Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.27

[1] After the concluding of the fifty years' peace and the league which followed, and when those ambassadors which were sent for out of the rest of Peloponnesus to accept the said peace were departed from Lacedaemon, the Corinthians (the rest going all to their own cities), turning first to Argos, entered into treaty with some of the Argive magistrates to this purpose:

[2] that the Lacedaemonians having made a peace and league with the Athenians, their hitherto mortal enemies, tending not to the benefit, but to the enslaving of Peloponnesus, it behoved them to consider of a course for the safety of the same, and to make a decree that any city of the Grecians that would, and were a free city, and admitted the like and equal trials of judgment with theirs, might make a league with the Argives for the one mutually to aid the other; and to assign them a few men, with absolute authority from the state, to treat with; and that it should not be motioned to the people, to the end that, if the multitude would not agree to it, it might be unknown that ever they had made such a motion; affirming that many would come into this confederacy upon hatred to the Lacedaemonians.

[3] And the Corinthians, when they had made this overture, went home.

[1] After the conclusion of the fifty years' truce and of the subsequent alliance, the embassies from Peloponnese which had been summoned for this business returned from Lacedaemon .

[2] The rest went straight home, but the Corinthians first turned aside to Argos and opened negotiations with some of the men in office there, pointing out that Lacedaemon could have no good end in view, but only the subjugation of Peloponnese , or she would never have entered into treaty and alliance with the once detested Athenians, and that the duty of consulting for the safety of Peloponnese had now fallen upon Argos, who should immediately pass a decree inviting any Hellenic state that chose, such state being independent and accustomed to meet fellow-powers upon the fair and equal ground of law and justice, to make a defensive alliance with the Argives; appointing a few individuals with plenipotentiary powers, instead of making the people the medium of negotiation, in order that, in the case of an applicant being rejected, the fact of his overtures might not be made public. They said that many would come over from hatred of the Lacedaemonians.

[3] After this explanation of their views the Corinthians returned home.

Nachdem der fünfzigjährige Friedensvertrag nnd danahc
der Waffenbund abgeschlossen waren, reisten die Gesandtschaften,
welche zu diesem Zwecke berufen worden, wieder von Lakedämon
ab; die Andern nun gingen nach Hause, die Korinther aber
wendeten sich zuvor nach Argos und verabredeten mit einigen Argivern,
die in Amt und Würden tsanden: weil die Lakedämonier nicht in
guter Absicht sondern zur Unterjochuug des Peloponnes Frieden
und Bundessreuudschaft mit den Athenern geschlossen hätten, die
doch vorher ihre erbittertsten Feinde gewesen seien, so sollten die
Argiver zusehen, daß die peloponnesische Freiheit gerettet werde, und sie
sollten beschließen, daß welche Stadt der Hellenen nur wolle, sofern
sie nur ihre freie Verfassung habe und Allen gleiches Recht gewähre,
mit den Argivern ein Waffenbündniß zum Schutz ihrer gegenseitigen
Gebiete eingehen könnte. Und sie sollten dazu einige wenige Männer
ernennen, die in Ansehung ihrer Gewalt ganz freie Hand hätten; vor
das Volk aber solle man die Verhandlungen nicht bringen, damit ^{1 2}
wenn die Menge sich nicht überreden lasse, die Namen jener Männer
nicht bekannt würden. Sie behaupteten auch, daß aus Haß gegen die
Lakedämonier Viele sich ihnen anschließen würden. Nachdem die
Korinther diese Maßregeln an die Hand gegeben, kehrten sie nach
Hause zurück.

Nachdem der fünfzigjährige Friede und darauf auch das
Bündtiis geschlossen war, reisten die dazu nach Lakedämon
entbotenen peloponnesischen Gesandten wieder ab, die übrigen
nach Hause, die Korinther zunächst nach Argos. Hier stellten
sie einigen hohen Beamten vor, daß die Lakedämonier den
Frieden und das Bündnis mit ihren alten Feinden, den Athenern,
nicht ohne Hintergedanken geschlossen hätten, sondern zu dem
Zweck, sich den Peloponnes zu unterwerfen, und es jetzt Sache
der Argeier sei, sich des Peloponnes anzunehmen und einen
Beschluß zu fassen, wonach allen unabhängigen, einander gegen­
seitig Rechtsgleichheit zugestehenden griechischen Staaten an­
heimgestellt würde, ein Schutzbündnis mit Argos einzugehen.
Sie dürften damit jedoch nur wenige Männer betrauen^und
die Sache nicht vor das Volk bringen, um niemand bloßzu­
stellen, falls dieses nicht dafür zu haben sein sollte. Sie ver­
sicherten auch, daß bei dem Haß gegen die Lakedämonier viele
einem solchen Bündnis beitreten würden. Nachdem sie ihnen
das unter den Fuß gegeben, reisten auch die Korinther nach
Hause.

