Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.115

[1] Being returned from Euboea, within awhile after they made a peace with the Lacedaemonians and their confederates for thirty years and rendered Nisaea, Achaia, Pegae, and Troezene (for these places the Athenians held of theirs) to the Peloponnesians.

[2] In the sixth year of this peace fell out the war between the Samians and Milesians concerning Priene; and the Milesians, being put to the worse, came to Athens and exclaimed against the Samians. Wherein also certain private men of Samos itself took part with the Milesians out of desire to alter the form of government.

[3] Whereupon the Athenians went to Samos with a fleet of forty galleys and set up the democracy there and took of the Samians fifty boys and as many men for hostages, which, when they had put into Lemnos and set a guard upon them, they came home.

[4] But certain of the Samians (for some of them not enduring the popular government were fled into the continent) entering into a league with the mightiest of them in Samos and with Pissuthnes the son of Hystaspes, who then was governor of Sardis, and levying about seven hundred auxiliary soldiers, passed over into Samos in the evening and first set upon the popular faction and brought most of them into their power;

[5] and then stealing their hostages out of Lemnos, they revolted and delivered the Athenian guard and such captains as were there into the hands of Pissuthnes, and withal prepared to make war against Miletus. With these also revolted the Byzantines.

[1] Not long after their return from Euboea , they made a truce with the Lacedaemonians and their allies for thirty years, giving up the posts which they occupied in Peloponnese , Nisaea Pegae, Troezen , and Achaia .

[2] In the sixth year of the truce, war broke out between the Samians and Milesians about Priene . Worsted in the war, the Milesians came to Athens with loud complaints against the Samians. In this they were joined by certain private persons from Samos itself, who wished to revolutionize the government.

[3] Accordingly the Athenians sailed to Samos with forty ships and set up a democracy; took hostages from the Samians, fifty boys and as many men, lodged them in Lemnos , and after leaving a garrison in the island returned home.

[4] But some of the Samians had not remained in the island, but had fled to the continent. Making an agreement with the most powerful of those in the city, and an alliance with Pissuthnes, son of Hystaspes, the then satrap of Sardis , they got together a force of seven hundred mercenaries, and under cover of night crossed over to Samos .

[5] Their first step was to rise on the commons, most of whom they secured, their next to steal their hostages from Lemnos ; after which they revolted, gave up the Athenian garrison left with them and its commanders to Pissuthnes, and instantly prepared for an expedition against Miletus . The Byzantines also revolted with them.

Nicht lange nach ihrem Abzüge aus Euboia schlossen sie
mit den Lakedämoniern und ihren Bundesgenossen einen dreißig-
jährigen Frieden, wobei sie die in ihren Händen befindlichen
peloponnesischen Plätze, Nisaia, Pegai, Troizen und Achaia,
wieder Herausgaben. Sechs Jahre nahcher kam es zwischen
Samos und Milet Prienes wegen zum Kriege. Als die Mileter
darin den kürzeren zogen, wandten sie sich nach Athen und
beklagten sich dort über die bösen Samier. Doch auch in
Samos selbst hielten es einzelne, welche eine Verfassungs­
änderung erstrebten, mit Milet. Die Athener fuhren also mit
vierzig Schiffen nach Samos, setzten dort eine demokratische
Regierung ein und ließen sich von den Samiern Geiseln geben,
fünfzig Knaben und eine gleiche Anzahl Männer, die sie nach
Lemnos brachten. Auf Samos aber ließen sie eine Besatzung
zurück und fuhren dann wieder ab. Indessen hatten einige
Samier die Ankunft der Athener nicht abgewartet, sondern
sich nach dem Festlande davongemacht und in Sardes mit ver­
schiedenen einflußreichen Persönlichkeiten und dem damaligen
Statthalter Pissuthnes, Hystaspes' Sohn, einen Handstreich
gegen Samos verabredet. Sie brachten auch siebenhundert
Mann zusammen, setzten damit bei Nacht nach der Insel über
und suchten sich zunächst der Häupter der demokratischen Re­
gierung zu bemächtigen, die ihnen auch größtenteils in die
Hände fielen. Nachdem sie ihre Geiseln heimlich aus Lemnos
entführt hatten, erklärten sie sich für unabhängig und lieferten
die dortige athenische Besatzung und die in ihre Gewalt ge­
ratenen Beamten an Pissuthnes aus. Darauf rüsteten sie
sich sogleich zu einem Zuge gegen Milet. Zugleich mit ihnen
hatte sich auch Byzanz für unabhängig erklärt.

CXV. Peu après leur retour d’Eubée ils firent avec les Lacédémoniens et leurs alliés une trêve de trente ans ¹ et rendirent Nisée, Pèges, Trézène et l’Achaïe ; c’était tout ce qu’ils avaient conquis sur les Péloponnésiens.

