§17.29.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Νικοκράτους ἐν Ῥώμῃ τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν διεδέξατο Καίσων Οὐαλλέριος καὶ Λεύκιος Παπίριος.
When Nicocrates was archon in Athens, Kaeso Valerius and Lucius Papirius succeeded to the consulship in Rome.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Δαρεῖος χρημάτων πλῆθος ἐξέπεμψε τῷ Μέμνονι καὶ τοῦ πολέμου παντὸς ἀπέδειξε στρατηγόν.
During their term of office, Darius dispatched a large sum of money to Memnon and appointed him supreme commander of the entire war.
§17.29.2ὁ δὲ μισθοφόρων πλῆθος ἀθροίσας καὶ τριακοσίας ναῦς πληρώσας ἐνεργῶς διῴκει τὰ κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον.
He collected a large force of mercenaries, manned three hundred ships, and actively conducted the operations of the war.
Χῖον μὲν οὖν προσηγάγετο· πλεύσας δʼ ἐπὶ Λέσβον Ἄντισσαν μὲν καὶ Μήθυμναν καὶ Πύρραν καὶ Ἐρεσσὸν ῥᾳδίως ἐχειρώσατο, τὴν δὲ Μιτυλήνην μεγάλην οὖσαν καὶ παρασκευαῖς μεγάλαις καὶ πλήθει τῶν ἀμυνομένων ἀνδρῶν κεχορηγημένην πολλὰς ἡμέρας πολιορκήσας καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀποβαλὼν μόγις εἷλε κατὰ κράτος.
First, then, he won over Chios; and sailing to Lesbos, he easily subdued Antissa, Methymna, Pyrra, and Eressos. But Mitylene, being a large city and well supplied with great preparations and a multitude of defending men, he besieged for many days, and after losing many of his soldiers, he captured it by storm with difficulty.
§17.29.3εὐθὺ δὲ τῆς περὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐνεργείας διαβοηθείσης αἱ πλείους τῶν Κυκλάδων νήσων διεπρεσβεύοντο.
As the energetic activity of the general was immediately reported, most of the Cyclades islands sent embassies to him.
προσπεσούσης δὲ φήμης εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα διότι Μέμνων μετὰ τοῦ στόλου μέλλει πλεῖν ἐπʼ Εὐβοίας αἱ μὲν κατὰ τὴν νῆσον ταύτην πόλεις περίφοβοι καθειστήκεισαν, οἱ δὲ τὰ τῶν Περσῶν αἱρούμενοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἐν οἷς ὑπῆρχον καὶ Σπαρτιᾶται, μετέωροι ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐγίνοντο πρὸς καινοτομίαν.
And when a rumor reached Greece that Memnon with his fleet was about to sail for Euboea, the cities on this island fell into great fear, while those of the Greeks who favored the cause of the Persians, among whom were also the Spartans, became excited with hopes of a political change.
§17.29.4ὁ δὲ Μέμνων χρήμασι διαφθείρων πολλοὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔπεισε κοινωνεῖν τῶν Περσικῶν ἐλπίδων.
Memnon, bribing many of the Greeks with money, persuaded them to share in the Persian hopes.
οὐ μὴν ἡ τύχη γʼ εἴασεν ἐπὶ πλέον προελθεῖν τὴν τἀνδρὸς ἀρετήν· ὁ γὰρ Μέμνων περιπεσὼν ἀρρωστίᾳ καὶ πάθει παραβόλῳ συσχεθεὶς μετήλλαξε καὶ τῇ τούτου τελευτῇ συνετρίβη καὶ τὰ τοῦ Δαρείου πράγματα.
Yet fortune did not allow the man's excellence to advance any further; for Memnon, falling into illness and seized by a sudden and severe affliction, passed away, and with his death, the affairs of Darius were also shattered.