Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.53

[1] Here they find the galley called Salaminia, come thither from Athens, both for Alcibiades, who was commanded to come home to purge himself of such things as were laid to his charge by the state, and also for other soldiers that were with him, whereof some were accused for profanation of the mysteries and some also for the Mercuries.

[2] For the Athenians, after the fleet was put to sea, proceeded nevertheless in the search of those that were culpable, both concerning the mysteries and the Mercuries. And making no inquiry into the persons of the informers, but through jealousy admitting of all sorts, upon the reports of evil men apprehended very good citizens and cast them into prison, choosing rather to examine the fact and find the truth by torments, than that any man, how good soever in estimation, being once accused should escape unquestioned.

[3] For the people, having by fame understood that the tyranny of Peisistratus and his sons was heavy in the latter end, and withal, that neither themselves nor Harmodius, but the Lacedaemonians overthrew it, were ever fearful, and apprehended every thing suspiciously.

[1] There they found the Salaminia come from Athens for Alcibiades, with orders for him to sail home to answer the charges which the state brought against him, and for certain others of the soldiers who with him were accused of sacrilege in the matter of the mysteries and of the Hermae.

[2] For the Athenians, after the departure of the expedition, had continued as active as ever in investigating the facts of the mysteries and of the Hermae, and, instead of testing the informers, in their suspicious temper welcomed all indifferently, arresting and imprisoning the best citizens upon the evidence of rascals, and preferring to sift the matter to the bottom sooner than to let an accused person of good character pass unquestioned, owing to the rascality of the informer.

[3] The commons had heard how oppressive the tyranny of Pisistratus and his sons had become before it ended, and further that that tyranny had been put down at last, not by themselves and Harmodius, but by the Lacedaemonians, and so were always in fear and took everything suspiciously.

Hier trafen sie das Schiff „Salaminia" IV, welches des ^{1 2}
Alkibades wegen von Athen gekommen war, um ihn aufzufordern, zu
seiner Vertheidigung'gegen die Staatsanklage zurückzukehren, und
mit ihm einige andere Soldaten ans seiner- Umgebung/ gegen die
wegen Verhöhnung der Mysterien', zum Theil auch wegen der Hermen'
Anzeigen eingelaufen waren. Die Athener nämlich hatten nach
Abgang der Flotte nichts destoweniger eine Untersuchung wegen^ der
Mysterien und der Frevler an den Hermesbildern-angestellt,- und ohne
die gemachten Anzeigen näher zu prüfen, gingen'sie in ihrem
Argwohn ganz darauf ein und ergriffen und fesselten, auf das Wort
schlechter Menschen hin, ganz untadelige Bürger. Sie hielten es
für nützlicher, die Sache genau zu untersuchen und die Wahrheit
herauszufinden, als wegen der Schlechtigkeit des Angebers-einen
Angeschuldigten, auch wenn er ein braver Mann zu sein schien, ohne
Untersuchung durchkommen zu lassen. Denn das Volk wußte vom
Hörensagen, wie drückend zuletzt die Zwingherrschaft des PeifistratoS
und feiner Söhne geworden, und daß dieselbe auch keineswegs von
ihnen selbst und-dem Harmodios, sondern von den Lakedämoniern
gestürzt worden sei, und deßhalb war es beständig in Furcht und
nahm Alles argwöhnisch aus/ ' - s '''

Hier trafen sie die Salaminia, die von Athen gekommen
war mit dem Auftrage, Alkibiades abzuberufen, um sich wegen
der dort gegen ihn erhobenen Beschuldigungen zu verant­
worten, und mit ihm eine Anzahl seiner Leute, welche auch
wegen Verspottung der Mysterien oder wegen Beteiligung an
dem Hermenfrevel angegeben worden waren. Die Athener
hatten nämlich, auch nachdem die Flotte abgefahren war, doch
noch eine Untersuchung eingeleitet und ohne Rücksicht auf die
Glaubwürdigkeit der Angeber jeder Verdächtigung Raum ge­
geben. Auch völlig unbeshcoltene Bürger hatten sie auf das
Zeugnis schlechter Menschen hin ohne weiteres festgenommen
und inS Gefängnis geworfen in der Meinung, es sei besser,
die Sache zu untersuchen und aufzuklären, als wegen der
Schlechtigkeit des Angebers einen auch anscheinend noch so
rechtschaffenen Mann, den man bezichtigt, ohne Untersuchung
laufen zu lassen. Denn das Volk, das immer gehört hatte
und wußte, wie drückend die Herrschaft des Peisistratos und
seiner Söhne schließlich geworden, und wie diese obendrein
nicht mal durch Harmodios und die Bürger selbst, sondern
durch die Lakedämonier gestürzt waren, lebte in beständiger
Furcht und witterte überall Gefahren.