Six ans plus tard la guerre éclata entre les Samiens et les Milésiens, au sujet de Priène ² . Les Milésiens, ayant eu le dessous, vinrent à Athènes récriminer contre les Samiens. Ils avaient pris avec eux quelques particuliers de Samos qui aspiraient à changer la forme du gouvernement. Les Athéniens mirent à la voile pour Samos, avec quarante vaisseaux, et y établirent la démocratie ; ils prirent en otages cinquante enfants samiens et autant d’hommes faits, qu’ils déposèrent à Lemnos ; puis ils mirent garnison dans l’ile et se retirèrent.

Cependant quelques-uns des Samiens qui avaient quitté l’ile pour se réfugier sur le continent se liguèrent avec les plus puissants de ceux qui étaient restés dans la ville, et avec Pissythnès, fils d’Hystaspe, alors gouverneur de Sardes. Ils réunirent sept cents hommes de troupes auxiliaires et passèrent de nuit à Samos. D’abord ils se portèrent contre les chefs du parti populaire, qu’ils saisirent pour la plupart. Ils allèrent ensuite enlever furtivement leurs otages de Lemnos, rompirent avec Athènes, livrèrent à Pissythnès la garnison athénienne , ainsi que les chefs qui étaient entre leurs mains, et se disposèrent aussitôt à attaquer Milet. Les Byzantins entrèrent aussi dans leur défection.

Immédiatement après leur retour d’Eubée, ils firent avec les Lacédémoniens et leurs alliés une paix de trente ans ¹ . Ils rendirent les portions du Péloponèse qu’ils occupaient, savoir Niséa, Pagæ, Trézène et l’Achaïe ² .

Six ans plus tard, il s’éleva entre Samos et Milet une guerre au sujet de Priène. Les Milésiens, qui avaient le dessous, vinrent à Athènes, jetant feu et flammes contre les Samiens. Ils étaiçnt secondés par quelques particuliers de Samos qui désiraient une révolution. En conséquence les Athéniens firent voile pour Samos avec quarante vaisseaux et y établirent la démocratie ; ils prirent pour otages cinquante enfants et autant d’hommes qu’ils déposèrent à Lemnos, mirent garnison à Samos et se retirèrent. Alors un certain nombre de Samiens, qui avaient émigré sur le continent, se liguèrent avec les plus puissants de la ville et avec Pissouthnès fils d’Hystaspe, gouverneur de Sardes; ils réunirent sept cents auxiliaires et passèrent de nuit à Samos. D’abord ils se mirent en insurrection contre le parti démocratique, dont ils triomphèrent presque entièrement ; ensuite ils enlevèrent de Lemnos leurs otages et se déclarèrent en état de révolte. Ils livrèrent à Pissouthnès la garnison athénienne, ainsi que les fonctionnaires établis dans leur ville ³ , et préparèrent aussitôt une expédition contre Milet. La ville de Byzance était complice de cette défection.

[1] Withdrawing their troops from Euboea not long afterwards they made a truce with the Lacedaemonians and their allies which was to last for thirty years, restoring Nisaea, Pegae, Troezen, and Achaea; for these were the places belonging to the Peloponnesians which the Athenians then held.

[2] Six years later a war arose between the Samians and the Milesians about the possession of Priene, and the Milesians, who were being worsted in the war, went to Athens and cried out against the Samians. They were seconded in their complaint by some private citizens from Samos itself who wished to revolutionize the government.

[3] So the Athenians sailed to Samos with forty ships and set up a democracy, taking as hostages of the Samians fifty boys and as many men, whom they deposited in Lemnos;

[4] then they withdrew from Samos, leaving a garrison behind. Some of the Samians, however, did not stay, but fled to the mainland, first making an alliance with the most influential men who remained in the city and with Pissuthnes son of Hystaspes, then satrap of Sardis; and collecting mercenary troops to the number of seven hundred they crossed over by night to Samos.

[5] First they attacked the popular party and got most of them into their power; then they secretly got their hostages out of Lemnos and revolted from Athens, handing over to Pissuthnes the Athenian officers and garrison that were on the island, and at once set about preparing an expedition against Miletus. And the Byzantines also joined in their revolt.

[1] Having returned from Euboea, not long after they made a truce with the Lacedaemonians and their allies for thirty years, giving back Nisaea, Pegae, Troezen, Achaia; for of these places in the Peloponnese the Athenians were in possession. Now in the sixth year a war broke out between the Samians and Milesians about Priene;

[2] and the Milesians being worsted in the war went to the Athenians, and raised an outcry against the Samians; some private individuals from Samos itself taking part with them, from a wish to effect a revolution in the government.

