41.
By such expedients as these the Syracusans, who made a great effort, gained the victory; and1 the Athenians, retreating between the merchant-vessels, took refuge at their own moorings.
[2]
The ships of the enemy pursued them as far as the entrance, but they were prevented from following further by leaden dolphins, which were suspended aloft from beams placed in the merchantvessels.
[3]
Two Syracusan ships, in the exultation of victory, approached too near and were disabled; one of them was taken with its whole crew. The Syracusans damaged many of the Athenian ships and sank seven;
[4]
the crews were either killed or taken prisoners. They then retired and raised trophies of the two sea-fights. They were now quite confident that they were not only equal but far superior to the Athenians at sea, and they hoped to gain the victory on land as well. So they prepared to renew the attack on both elements.
1 The Athenians are defeated and return to their moorings with a loss of seven ships. Two Syracusan vessels following too closely are caught in the entrance to the dock.
Thucydides translated into English; with introduction, marginal analysis, notes, and indices. Volume 1. Thucydides. Benjamin Jowett. translator. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1881.
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