LIII. Ils y trouvèrent la galère la Salaminienne envoyée d’Athènes pour ordonner à Alcibiade de venir répondre aux accusations que lui intentait la république; même injonction était faite à quelques-uns de ses soldats impliqués par les dénonciateurs soit dans la profanation des mystères, soit dans la question des Hermès. Les Athéniens, après le départ de l’armée, n’avaient pas interrompu l’enquête sur les mystères et les Hermès : sans peser la valeur des dénonciations, ils accueillaient tout dans leurs soupçons; et sur la foi d’hommes pervers, ils arrêtaient et chargeaient de fers des citoyens des plus honorables; ils croyaient que mieux valait éclaircir l'affaire et arriver à la vérité à tout prix, que de laisser, dans le doute, et en se fondant sur la perversité du délateur, échapper un accusé même réputé honnête homme. Le peuple savait, par ouï-dire, que la tyrannie de Pisistrate et de ses fils s’était à la fin appesantie, que d’ailleurs ce n’était ni le peuple lui-même, ni Harmodius, mais bien les Lacédémoniens qui y avaient mis un terme; aussi craignait-il toujours et tout lui était matière à soupçons.

[1] There they found that the galley Salaminia ¹ had come from Athens for Alcibiades—to order him to come home and make his defence against the charges which the city was bringing—and for certain of the soldiers also, some of them having been denounced with him as guilty of profanation with regard to the mysteries, and some also with regard to the Hermae.

[2] For after the armament sailed, the Athenians had been pursuing with no less zeal than before their investigation of what had been done in the matter of the mysteries as well as the Hermae; and as they did not test the witnesses, but in their state of suspicion accepted everything, on the credit of bad men they arrested and threw into prison very excellent citizens, thinking it more expedient to sift the matter to the bottom and find out the truth, than that anybody, even one reputed to be good and accused only through the villainy of an informer, should escape without close investigation.

[3] For the people, knowing by tradition that the tyranny of Peisistratus and his sons had become galling at the last, and moreover had been put down, not by themselves and Harmodius, but by the Lacedaemonians, ² were in constant fear and regarded everything with suspicion.

[1] There they found the ship Salaminia come from Athens for Alcibiades—to order him to sail back and defend himself against the charges which the state brought against him—and for some others of the soldiers, who with him had been informed against, as being guilty of impiety with regard to the mysteries, and some of them with regard to the Mercuries also.

[2] For the Athenians, after the armament had sailed away, made no less investigation into what had been done in the case of the mysteries and in that of the Mercuries; and as they did not test the character of the informers, ¹ but in their suspicious mood admitted all who came forward, on the credit of unprincipled men they arrested and threw into prison very excellent citizens; thinking it more expedient to sift the matter and find it out, than that, in consequence of the bad principle of an informer, an accused person, even though he had a good character, should be unquestioned, and escape.

[3] For the commons, knowing by report that the tyranny of Pisistratus and his sons had proved galling at last, and, moreover, that it had not even been put down by themselves and Harmodius, but by the Lacedaemonians, were always afraid, and took every thing suspiciously.

[1] Illic autem offendunt Salaminiam navem Athenis missam, et adversus Alcibiadem, ut, qui in ea vehebantur, juberent eum redire ad respondendum criminibus, quorum publice insimulabatur, et adversus quosdam alios milites, de quibussimul cum eo indicium delatum erat, quod impie mysteria polluissent, partim vero etiam, quod Mercurii simulacra violassent.

[2] Athenienses enim post classis discessum nihilo minus quaestionem habebant de mysteriis pollutis et de violatis Mercurii simulacris, et quoniam non explorabant indices, sed omnes suspiciose admittebant, ob fidem improbis hominibus habitam ex civibus optimos comprehensos in vincula conjiciebant, satius esse judicantes, rem accurate explorare et reperire, quam propter aliquam indicis improbitatem aliquem, licet vir probus esse videretur, accusatum nulla quaestione habita evadere.

[3] Populus enim, qui fama acceperat Pisistrati ac filiorum tyranni -dem extremis ejus temporibus gravem fuisse, praeterea ne a se quidem neque ab Harmodio, sed a Lacedaemoniis eversam, semper metuebat et omnia suspiciose accipiebat.

Colà trovarono la nave salaminia venuta da Atene per Alcibiade, coll’ordine ch’ei tornasse a difendersi di ciò onde la città lo accusava', e per alcuni altri soldati del suo seguito, parte designati come profanatori de’misteri, parte come complici nel fatto de’Mercuri. Imperciocché dopo la partita della flotta gli Ateniesi non si erano rimasti dal far ricerca quanto al delitto de’misteri e de’Mercuri; e qualunque fossero gli accusatori, in mezzo a quei sospetti, tutti gli udivano. Cosicché dando fede a gente malvagia, i più onesti cittadini arrestavano e imprigionavano, stimando meglio investigare e chiarirsi di questi fatti, di quello che l’accusato (fosse egli pur creduto dabbene) avesse ad uscirne impunito, considerata la malvagità del delatore. Ed il popolo che sapeva per udita come la tirannide di Pisistrato e dc’suoi figli si era da ultimo resa grave , e di più era stata abbattuta non dai cittadini o da Àrmodio ma dagli Spartani, temeva sempre e sospettava di tutto.