Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.118

[1] Now not many years after this happened the matters before related, of the Corcyraeans and the Potidaeans and whatsoever other intervenient pretext of this war.

[2] These things done by the Grecians one against another or against the barbarians came to pass all within the compass of fifty years at most, from the time of the departure of 118erxes to the beginning of this present war. In which time the Athenians both assured their government over the confederates and also much enlarged their own particular wealth. This the Lacedaemonians saw and opposed not, save now and then a little, but, as men that had ever before been slow to war without necessity and also for that they were hindered sometimes with domestic war, for the most part of the time stirred not against them; till now at last, when the power of the Athenians was advanced manifestly indeed and that they had done injury to their confederates, they could forbear no longer, but thought it necessary to go in hand with the war with all diligence and to pull down, if they could, the Athenian greatness. For which purpose it was by the Lacedaemonians themselves decreed that the peace was broken and that the Athenians had done unjustly;

[3] and also having sent to Delphi and enquired of Apollo whether they should have the better in the war or not, they received, as it is reported, this answer: That if they warred with their whole power, they should have victory and that himself would be on their side, both called and uncalled.

[1] After this, though not many years later, we at length come to what has been already related, the affairs of Corcyra and Potidaea , and the events that served as a pretext for the present war.

[2] All these actions of the Hellenes against each other and the barbarian occurred in the fifty years' interval between the retreat of Xerxes and the beginning of the present war. During this interval the Athenians succeeded in placing their empire on a firmer basis, and advanced their own home power to a very great height. The Lacedaemonians, though fully aware of it, opposed it only for a little while, but remained inactive during most of the period, being of old slow to go to war except under the pressure of necessity, and in the present instance being hampered by wars at home; until the growth of the Athenian power could be no longer ignored, and their own confederacy became the object of its encroachments. They then felt that they could endure it no longer, but that the time had come for them to throw themselves heart and soul upon the hostile power, and break it, if they could, by commencing the present war.

[3] And though the Lacedaemonians had made up their own minds on the fact of the breach of the treaty and the guilt of the Athenians, yet they sent to Delphi and inquired of the god whether it would be well with them if they went to war; and, as it is reported, received from him the answer that if they put their whole strength into the war, victory would be theirs, and the promise that he himself would be with them, whether invoked or uninvoked.

Schon wenige Jahre nachher kam eS zu den vorhin er-
wähnten Ereignissen von Kerkyra und Potidäa und dem, was
sonst Veranlassung zu diesem Kriege wurde. Alle diese Kämpfe
der Griechen unter sich und gegen die Perser fallen in die
etwa fünfzig Jahre vom Rückzüge des Xerxes bis zum Beginn
dieses Krieges. Im Laufe dieser Jahre hatte Athen nicht nur
seine, äußere Herrschaft befestigt, sondern sich auch im Innern
mächtig entwickelt. Den Lakedämoniern war das nicht ent­
gangen ; sie hatten aber den Athenern niemals oder doch höchstens
nur vorübergehend etwas in den Weg gelegt, sondern sich
.dabei beruhigt, einmal weil sie sich ohne Not überhaupt nicht
leicht auf einen Krieg einließen, dann aber auch, weil sie durch
Kriege im eigenen Lande in Anspruch genommen waren. Als
dann aber das gewaltige Athen offen gegen sie in die Schranken
trat und seine Hand selbst nach ihren Bundesgenossen ausstreckte,
wurde es ihnen schließlich zu viel, und sie beschlossen, nunmehr
Ernst zu machen und den mächtigen Gegner womöglich mit
Waffengewalt zu demütigen. Sie selbst hatten sich zwar schon
dahin entschieden, daß der Friede gebrochen und Athen der
Schuldige sei, schickten dann aber doch noch Gesandte nach
Delphi, um den Gott zu befragen, ob es rätlich für sie sei,
den Krieg anzufangen, und wie es heißt, gab der ihnen zur
Antwort, wenn sie ihn nachdrücklich führten, würden sie siegen,
er selbst aber, gerufen oder ungerufen, auf ihrer Seite sein.