[3] The Athenians therefore sailed to Samos with forty ships, and established a democracy; and taking as hostages from the Samians fifty boys and as many men, deposited them in Lemnos, and after leaving a garrison in the island, withdrew.

[4] But the exiles of the Samians (for there were some who did not remain in the island, but fled to the continent) having made arrangements with the most powerful of those in the city, and an alliance with Pisuthnes, the son of Hystaspes, who had the satrapy of Sardis at that time, and having collected auxiliaries to the number of seven hundred, crossed over to Samos towards night, and in the first place rose up against the commons, and secured most of them;

[5] then, having secretly removed their hostages from Lemnos, they revolted, and gave up to Pisuthnes the garrison and its commanders that were with them, and immediately prepared to go against Miletus. The Byzantines also revolted with them.

[1] Ex Euboea autem reversi, non mullo post cum Lacedaemoniis sociisque tricennalia foedera percusserunt, redditis Nisaea, Achaia, Pegis, et Troezene; haec enim tenebant Athenienses Peloponnesi.

[2] Sexto autem anno bellum inter Samios et Milesios de Priene est excitatum. Et Milesii, quum armis essent inferiores, ad Athenienses profecti, in Samios invehi coeperunt; adjuvabant autem eos et ex ipsa Samo nonnulli homines privati, qui rerum novarum studio rcipublicae statum immutare cupiebant

[3] Athenienses igitur cum quadraginta navibus Samum profecti , statum popularem constituerunt, et obsides a Samiis acceperunt, quinquaginta pueros, totidemque viros, quos in Lemno deposuerunt; et praesidio ibi relicto discesserunt.

[4] Quidam autem ex Samiis (nonnulli enim erant, qui ferre non potuerant, sed in continentem fugerant) cum potentissimis eorum, qui in urbe erant, et cum Pissuthne Hystaspis filio, qui tunc Safdibus praeerat, inita societate, collectisque septingentis ferme auxiliariis militibus sub noctem in Samum trajecerunt.

[5] Et primum quidem factionem popularem aggressi sunt et maximam ejus partem in suam potestatem redegerunt; deinde vero, obsidibus suis ex Lemno surreptis, suos, ut deficerent, perpulerunt; et praesidium Atheniensium et praefectos, quos penes se habebant, Pissuthnae tradiderunt; atque expeditionem etiam in Miletum statim parare coeperunt. Cum illis autem et Byzantii defectionem fecerunt.

[1] Diesen Grundsätzen, die wir von unsern Vätern überkommen und selber stets bewährt erfunden haben, lasst uns nicht ungetreu werden und nicht binnen weniger Stunden über so viel Menschenleben und Eigenthum, über Staatenglück und Ehre einen übereilten Beschluss fassen, sondern uns Zeit nehmen. Wir haben den Vortheil der Macht, um nichts zu versäumen. Nach Athen also sendet wegen Potidäas und wegen der Beschwerden der Bundesgenossen, besonders da sie eine gerichtliche Entscheidung nicht ablehnen. Wer diese anbietet, den hat man kein Recht als bereits Verurtheilten anzugreifen. Aber zugleich rüstet euch auch zum Kriege. Dies ist das Beste, was ihr beschliessen könnt, und wird bei dem Feind am meisten Eindruck machen.

Tornati dall’Eubea fecero poco dopo la tregua dei trent' anni coi Lacedemoni e cogli alleati, restituendo ad essi Nisea , Acaia, Pega e Trezene che per loro si tenevano. Sei anni dopo nacque per conto di Priene guerra tra i Sanni ed i Milesii : questi sopraffatti nella guerra medesima ebbero ricorso ad Atene, ove accusavano i Samii, porgendo anche loro favore alcuni dei Samii stessi che aspiravano a cangiamento di governo. Gli Ateniesi adunque navigarono a Samo con quaranta navi, ordinaroiwi il governo popolare, presero in ostaggio dai Samii cinquanta fanciulli ed altrettanti uomini che depositarono a Lemno, e lasciato presidio a Samo partirono. Ma alcuni dei Samii che non avevano potuto sopportar ciò, ed erano scapolati in terraferma, fecero conspirazione con ipiù potenti rimasti in città, e con Pissutne figliolo d’Istaspe, allora governatore di Sardi ; e raccolti circa settecento soldati ausiliari, sul far della notte tragittarono in Samo. Assaltarono primieramente i popolani e ne presero la maggior parte : dipoi tolsero via i loro ostaggi da Lemno, ribellaronsi ad Atene, consegnarono a Pissutne la guarnigione ateniese con i capitani restati presso di loro, e tosto apparecchiavansi a portar le armi contro Miletoj essendosi con essi uniti alla ribellione anche i Bizantini.