§20.6.1ἓξ δʼ ἡμέρας καὶ τὰς ἴσας νύκτας αὐτῶν πλευσάντων ὑποφαινούσης τῆς ἕω παραδόξως ὁ στόλος τῶν Καρχηδονίων οὐκ ἄπωθεν ὢν ἑωράθη.
After they had sailed for six days and as many nights, as dawn was beginning to break, unexpectedly the fleet of the Carthaginians was seen not far away.
διόπερ ἀμφοτέροις ἐμπεσούσης σπουδῆς ἡμιλλῶντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ταῖς εἰρεσίαις, οἱ μὲν Φοίνικες νομίζοντες ἅμα τῇ τῶν νεῶν ἁλώσει Συρακούσσας μὲν ὑποχειρίους ἕξειν, τὴν δὲ πατρίδα μεγάλων ἐλευθερώσειν κινδύνων· οἱ δʼ Ἕλληνες, εἰ μὴ φθάσειαν τῆς χώρας ἁψάμενοι, προκειμένην ἑώρων αὑτοῖς μὲν τιμωρίαν, τοῖς δὲ καταλειφθεῖσιν ἐν οἴκῳ τὰ τῆς δουλείας δεινά.
Therefore, haste having fallen upon both, they contended with each other in rowing; the Phoenicians thinking that together with the capture of the ships they would have Syracuse in their power, and deliver their fatherland from great dangers; the Greeks, on the other hand, saw that unless they should be the first to reach the land, punishment lay before themselves, and the terrors of slavery before those who had been left at home.
§20.6.2καθορωμένης δὲ τῆς Λιβύης παρακελευσμὸς ἐγίνετο τοῖς πληρώμασι καὶ φιλοτιμίας ὑπερβολή· καὶ τάχιον μὲν ἄπλεον αἱ τῶν βαρβάρων, ἐν πολυχρονίῳ μελέτῃ τῶν ἐρετῶν διαπεπονημένων, ἱκανὸν δὲ διάστημα προεῖχον αἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων.
And as Libya was sighted, encouragement was given to the crews and an excess of rivalry arose; and the ships of the barbarians sailed faster, since their rowers had been thoroughly trained through long practice, but those of the Greeks held a sufficient distance in advance.
ὀξύτατα δὲ τοῦ πλοῦ διανυσθέντος, ἐπειδὴ πλησίον ἐγενήθησαν τῆς γῆς, συνεξέπιπτον ἀλλήλοις εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλὸν ὡσπερεί τινες ἀγωνισταί· §20.6.3ταῖς γὰρ ἐσχάταις τῶν Ἀγαθοκλέους αἱ πρῶται τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἐνέβαλλον ἐντὸς βέλους οὖσαι.
And the voyage being accomplished with the utmost speed, when they drew near the land, they rushed together to the beach like competitors in some contest; for the foremost of the Carthaginian ships, being within missile range, were attacking the rearmost of Agathocles' ships.
διόπερ ἐπʼ ὀλίγον χρόνον τοῖς τε τόξοις καὶ σφενδόναις διαγωνισαμένων αὐτῶν καὶ ναυσὶν ὀλίγαις τῶν βαρβάρων συμπλακέντων οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα προετέρουν, τὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἔχοντες πλῆθος.
Therefore, after they had fought for a short time with bows and slings, and had clashed with a few of the barbarian ships, those with Agathocles gained the upper hand, having the advantage of the multitude of soldiers.
εἶθʼ οἱ μὲν Καρχηδόνιοι πρύμναν ἀνακρουσάμενοι μικρὸν ἔξω βέλους ἐφώρμουν, ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἀποβιβάσας τὴν δύναμιν πρὸς τὰς καλουμένας Λατομίας καὶ χάρακα βαλόμενος ἐκ θαλάττης εἰς θάλατταν ἐνεώλκησε τὰς ναῦς.
Then the Carthaginians, having backed water, lay at anchor slightly outside missile range, while Agathocles, having disembarked his force near the place called Latomiae and having thrown up a stockade from sea to sea, hauled his ships up on land.