La paix de cinquante ans et l’alliance qui la suivit une fois conclues, les députés du Péloponèse, venus à Lacédémone pour cet objet, quittèrent cette ville et regagnèrent leurs foyers. Les Corinthiens se rendirent d’abord à Argos, où ils s’abouchèrent avec quelques-uns des citoyens. Ils leur représentèrent qu’en faisant un traité de paix et d’alliance avec les Athéniens, naguère leurs ennemis jurés, les Lacédémoniens avaient en vue, non l’intérêt, mais l’asservissement du Péloponèse; que c’était aux Argiens de le sauver , en statuant que toute ville grecque et indépendante, qui offrirait de soumettre ses différends à un arbitrage, pourrait conclure avec Argos une alliance défensive ; qu’il fallait élire un petit nombre de citoyens et les munir de pleins pouvoirs, sans porter la question devant l’assemblée .du peuple, pour ne pas s’exposer à ses refus. A les entendre, beaucoup de villes ne demandaient pas mieux que d’entrer dans cette ligue par haine pour Lacédémone. Après cette communication, les Corinthiens s’en retournèrent cher eux.

[1] After the conclusion of the fifty years' treaty and the subsequent alliance, the embassies from the Peloponnesus, which had been summoned for this business, withdrew from Lacedaemon. The rest went home;

[2] but the Corinthians proceeded first to Argos and entered into communication with certain of the Argive magistrates, saying that, since the Lacedaemonians had made a treaty and alliance with the Athenians, hitherto their bitterest enemies, not for the good of the Peloponnesus but for its enslavement, the Argives ought to be considering how the Peloponnesus could be saved; and should pass a decree, that any Hellenic city which is autonomous and offers settlement of disputes by fair and impartial trials, may, if it so wishes, make an alliance with the Argives for mutual defence of their territories; and that they should appoint a few men with absolutely full powers, and not discuss matters before the people, so that any who may fail to persuade the popular assembly may not become known to the Lacedaemonians. And they asserted that many would join them through hatred of the Lacedaemonians.

[3] The Corinthians, then, having suggested these things, went home.

[1] When, then, the fifty years' treaty had been concluded, and the ¹ alliance afterwards, the embassies from the Peloponnese, which had been summoned for that business, returned from Lacedaemon. Accordingly the rest went home;

[2] but the Corinthians repaired to Argos, and in the first place held communications with some of the Argives who were in office, to the effect that, since the Lacedaemonians, not for the good, but for the subjugation of the Peloponnese, had entered into treaty and alliance with the Athenians, who were before their bitterest enemies; the Argives ought to consider how the Peloponnese might be preserved; and to pass a decree, that any city of the Greeks that wished, being independent, and giving judicial satisfaction for wrongs, on fair and equal terms, might enter into alliance with the Argives, on condition of defending each other's country: and that they should appoint a few persons as commissioners with full powers, instead of the discussion of the measure being held before the people; in order that those might not be known who had failed to persuade the multitude. And they asserted that many would come over to them for hatred of the Lacedaemonians.

[3] The Corinthians then, having suggested these things, returned home.

[1] Postquam enim quinquaginta annorum foedera facta sunt et mox societates, etiam legationes, quae ex Peloponneso ad haec accitae erani, Lacedaemooe discedebant.

[2] Ei ceteri quidem domum abierunt; Corinthii vero primum Argos profecti, cum quibusdam Argivorum principibus sermones conferunt, quandoquidem Lacedaemonii non propter utilitatem Peloponnesi, sed ut eam in servitutem redigerent, foedera sodetatemque fecerint cum Atheniensibus, qui prius iis fuerint inimicissimi, Argivis provide-operam esse dandam, ut Peloponnesus servetur, et decretum faciendum, ut quaecunque Graeca civitas vellet, quae suis legibus viveret, et judicia pana et similia praeberet, er societatem cum Argivis fecere liceat, ita ut alteri alteris auxilium mutuo ferant, paucos autem viros cum summa potestate deligendos, quorum arbitrio res tota permittatur, neque verba hac de re apud populum ferienda, ne ii, qui multitudinem in suam sententiam pertrahere non potuerint, detegantur; dixerunt autem multos odio Lacedaemoniorum accessuros esse.

[3] Atque Corinthii quidem quum liaec demonstraseent, domum redierunt;

Dico adunque che dopo stabilita la tregua dei cinquanta anni e le alleanze che la seguirono, le amba-«eerie del Peloponneso partirono da Sparta ove a tale oggetto erano state invitate, ed anche gli altri tornarono a casa. Ma i Corinti! voltatisi primamente ad Argo, tengono discorso eoo alcuni dei principali cittadini, che avendo i Lacedemoni fatto tregua ed alleanza con gK Ateniesi, prima loro nemici mortali, non pel bene del Peloponneso ma per farselo servo , conveniva pure agli Argivi vedere come potesse salvarsi il Peloponneso stesso, e decretare che ogni città greca che sia libera e si governi con perfetto eguaglianza di diritto , faccia, se vuole, lega con gli Argivi per la difesa scambievole dei territorii -, che però si eleggano pochi cittadini con pieno mandato acciò non si abbia a trattare col popolo, e non restino scoperti quelli che non riuscissero a persuadere la moltitudine. Aggiugnevano poi che molti per odio contro i Lacedemoni verrebbero alla parte loro. Ed esposte queste considerawom i Corialii tornarono a casa.