§37.27.1profecti ab Samo ad petendos commeatus consumptis iam omnibus Chium parabant traicere; id erat horreum Romanis, eoque omnes ex Italia missae onerariae derigebant cursum.
Having set out from Samos to seek provisions, as everything had already been consumed, they were preparing to cross over to Chios; this was a granary for the Romans, and all the merchant vessels sent from Italy directed their course thither.
§37.27.2circumvecti ab urbe ad aversa insulae — obiecta aquiloni ad Chium et Erythras sunt — cum pararent traicere, litteris certior fit praetor frumenti vim magnam Chium ex Italia venisse, vinum portantes naves tempestatibus retentas esse; §37.27.3simul adlatum est Teios regiae classi commeatus benigne praebuisse, quinque milia vasorum vini esse pollicitos.
Having sailed round from the city to the back of the island—which, facing north, lies opposite Chios and Erythrae—while they were preparing to cross, the praetor was informed by letter that a great quantity of grain had come to Chios from Italy, but that the ships carrying wine had been detained by storms; at the same time word was brought that the Teians had generously furnished provisions to the royal fleet and had promised five thousand jars of wine.
Teum ex medio cursu classem repente avertit, aut volentibus iis usurus commeatu parato hostibus, aut ipsos pro hostibus habiturus.
He suddenly diverted the fleet from its mid-course toward Teos, intending either to use, with their consent, the provisions prepared for the enemy, or to treat them themselves as enemies.
§37.27.4cum derexissent ad terram proras, quindecim ferme eis naves circa Myonnesum apparuerunt, quas primo ex classe regia praetor esse ratus institit sequi; §37.27.5apparuit deinde piraticos celoces et lembos esse.
When they had directed their prows toward the land, about fifteen ships appeared to them around Myonnesus, which the praetor, thinking at first that they belonged to the royal fleet, proceeded to pursue; then it appeared that they were piratical swift-sailing vessels and cutters.
Chiorum maritimam oram depopulati cum omnis generis praeda revertentes postquam videre ex alto classem, in fugam verterunt.
Having plundered the maritime coast of the Chians and returning with booty of every kind, as soon as they saw the fleet from the deep, they turned to flight.
et celeritate superabant levioribus et ad id fabrefactis navigiis, et propiores terrae erant; §37.27.6itaque priusquam appropinquaret classis, Myonnesum perfugerunt, unde se e portu ratus abstracturum naves, §37.27.7ignarus loci sequebatur praetor.
They both excelled in speed, having lighter vessels built for that very purpose, and they were closer to the land; and so, before the fleet could approach, they fled for refuge to Myonnesus, whence the praetor, thinking he would drag the ships out of the harbor, followed them, ignorant of the locality.
Myonnesus promunturium inter Teum Samumque est.
Myonnesus is a promontory between Teos and Samos.
ipse collis est in modum metae in acutum cacumen a fundo satis lato fastigatus; a continenti artae semitae aditum habet, a mari exesae fluctibus rupes claudunt, ita ut quibusdam locis superpendentia saxa plus in altum, §37.27.8quam quae in statione sunt naves, promineant.
The hill itself is shaped in the manner of a turning-post, tapering from a sufficiently broad base into a sharp peak; from the mainland it has an approach by a narrow path, and from the sea rocks eaten away by the waves enclose it, so that in some places the overhanging cliffs project further out in height than the ships which are at anchor.
circa ea appropinquare non ausae naves, ne sub ictu superstantium rupibus piratarum essent, diem trivere.
Not daring to approach around those places, lest they should be within range of the pirates standing above on the rocks, the ships wasted the day.
§37.27.9tandem sub noctem vano incepto cum abstitissent, Teum postero die accessere, et in portu, qui ab tergo urbis est — Geraesticum ipsi appellant —, navibus constitutis praetor ad depopulandum circa urbem agrum emisit milites.
At length toward nightfall, having desisted from their futile attempt, they approached Teos on the following day, and having stationed their ships in the harbor which is behind the city—they themselves call it Geraesticum—the praetor sent out soldiers to plunder the territory around the city.