Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.31

[1] Presently after this came unto them an ambassage also from Eleians; and first they made a league with the Corinthians, and going thence to Argos, made a league with the Argives, according to the declaration before mentioned. The Eleians had a quarrel with the Lacedaemonians concerning Lepreum.

[2] For the Lepreates having heretofore warred on certain of the Arcadians, and for their aid called the Eleians into their confederacy with condition to give the moiety of the land [to be won from them], when the war was ended, the Eleians gave unto the Lepreates the whole land to be enjoyed by themselves, with an imposition thereon of a talent to be paid to Jupiter Olympian, which they continued to pay till the beginning of the Athenian war.

[3] But afterwards upon pretense of that war giving over the payment, the Eleians would have forced them to it again. The Lepreates for help having recourse to the Lacedaemonians, and the cause being referred to their decision, the Eleians afterwards, upon suspicion that the Lacedaemonians would not do them right, renounced the reference and wasted the territory of the Lepreates.

[4] The Lacedaemonians nevertheless gave sentence that the Lepreates should be at liberty to pay it or not, and that the Eleians did the injury;

[5] and because the Eleians had not stood to the reference, the Lacedaemonians put into Lepreum a garrison of men at arms. The Eleians, taking this as if the Lacedaemonians had received their revolted city, and producing the article of their league that what every one possessed when they entered into the Attic war, the same they should possess when they gave it over, revolted to the Argives as wronged and entered league with them as is before related.

[6] After these came presently into the Argive league the Corinthians and the Chalcideans upon Thrace. The Boeotians also and Megareans threatened as much; but because they thought the Argive democracy would not be so commodious for them, who were governed according to the government of the Lacedaemonians, by oligarchy, they stirred no further in it.

[1] Immediately afterwards an Elean embassy arrived, and first making an alliance with Corinth went on from thence to Argos , according to their instructions, and became allies of the Argives, their country being just then at enmity with Lacedaemon and Lepreum.

[2] Some time back there had been a war between the Lepreans and some of the Arcadians; and the Eleans being called in by the former with the offer of half their lands, had put an end to the war, and leaving the land in the hands of its Leprean occupiers had imposed upon them the tribute of a talent to the Olympian Zeus.

[3] Till the Attic war this tribute was paid by the Lepreans, who then took the war as an excuse for no longer doing so, and upon the Eleans using force appealed to Lacedaemon . The case was thus submitted to her arbitrament; but the Eleans, suspecting the fairness of the tribunal, renounced the reference and laid waste the Leprean territory.

[4] The Lacedaemonians nevertheless decided that the Lepreans were independent and the Eleans aggressors, and as the latter did not abide by the arbitration, sent a garrison of heavy infantry into Lepreum.

[5] Upon this the Eleans, holding that Lacedaemon had received one of their rebel subjects, put forward the convention providing that each confederate should come out of the Attic war in possession of what he had when he went into it, and considering that justice had not been done them went over to the Argives, and now made the alliance through their ambassadors, who had been instructed for that purpose.

[6] Immediately after them the Corinthians and the Thracian Chalcidians became allies of Argos . Meanwhile the Boeotians and Megarians, who acted together, remained quiet, being left to do as they pleased by Lacedaemon , and thinking that the Argive democracy would not suit so well with their aristocratic government as the Lacedaemonian constitution.

