§10.43.1τοῦ δὲ κατὰ τὰς πυρσείας γένους, μεγίστας δὴ παρεχομένου χρείας ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς, ἀνεργάστου πρότερον ὑπάρχοντος, χρήσιμον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ τὸ μὴ παραδραμεῖν, ἀλλὰ ποιήσασθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν μνήμην.
As the method of signaling by fire, though of the greatest utility in warfare, was formerly undeveloped, it seems to me useful not to pass it over, but to make a fitting mention of it.
§10.43.2ὅτι μὲν οὖν ὁ καιρὸς ἐν πᾶσι μεγάλην ἔχει μερίδα πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολάς, μεγίστην δʼ ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς, παντὶ δῆλον· τῶν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο συναγωνισμάτων πλείστην ἔχουσι δύναμιν οἱ πυρσοί.
Now, that opportunity plays a large part in all enterprises, and the largest in those of war, is clear to everyone; and among the means that contribute to this, fire-signals possess the greatest power.
§10.43.3ἄρτι γὰρ τὰ μὲν γέγονε, τινὰ δʼ ἀκμὴν ἐνεργεῖται καὶ δυνατόν ἐστι γινώσκειν, ᾧ μέλει, ποτὲ μὲν ἡμερῶν τριῶν ἢ τεττάρων ὁδὸν ἀπέχοντι, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ πλειόνων.
For some things have just happened, and others are in the very act of taking place, and it is possible for anyone who is concerned to know them, sometimes when he is at a distance of three or four days' journey, and sometimes even more.
§10.43.4ὥστʼ ἀεὶ τοῖς δεομένοις πράγμασιν ἐπικουρίας παράδοξον γίνεσθαι τὴν βοήθειαν διὰ τῆς τῶν πυρσῶν ἀπαγγελίας.
So that, by the announcement of the fire-signals, help is unexpectedly brought to those situations which stand in need of assistance.
§10.43.5τὸν μὲν οὖν πρὸ τούτου χρόνον ἁπλῆς γινομένης τῆς πυρσείας κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον αὐτὴν ἀνωφελῆ συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τοῖς χρωμένοις.
In former times, then, because the signaling by fire was for the most part simple, it turned out to be useless to those who employed it.
§10.43.6διὰ γὰρ συνθημάτων ὡρισμένων ἔδει τὴν χρείαν συντελεῖν· τῶν δὲ πραγμάτων ἀορίστων ὑπαρχόντων τὰ πλεῖστα διέφυγε τὴν τῶν πυρσῶν χρείαν, οἷον ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν νῦν εἰρημένων.
For they had to perform the service by means of pre-determined signals; but as events are indefinite, most of them escaped the utility of fire-signals, as in the case of the very instances just mentioned.
§10.43.7ὅτι μὲν οὖν εἰς Ὠρεὸν καὶ Πεπάρηθον ἢ Χαλκίδα πάρεστι στόλος, δυνατὸν ἦν διασαφεῖν τοῖς περὶ τούτου συνθεμένοις· §10.43.8ὅτι δὲ μεταβάλλονταί τινες τῶν πολιτῶν ἢ προδιδόασιν, ἢ φόνος ἐν τῇ πόλει γέγονεν, ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἃ δὴ συμβαίνει μὲν πολλάκις, πρόληψιν δʼ ἔχειν πάντων ἀδύνατον — §10.43.9μάλιστα δὲ τὰ παραδόξως γινόμενα τῆς ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ συμβουλίας καὶ ἐπικουρίας προσδεῖται — τὰ τοιαῦτα πάντα διέφυγε τὴν τῶν πυρσῶν χρείαν.
Now, that a fleet has arrived at Oreus, Peparethus, or Chalcis, it was possible to make clear to those who had agreed upon this; but that some of the citizens are changing sides or betraying, or that a slaughter has occurred in the city, or anything of that sort, which indeed often happens, but of which it is impossible to have a foreknowledge— and it is especially unexpected events that stand in need of counsel and help of the moment—all such things escaped the utility of fire-signals.
§10.43.10περὶ ὧν γὰρ οὐκ ἐνεδέχετο προνοηθῆναι, περὶ τούτων οὐδὲ σύνθημα ποιήσασθαι δυνατόν.
For concerning things of which it was not possible to foresee, it was not even possible to make a signal.