Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.8

[1] But these robberies were the exercise especially of the islanders, namely, the Carians and the Phoenicians. For by them were the greatest part of the islands inhabited, a testimony whereof is this. The Athenians when in this present war they hallowed the isle of Delos and had digged up the sepulchres of the dead found that more than half of them were Carians, known so to be both by the armour buried with them and also by their manner of burial at this day.

[2] And when Minos his navy was once afloat, navigators had the sea more free. For he expelled the malefactors out of the islands and in the most of them planted colonies of his own.

[3] By which means they who inhabited the sea-coasts, becoming more addicted to riches, grew more constant to their dwellings, of whom some, grown now rich, compassed their towns about with walls. For out of desire of gain, the meaner sort underwent servitude with the mighty; and the mighty with their wealth brought the lesser cities into subjection.

[4] And so it came to pass that rising to power they proceeded afterward to the war against Troy.

[1] The islanders, too, were great pirates. These islanders were Carians and Phoenicians, by whom most of the islands were colonized, as was proved by the following fact. During the purification of Delos by Athens in this war all the graves in the island were taken up, and it was found that above half their inmates were Carians: they were identified by the fashion of the arms buried with them, and by the method of interment, which was the same as the Carians still follow.

[2] But as soon as Minos had formed his navy, communication by sea became easier, as he colonized most of the islands, and thus expelled the malefactors.

[3] The coast populations now began to apply themselves more closely to the acquisition of wealth, and their life became more settled; some even began to build themselves walls on the strength of their newly-acquired riches. For the love of gain would reconcile the weaker to the dominion of the stronger, and the possession of capital enabled the more powerful to reduce the smaller towns to subjection.

[4] And it was at a somewhat later stage of this development that they went on the expedition against Troy .

Der Seeräuberei waren aber wohl noch mehr die
Inselbewohner, meist Karer und Phöniker, zugethan; denn daß diese Stämme
sich auf den meisten Inseln niedergelassen haben müssen, zeigte sich,
als die Athener im Verlaufe dieses Krieges die Reinigung von Delos
vornahmen ^). Als man nämlich die Todtensärge von der Insel
wegschaffte, fand sich, daß mehr als die Hälfte Karer gewesen seien,
was an der Gestalt der mitbegrabenen Waffen und an der
Begräbnißart, wie sie noch jetzt bei ihnen üblich, zu erkennen war

Als aber des Minos Seemacht emporkam, hob sich auch der
Verkehr zur See, denn jenes Räuber-voll räumte vor ihm die Inseln,
die er meist mit Ansiedlern besetzte. Die Seeanwohner, die schon
mehr Geld und Gut erwarben, wechselten jetzt auch weniger ihre
Wohnsitze; einige, die reicher geworden, schützten sie sogar durch Mauern.
Man strebte nach Gewinn, und deshalb begaben sich die Aermeren in ^{1 2}
den Dienst der Reicheren, und die Mächtigen, welche überlegenes
Vermögen hatten, machten die geringeren Städte sich unterwürfig 27*). ^{3 4}
und dies war schon mehr der Zustand, in welchem sich die Hellenen
befanden, als sie dann den Zug gegen Troja unternahmen.

Die ärgsten Räuber aber waren die Inselbewohner, Karer
und Phönizier, die ja doch auf den meisten Inseln ihre Nieder­
lassungen hatten. DaS zeigte sich auch, als die Athener im
Laufe dieses Krieges Delos reinigten und die Särge der früher
dort Verstorbenen von der Insel entfernen ließen, indem sich
dabei herausstellte, daß über die Hälfte Karer gewesen, waS
man an der Beschaffenheit der in den Gräbern gefundenen
Waffen und an der bei den Karern noch jetzt üblichen Be­
stattungSweise erkennen konnte. Seit der Entstehung der See­
macht des Minos aber konnte sich die Schiffahrt ungehinderter
entwickeln; denn er vertrieb die Räuber von den Inseln und
besetzte die meisten von ihnen selbst mit Ansiedlern. Auch die
Küstenbevölkerung wurde jetzt wohlhabender, klebte fester an
der Scholle und war hie und da schon reich genug, ihre Städte
mit Mauern zu umgeben. Da jeder auf seinen Vorteil bedacht
war, ließen sich die Schwachen den Druck der Mächtigen ge­
fallen, die Mächtigen und Reichen aber unterwarfen sich die
kleinen Städte. Das etwa die Zustände der Griechen, als sie
den Zug nach Troja unternahmen.

La piraterie n’était pas moins en honneur chez les insulaires, Cariens et Phéniciens, race d’hommes qui colonisa jadis la plupart des îles, comme l’atteste le fait suivant : lorsque, dans la guerre actuelle, Délos fut purifiée parles Athéniens ¹ , et que toutes les tombes qui s’y trouvaient furent enlevées, on constata que plus de la moitié appartenaient à des Cariens, à en juger par la forme des armes qu’elles renfermaient, et par la manière dont, encore aujourd’hui, ce peuple enterre les morts ² .