Es kam aber auch gleich damals eine Gesandtschaft der
Eleer 29), schloß zuerst mit den Korinthern ein Bündniß und ging
von da, wie ihnen daheim befohlen worden war, nach Argos, wo sie
der Argiver Bundesgenossen wurden. Sie hatten nämlich Lepreon's
wegen einen Span mit den Lakedämoniern. Denn es war einst
zwischen arkadischen Städten und den Lepreaten zum Krieg gekommen,
worauf diese die Bundesgenossenschaft der Eleer anriefen mit dem
Erbieten, ihnen den Ertrag ihres halben Gebietes zu überlassen.
Die Eleer legten nun den Krieg bei, überließen aber das Land den
Lepreaten selbst zur Benützung und legten ihnen nur ans, dem
Olympischen Zeus (jährlich) ein Talent zu entrichten. Bis zum Attischen
Kriege nun wurde dasselbe auch entrichtet, als aber dann die
Lepreaten die Zahlung einstellten und den Krieg zum Vorwand nahmen,
wurden sie von den Eleern dazu gezwungen, und nun wandten sich
jene an die Lakedämonier. Die Sache wurde einem Lakedämonischen
Schiedsgericht übergeben; da aber dann die Eleer vermutheten, wohl
kein billiges Urtheil zu erhalten, so traten sie wieder zurück und ver­ ¹
wüsteten das Gebiet der Lepreaten. Nichtsdetsoweniger aber gaben ²
die Lakedämonier den Entscheid, die Lepreaten sollten ganz frei sein<
und die Eleer hätten Unrecht; und weil diese ihren Beitritt zu ihrem
Schiedsgericht wieder zurückgenommen hatten, so legten sie eine
Besatzung von Schwerbewaffneten nach Lepreon. Die Eleer aber sahen
die Sache so an, als ob die Lakedämonier eine von ihnen abgefallene
Stadt angenommen hätten, und beriefen sich aus den Vertrag, in
welchem bestimmt war, daß was die Teilnehmer zu Anfang des
Krieges besessen hätten, sie auch am Schlüsse desselben als Eigenthum
haben sollten; es sei ihnen also Unrecht geschehen; und deßhalb traten
sie zu den Argivern über und schlossen, wie erzählt ist, auch ihrerseits
den Waffenbund. Bald nach ihnen wurden auch die Korinther und
die Thrakischen Chalkidier der Argiver Verbündete. Die Böoter
aber und die Megarer, obgleich sie dieselbe Sprache führten,
verhielten sich theilnahmlos, da die Lakedämonier überhaupt kein
Augenmerk mehr auf sie hatten, und sie selbst der Argiver demokratische
Verfassung ZU) ihren eigenen oligarchischen Einrichtungen weniger förderlich
hielten als die Staatsverfassung der Lakedämonier.

Gleich nachher trafen auch Gesandte aus Elis ein, welche
zuerst ein Bündnis mit Korinth schlossen und sich darauf nach
Argos begaben, um, wie im voraus ausgemacht war, auch dem
Argeiischen Bunde beizutreten. Denn die Eleer lagen damals
mit den Lakedämoniern in Streit wegen Lepreon. Seinerzeit
war nämlich zwischen einigen arkadischen Orten und den Lepreern
ein Krieg ausgebrochen, in dem die Eleer von den Lepreern zu
Hilfe gerufen und mit ihnen gegen Abtretung der Hälfte ihres
Landes ein Bündnis eingegangen waren. Nach Beendigung
des Krieges wurde das Land von den Eleern den Lepreern zu
eigener Wirtschaft überlassen gegen die Verpflichtung, davon
einen Zins von einem Talent an den Zeus in Olympia zu
zahlen, den sie auch bis zum attischen Kriege entrichteten. Nach­
her machten sie sich den Ausbruch des Krieges zunutze, um
die Zahlung einzustellen, und als die Eleer sie dazu zwangs­
weise anhalten wollten, suchten sie Schutz bei den Lakedämoniern.
Die Sache wurde dann auch zu schiedsrihcterlicher Entscheidung
der Lakedämonier verstellt; die Eleer aber fürchteten, dabei zu
kurz zu kommen, und verwüsteten das Land der Lepreer ohne
die Entscheidung abzuwarten. Nichtsdetsoweniger entschieden
die Lakedämonier, die Eleer hätten unrecht und den Lepreern
nichts zu befehlen, schickten auch, da sie den Schiedsspruch nicht'
abgewartet, eine Anzahl Hopliten als Besatzung nach Lepreon.
Die Eleer aber waren der Ansicht, die Lakedämonier hätten
eine von ihnen abgefallene Stadt in Schutz genommen, und
beriefen sich auf den Vertrag, wonach jeder, was er zu Beginn
des attischen Krieges gehabt, bei dessen Schluß behalten sollte.
Sie gingen also, weil ihnen ihr Recht nicht geworden, zu den
Argeiern über und schlossen auch ihrerseits, wie das ja schon
vorher ausgemacht war, das Bündnis mit ihnen ab. Gleich
nach ihnen traten auch die Korinther und die vorderthrakischen
Chalkidier dem Argeiischen Bunde bei. Die Böotier und die
Megarer führten zwar dieselbe Sprache, taten es aber nicht,
da sie von den Lakedämoniern besonders rücksichtsvoll behandelt
wurden und, oligarchisch verfaßt, wie sie waren, bei dem
demokratischen Argos ihre Rechnung nicht in dem Maße zu
finden glaubten wie bei der Politik der Lakedämonier.

