§20.83.1ὁ μὲν οὖν Δημήτριος ὥσπερ εἴς τινα ναυμαχίαν ἐκτάξας τὸν στόλον καταπληκτικῶς προηγεῖσθαι μὲν ἐποίησε τὰς μακρὰς ναῦς, ἐχούσας ἐπὶ ταῖς πρῴραις τοὺς τρισπιθάμους τῶν ὀξυβελῶν, ἐπακολουθεῖν δὲ τὰς στρατιωτικὰς καὶ τὰς ἱππηγοὺς ῥυμουλκουμένας ὑπὸ τῶν ταῖς εἰρεσίαις χρωμένων, ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ καὶ τὰ τῶν πειρατῶν πόρια καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐμπόρων καὶ ἀγοραίων, ὑπεράγοντα τῷ πλήθει, καθάπερ προείρηται, ὥστε πάντα τὸν ἀνὰ μέσον τόπον τῆς τε νήσου καὶ τῆς ἀντικειμένης παραλίας συμπεπληρωμένον φαίνεσθαι τοῖς πλοίοις καὶ πολὺν φόβον καὶ κατάπληξιν παρέχεσθαι τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως θεωροῦσιν.
Demetrius, having drawn up his fleet as if for a naval battle, caused the warships to lead the way in an imposing manner, carrying on their prows catapults of three spans' length; while the transport ships and horse-carriers followed, being towed by vessels using oars; and last of all came the vessels of the pirates, merchants, and traders, exceeding in number, as has been said before, so that all the intervening space between the island and the opposite coast appeared to be filled with ships, and presented great fear and dread to those watching from the city.
§20.83.2οἱ μὲν γὰρ στρατιῶται τῶν Ῥοδίων διειληφότες τὰ τείχη τὸν ἐπίπλουν ἐκαραδόκουν τῶν πολεμίων, πρεσβῦται δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκιῶν ἀφεώρων, οὔσης τῆς πόλεως θεατροειδοῦς, πάντες δὲ τό τε μέγεθος τοῦ στόλου καὶ τὴν αὐγὴν τῶν ἀποστιλβόντων ὅπλων καταπληττόμενοι περὶ τῶν ὅλων οὐ μετρίως ἠγωνίων.
For the soldiers of the Rhodians, having manned the walls at intervals, were watching for the enemy's attack, while the old men and women looked on from their houses, since the city was shaped like a theater; and all of them, terrified by the size of the fleet and the gleam of the shining weapons, were in no small anxiety about the general outcome.
§20.83.3εἶθʼ ὁ μὲν Δημήτριος κατέπλευσεν εἰς τὴν νῆσον, ἀποβιβάσας δὲ τὴν δύναμιν κατεστρατοπέδευσεν πλησίον τῆς πόλεως, ἐκτὸς βέλους ποιησάμενος τὴν παρεμβολήν.
Then Demetrius sailed to the island, and having disembarked his force, he encamped near the city, making his encampment out of range of missiles.
εὐθὺς δὲ τῶν πειρατῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τοὺς εὐθέτους ἐξέπεμψε πορθήσοντας τὴν νῆσον καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν.
And immediately he sent out suitable men from among the pirates and the others to plunder the island both by land and by sea.
§20.83.4ἐδενδροτόμησε δὲ καὶ τὴν πλησίον χώραν καὶ καθεῖλε τὰς ἐπαύλεις, ἐξ ὧν ὠχύρωσε τὴν στρατοπεδείαν, περιλαβὼν τριπλῷ χάρακι καὶ σταυρώμασι πυκνοῖς καὶ μεγάλοις, ὥστε τὴν τῶν πολεμίων βλάβην γίνεσθαι τῶν ἰδίων ἀσφάλειαν.
He also cut down the trees of the neighboring country and demolished the country-houses, from which he fortified his camp, enclosing it with a triple palisade and thick, large stockades, so that the destruction of the enemy's property became the security of his own men.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τοῖς πληρώμασιν ἔχωσεν ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις τὸ μεταξὺ τῆς πόλεως διαλεῖπον πρὸς τὴν ἔκβασιν καὶ κατεσκεύασε λιμένα ταῖς ναυσὶν ἀρκοῦντα.
After this, with his entire force and the crews, he filled up in a few days the intervening space between the city and his landing-place, and constructed a harbor adequate for his ships.