since the city was captured and nearly all the soldiers from the acropolis rushed inside the counter-wall, while the Syracusans were struck with panic by the unexpectedness and the lack of order, a great slaughter took place.
§16.19.3τῶν δὲ τοῦ τυράννου στρατιωτῶν πλειόνων ἢ μυρίων ὄντων καὶ συντεταγμένων καλῶς οὐδεὶς τὸ βάρος αὐτῶν ὑπομεῖναι δυνατὸς ἦν, ἅτε τοῦ θορύβου καὶ τῆς ταραχῆς, ἔτι δὲ ἀναρχίας τοὺς ἐλαττουμένους ἐμποδιζούσης.
Since the tyrant's soldiers were more than ten thousand and well drawn up, no one was able to withstand their onset, especially as the clamour and the confusion, and furthermore the lack of leadership, impeded those who were getting the worst of it.
§16.19.4κρατηθείσης δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκίας οἱ νενικηκότες ὥρμησαν· καὶ πολλὰ μὲν χρήματα διεφορεῖτο, οὐκ ὀλίγα δὲ σώματα γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων, ἔτι δʼ οἰκετῶν ἐξηνδραποδίζετο.
When the market-place was mastered by the enemy, the victors immediately rushed upon the houses; and much property was plundered, and not a few persons of women and children, and furthermore of household slaves, were enslaved.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς στενωποὺς καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ὁδοὺς ἀντιταττομένων Συρακοσίων ἐγίνοντο συνεχεῖς συμπλοκαὶ καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἀπέθνησκον, οὐκ ὀλίγοι δὲ τραύμασι περιέπιπτον.
In the narrow lanes and the other streets, as the Syracusans drew up to resist, continuous clashes took place; and many died, while not a few fell wounded.
τὴν μὲν οὖν νύκτα διετέλεσαν ἀλλήλους ἀναιροῦντες ὡς ἔτυχε διὰ τὸ σκότος καὶ πᾶς τόπος νεκρῶν ἔγεμεν.
So they passed the night slaying one another at random because of the darkness, and every place was full of corpses.