Là-dessus arrivèrent des députés d'Elis, qui firent amitié avec les Corinthiens, et se rendirent ensuite à Argos pour conclure l’alliance qui leur était offerte. Les Ëléens s’étalent brouillés avec les Lacédémoniens au sujet de Lépréon ¹ . Les Lépréates, dans une guerre qu’ils avaient eu jadis à soutenir contre une portion de l’Arcadie, avaient sollicité l’assistance des Éléens, en offrant de partager le pays avec eux ² . Les Ëléens avaient mis fin à cette guerre et laissé aux Lépréates la jouissance du territoire conquis, à charge de payer annuellement un talent à Jupiter Olympien. Jusqu’à la guerre d’Attique ³ , les Lépréates s’acquittèrent de cette redevance; puis ils s’en dispensèrent sous prétexte de la guerre ; et, comme les Éléens les pressaient de payer, ils en appelèrent aux Lacédémoniens. Les Éléens, ne se fiant pas à l'impartialité de ces médiateurs, déclinèrent leur arbitrage et dévastèrent le territoire de Lépréon. Les Lacédémoniens n’en déclarèrent pas moins les Lépréates indépendants ⁴ , et firent passer à Lépréon une garnison d’hoplites. Les Éléens prétendirent que Lacédémone soutenait dans sa révolte une ville de leur ressort; ils invoquèrent la clause d’après laquelle chacun devait conserver, au sortir de la guerre d’Attique, ce qu’il possédait à son début ; et, s’estimant lésés, ils se jetèrent dans le parti des Argiens, avec lesquels ils conclurent alliance aux termes ci-dessus énoncés.

Bientôt après, les Corinthiens et les Chalcidéens du littoral de la Thrace entrèrent aussi dans la ligue d’Argos. Les Béotiens et les Mégariens, malgré leurs sympathies avouées, se tinrent à l’écart. Ils étaient fort ménagés par Lacédémone, dont la constitution s’accordait mieux que la démocratie d'Argos avec leur régime oligarchique.

[1] Soon after there also came an embassy of the Eleans and first concluded an alliance with the Corinthians, and then they proceeded to Argos, as they had been instructed, and made an alliance with the Argives. It seems that at one time the Eleans were at variance with the Lacedaemonians about Lepreum. ¹

[2] For when there had been a war between the Lepreates and some of the Arcadians, and the Eleans had been invited by the Lepreates to make an alliance with them, with the offer of half their territory, on the conclusion of the war the Eleans left the Lepreates in possession of their land, but assessed upon them a tax of a talent to be paid to Olympian Zeus.

[3] Now up to the war with Athens they regularly paid the tribute; then on the pretext of the war they ceased to pay the tribute, and the Eleans tried to enforce payment, whereupon they had recourse to the Lacedaemonians. The case having been referred to the Lacedaemonians for arbitration, the Eleans, suspecting that they would not receive fair treatment, renounced the arbitration and ravaged the land of the Lepreates.

[4] The Lacedaemonians, nevertheless, gave judgment, to the effect that the Lepreates were independent and the Eleans the aggressors, and as the latter did not abide by the arbitration, sent a garrison of hoplites to Lepreum.

[5] But the Eleans, considering that the Lacedaemonians had taken under their protection a city of theirs that was in revolt, cited the agreement in which it was stipulated that whatever places any of the confederates had when they entered the war with Athens they should retain when they came out of it;

[6] and on the ground that they had not received fair treatment went over to the Argives, their envoys making the alliance as they had been instructed to do. Immediately after them the Corinthians also and the Chalcidians in Thrace became allies of the Argives. But the Boeotians and Megarians, though holding the same views, kept quiet, awaiting events and thinking the Argive democracy not so advantageous for them, with their oligarchical form of government, as the political constitution of the Lacedaemonians.

[1] Immediately after, there came also an embassy from the Eleans, who concluded an alliance with the Corinthians in the first place, and then proceeded thence to Argos, as they had been previously instructed, and became allies of the Argives. For they were at variance with the Lacedaemonians just then about Lepreum.

[2] For a war having before this arisen between the Lepreans and some of the Arcadians, and the Eleans having been invited to alliance by the Lepreans, on condition of receiving half their territory, and having brought the war to a conclusion, the Eleans imposed on the Lepreans, who were themselves allowed to occupy the territory, the payment of a talent to the Olympian Jupiter.

[3] This they continued to pay till the Attic war broke out; when, on their ceasing to do so on the pretext of the war, the Eleans proceeded to compel them; on which they had recourse to the Lacedaemonians. When the case was thus submitted to the arbitration of the Lacedaemonians, the Eleans, suspecting that they should not have justice, renounced the reference, and laid waste the Leprean territory.

[4] The Lacedaemonians nevertheless decided that the Lepreans were independent, and that the Eleans were acting with injustice; and inasmuch as they had not stood by the arbitration, they sent into Lepreum a garrison of heavy-armed troops.