Quand la marine de Minos fut organisée, la navigation devint plus libre ; il expulsa des îles les pirates qui les infestaient, et établit des colonies dans la plupart d’entre elles. Dès lors les habitants des côtes commencèrent à s’enrichir et à posséder des habitations moins précaires ; quelques-uns même, dont l’aisance s’était accrue, environnèrent leurs villes de remparts. L’intérêt engagea les faibles à accepter la domination des forts, et les plus puissants s’aidèrent de leurs richesses pour assujettir les petites cités. Tel était l’état de la Grèce, lorsque plus tafd elle fit l'expédition de Troie.

[1] Still more addicted to piracy were the islanders. These included Carians as well as Phoenicians, for Carians inhabited most of the islands, as may be inferred from the fact that, when Delos was purified by the Athenians in this war ¹ and the graves of all who had ever died on the island were removed, over half were discovered to be Carians, being recognized by the fashion of the armour found buried with them, and by the mode of burial, which is that still in use among them.

[2] But when the navy of Minos had been established, navigation between various peoples became saferfor the evil-doers on the islands were expelled by him, and then he proceeded to colonize most of them—and the dwellers on the sea-coast now began to acquire property more than before and to become more settled in their homes, and some, seeing that they were growing richer than before, began also to put walls around their cities.

[3] Their more settled life was due to their desire for gain; actuated by this, the weaker citizens were willing to submit to dependence on the stronger, and the more powerful men, with their enlarged resources, were able to make the lesser cities their subjects.

[4] And later on, when they had at length more completely reached this condition of affairs, they made the expedition against Troy.

[1] And the islanders especially were pirates, being Carians and Phoenicians. For it was these that had colonized most of the islands. And this is a proof of it:—When Delos was purified by the Athenians in the course of this war, and all the sepulchres of those who had died in the island were taken up, above half were found to be Carians; being known by the fashion of the arms buried with them, and by the manner in which they still bury.

[2] But when the navy of Minos was established, there were greater facilities of sailing to each other. For the malefactors in the islands were expelled by him, at the same time that he was colonizing most of them.

[3] And the men on the sea-coast, now making greater acquisition of wealth, led a more settled life: and some of them even surrounded themselves with walls, on the strength of growing richer than they had before been. For through desire of gain, the lower orders submitted to be slaves to their betters; and the more powerful, having a superabundance of money, brought the smaller cities into subjection.

[4] And being now more in this state of things, some time after they made the expedition against Troy.

[1] Nec vero minus insularum incolae latrocinia exercebant, qui Cares erant et Phoenices; hi enim plurimas insulae condiderant. Documento hoc est: quum enim Delus insula lustraretur ab Atheniensibus hujus belli tempore conditoriis sublatis quotquot erant hominum, qui in hac insula decesserant , supra dimidium Cares inventi sunt, agniti et armorum genere, quae una cum ipsis sepulta erant, et ipso modo, quo nunc quoque sepeliunt.

[2] Sed cum Minois maritimum imperium exstitisset, maria liberius ultro citroque navigari coeperunt; nam et ex insulis praedones ab eo sunt sublati, quo quidem tempore etiam colonias in illarum plerasqne deduxit.

[3] Et homines, qui prope mare degebant, jam parandae pecuniae studio magis dediti, constantius sedibus suis habitabant; quinetiam quidam muris se tutabantur, quippe qui divitiis augerentur. Etenim cupiditate quaestus et qui imbecilliores erant, potentiorum servitutem sustinebant, et qui potentiores, quia magnas habebant facultates, minores civitates suae ditioni adjungebant.

[4] Atque in bac potissimum jam conditione constituti posteriore tempore ad Trojam cum exercitu sunt profecti.

Nè si davano meno alla pirateria gl' isolani che erano Carii e Fenicii, poiché costoro abitavano senza dubbio la maggior parte delle isole. Testimonio di ciò ; che nella purgazione di Deio fatta dagli Ateniesi nel corso di questa guerra, quando furono tolte tutte le arche de’morti che si trovavano nell' isola, più della metà apparvero Carii , riconosciuti al fornimento delle armi sepolte con loro, e al modo conforme a quello che ancora tengono nel sep~ pellire. Ma la reciproca navigazione si facilitò da che Minos ebbe dato forma alla sua flotta, avendo egli cacciato quei malfattori dalle isole, quando anche nella maggior parte di esse fondò colonie. E gli abitatori delle coste, che trovavano d’ allora in poi più sicuro il modo di far denaro, vi si fermavano più stabilmente ; ed alcuni eziandio si cingevano di mura secondo che crescevano in ricchezze. Perciocché l' avidità del guadagno induceva i deboli a soffrire il servaggio dei più forti, ed i più potenti coll9 affluenza delle loro ricchezze si facevano suddite le città più deboli. In tal maniera divenuti ornai più opulenti fecero poi la spedizione contro Troia.