§17.25.1ὁμοῦ δὲ αἵ τε σάλπιγγες ἐσήμαινον παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις τὸ πολεμικὸν καὶ βοὴ πανταχόθεν ἐγίνετο, συνεπισημαινομένων τῶν στρατιωτῶν ταῖς παρʼ ἑκατέρων ἀνδραγαθίαις.
At the same time, the trumpets on both sides sounded the battle signal, and a shout arose from all directions, as the soldiers joined in cheering the brave deeds of each side.
§17.25.2οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἐν ταῖς μηχαναῖς αἰρομένην εἰς ὕψος φλόγα κατέπαυον, οἱ δʼ εἰς χεῖρας συμπλεκόμενοι πολὺν ἐποίουν φόνον, ἄλλοιδʼ ἐντὸς τῶν πιπτόντων τειχῶν ἀντῳκοδόμουν ἕτερα τείχη πολὺ τῶν προϋπαρχόντων βαρύτερα ταῖς κατασκευαῖς.
For some tried to extinguish the flame rising high on the siege engines, while others, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, caused great slaughter, and still others, inside the falling walls, were building in turn other walls much more massive in their construction than those previously existing.
§17.25.3τῶν δʼ ἡγεμόνων τῶν περὶ τὸν Μέμνονα προκινδυνευόντων καὶ μεγάλας δωρεὰς διδόντων τοῖς ἀνδραγαθοῦσιν ἀνυπέρβλητος φιλοτιμία παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις ἐγίνετο περὶ τῆς νίκης.
And as the commanders around Memnon exposed themselves to danger in the front line and offered great rewards to those who performed brave deeds, an unsurpassable rivalry for victory arose on both sides.
§17.25.4διὸ καὶ παρῆν ὁρᾶν τοὺς μὲν τραύμασιν ἐναντίοις περιπίπτοντας καὶ κατὰ τὰς λιποψυχίας ἀποφερομένους ἐκ τῆς μάχης, τοὺς δὲ περιβαίνοντας τὰ πίπτοντα σώματα καὶ περὶ τῆς τούτων ἀναιρέσεως μεγάλους ἀγῶνας συνισταμένους, ἄλλους δὲ διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν δεινῶν ἐνδιδόντας ἤδη καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπὸ τῶν ἡγεμόνων παρακλήσεως πάλιν θαρροῦντας καὶ νεαροὺς ταῖς ψυχαῖς γινομένους. §17.25.5τέλος δὲ πρὸς αὐταῖς ταῖς πύλαις ἔπεσόν τινες τῶν Μακεδόνων καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς Νεοπτόλεμος ἡγεμών, ἀνὴρ ἐπιφανής.
Therefore it was also possible to see some falling to frontal wounds and being carried out of the battle because of fainting, others bestriding the fallen bodies and engaging in great struggles for their recovery, and others already giving way because of the extreme horrors but regaining courage and becoming fresh in spirit through the encouragement of their commanders. Finally, right at the gates, some of the Macedonians fell, and with them the commander Neoptolemus, a distinguished man.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα δύο μὲν πύργων εἰς ἔδαφος καθῃρημένων καὶ δυεῖν μεσοπυργίων ἐρριμμένων τῶν μὲν Περδίκκου στρατιωτῶν τινες μεθυσθέντες προπετῶς νυκτὸς προσέβαλλον τοῖς τῆς ἀκροπόλεως τείχεσιν· οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μέμνονα συννοήσαντες τὴν ἀπειρίαν τῶν προσβαλλόντων καὶ ἐπεξελθόντες καὶ τῷ πλήθει πολὺ προέχοντες ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς Μακεδόνας καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνῄρουν.
After this, when two towers had been thrown down to the ground and two curtain-walls demolished, some of Perdiccas' soldiers, having become drunk, rashly made a night attack on the walls of the acropolis; but Memnon and his men, perceiving the lack of skill of the attackers, sallied out, and being far superior in numbers, routed the Macedonians and slew many of them.
§17.25.6γνωσθέντος δὲ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος ἐξεβοήθουν πολλοὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων καὶ μεγάλης μάχης γενομένης καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἐπιφανέντων οἱ μὲν Πέρσαι βιασθέντες συνεκλείσθησαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοὺς πεσόντας πρὸ τοῦ τείχους Μακεδόνας διακηρυκευσάμενος ᾔτησεν ὑποσπόνδους.
When what had happened became known, many of the Macedonians came out to help, and a great battle having taken place and Alexander and his men appearing, the Persians, having been forced back, were shut up inside the city; and the king, having sent a herald, requested the Macedonians who had fallen before the wall under a truce.
Ἐφιάλτης μὲν οὖν καὶ Θρασύβουλος οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι συμμαχοῦντες τοῖς Πέρσαις συνεβούλευον μὴ διδόναι τοὺς νεκροὺς πρὸς ταφήν, ὁ δὲ Μέμνων συνεχώρησε.
Now Ephialtes and Thrasybulus, the Athenians who were allied with the Persians, advised not to give up the dead for burial, but Memnon granted it.