[5] So the Eleans, considering the Lacedaemonians to be receiving a city which had revolted from them, and alleging the agreement in which it had been declared, that whatever each party had when they entered on the Attic war, that they should also have when they retired from it; since they considered that they had not their due, they went over to the Argives; and thus they too, ¹ as they had been previously instructed, concluded the alliance.

[6] Immediately after them the Corinthians and Thrace-ward Chalcidians also entered into alliance with the Argives; but the Boeotians and Megareans, holding each the same language as the other, remained quiet; being ² neglected by the Lacedaemonians, and yet thinking that the democracy of the Argives was less suited to them, with their oligarchical form of government, than the constitution of the Lacedaemonians.

[1] Confestim autem et Eleorum legatio venit, ac primum cum Corinthiis societatem fecit; deinde illinc Argos profecti, quemadmodum edictum erat, Argivorum socii facti sunt Forte enim cum Lacedaemoniis de Lepreo contendebant.

[2] Nam quum Lepreatis bellum quondam cum quibusdam Arcadibus ortum esset et Elei ad illius belli societatem a Lepreatis acciti essent, ea conditione, ut dimidiam partem agri obtinerent, et bellum composuissent, Elei ita, ut ipsi Lepreata» agrum illum colerent, talentum iis imposuerunt, quod Olympio Jovi quotannis penderent.

[3] Et ad bellum usque Atticum persolvebant; deinde quum desiissent, causati bellum, Elei eos cogebant, illi vero ad Lacedaemonios se converterunt. Et quum hujus controversiae cognitio Lacedaemoniis commissa esset, Elei suspicati, se suum jus non obtenturos, omisso arbitrio Lepreatarum agrum vastarunt.

[4] Lacedaemonii vero nihilo minus Le-preatas liberos esse, et Eleos injuste facere pronunciaront, et quod arbitrio sibi commisso stare noluissent, praesidium gravis armaturae militum Lepreum miserunt.

[5] Elei vero existimantes urbem, quae a se defecisset, Lacedaemonios recepisse, et pacis conditionem proferentes, in qua dictum erat, ut singuli quae belli Attici initio possidebant, liaec retinentes etiam e bello discederent, ut iniquo arbitrio damnati ad Argivos defecerunt, societatemque cum illis, sicut praedictum erat, hi quoque fecerunt.

[6] Statim autem post illos et Corinthii et Clialcidenses, qui sunt in Thracia, societatem cum Argivis inierunt Boeoti vero et Megarenses, quamvis idem dicerent, quod a Lacaedemoniis contemnerentur, tamen quiescebant, quod popularem Argivorum statum sibi, qui paucorum dominatu regerentur, miuus quam Lacedaemoniorum rempublicam putarent profuturam.

Venne anche subito un ambasceria degli Elei; e stretta primieramente lega co’ Corintii, di là passarono poi ad Argo giusta il convenuto, e si fecero confederati degli Argivi, avvegnaché fossero disgustati dei Lacedemoni per conto di Lepreo. Qui è da sapere che i Lepreati avendo una volta guerra contro alcuni di Arcadia, invitarono gl» Elei ad unirsi con loro , colla promessa della metà del territorio. Terminata la guerra, gli Elei si contentarono che i Lepreati ne possedessero le terre, purché ogni anno facessero l’offerta di uti talento a Giove Olimpio. Infatti l' offersero sino alla guerra attica , ma poi col pretesto di essa se ne tolsero. Gli Elei vollero obbligarveli, e i Lepreati ricorsero ai Lacedemoni nei quali fu rimessa la causa ; ma gli Elei entrati in sospetto che non sarebbe loro fatta giustizia , senza riguardo a ciò, saccheggiarono le terre de' Lepreati. Nondimeno i Lacedemoni decisero essere liberi i Lepreati, e gli Elei ingiusti usurpatori : e perchè non se n’erano stati al loro arbitrio mandarono presidio di truppe gravi a Lepreo. Gli Elei giudicarono avere i Lacedemoni accolta una città loro ribelle, produssero i capitoli ove era espresso che ognuno al l'uscir della guerra attica dovesse ritener quello che aveva all’entrare ; e persuasi di non avere riscosso la giustizia si staccano da Sparta per legarsi con Argo ; e secondo il convenuto , fecero anch’essi alleanza. Subito poi dietro a loro anche i Corintii e i Calcidesi di Tracia si fecero confederati degli Argivi : ma i Beozii e i Megaresi, per quanto dicessero di voler fare lo stesso, pure rimasero tranquilli, sì perchè non erano presi di mira dai Lacedemoni, e si perchè giudicavano la democrazia degli Argivi meno confacevole del reggimento di Sparta col loro governo aristocratico.