CXVIII. Après ces événements ¹ , et à quelques années d’intervalle, nous arrivons aux faits dont j’ai parlé plus haut, l’affaire de Corcyre, celle de Potidée, et tout ce qui servit de prétexte à la guerre actuelle. Toutes ces entreprises des Grecs contre les Grecs ou contre les barbares, remplissent un intervalle de cinquante ans, de la retraite de Xerxès à la guerre du Péloponnèse. Pendant cette période, les Athéniens affermirent leur domination et parvinrent à un haut degré de puissance. Les Lacédémoniens le sentaient, mais n’y apportaient aucune entrave ; à part quelques courts intervalles de résistance, ils restèrent généralement inactifs. Même avant cette époque ils répugnaient à faire la guerre, à moins de nécessité absolue, et ils avaient d’ailleurs été quelque peu rete- nus par des luttes intestines. Mais, lorsque la puissance athénienne se fut élevée visiblement, lorsque déjà elle en vint à entamer leurs alliés, perdant alors patience, ils crurent nécessaire d’attaquer avec la plus grande vigueur et de briser, s’ils le pouvaient, cette domination : tel fut le but de la guerre actuelle.

Les Lacédémoniens décidèrent donc que la trêve était rompue et qu’il y avait eu injuste agression de la part des Athéniens. Ils envoyèrent à Delphes demander au dieu s’il leur serait avantageux de faire la guerre ; le dieu, dit-on, répondit qu’en combattant avec énergie on ² aurait la victoire, et que, invoqué ou non, il prêterait lui-même son appui ³ .

Peu d’années s’écoulèrent ensuite jusqu’aux événements que j’ai racontés plus haut, savoir l’affaire de Corcyre, ; celle de Potidée, et tout ce qui servit d’avant-coureur à la guerre actuelle. Cette lutte des Grecs, soit entre eux soit avec les Barbares, occupa une période de cinquante ans, à dater de la retraite de Xerxès jusqu’au commencement de la guerre du Péloponèse ¹ . Durant cet intervalle, les Athéniens affermirent leur domination et parvinrent au plus haut degré de puissance. Les Lacédémoniens le virent et ne s’y opposèrent pas ; à pârt quelques efforts passagers, ils se tinrent généralement dans l’inaction. Toujours lents à prendre les armes, à moins d’y être forcés, ils étaient d’ailleurs entravés par des guerres intestines; mais enfin les progrès incessants de la puissance athénienne, qui déjà touchait à leurs alliés, les poussèrent à bout ; ils crurent qu’il fallait réunir toutes leurs forces, afin de renverser, s’il se pouvait, cet empire, et ils se résolurent à la guerre.

Les Lacédémoniens eux-mêmes avaient déjà décidé qu'ils regardaient la paix comme rompue et les Athéniens comme coupables. Ils avaient envoyé à l’oracle de Delphes pour demander si l’issue de cette guerre leur serait favorable. Le dieu leur avait répondu, à ce qu’on prétend, que s’ils combattaient à outrance, ils auraient la victoire, et que lui-même les seconderait, qu’ils l’en priassent ou non.

[1] It was not many years ¹ after this that the events already narrated occurred, namely the Corcyraean affair, ² the Potidaean, ³ and all the other incidents ⁴ that furnished an occasion for this war.

[2] And all these operations of the Hellenes, against one another and against the Barbarian, took place in the interval of about fifty years between the retreat of Xerxes and the beginning of this war. ⁵ It was in this period that the Athenians established their rule more firmly and themselves advanced to great power. And the Lacedaemonians, though aware of their growing power, made no attempt to check it, except to a trifling extent, remaining indifferent the greater part of the time, since they had never been quick to go to war except under compulsion, and in this case were in some degree precluded from interference by wars of their own. ⁶ But at last the power of the Athenians began clearly to exalt itself and they were laying hands upon their allies. Then the Lacedaemonians could bear it no longer, but determined that they must attack the Athenian power with all zeal and overthrow it, if they could, by undertaking this war.
  The Lacedaemonians themselves, then, ⁷ had decided that the treaty had been broken and that the Athenians were in the wrong, and sending to Delphi they asked the god if it would be advisable for them to go to war.

[3] The god answered them, as it is said, that if they warred with all their might, victory would be theirs, and said that he himself would help them, whether invoked or uninvoked.

[1] After these things, though not many years later, what we have before narrated now took place, namely, the affair of Corcyra, and that of Potidaea, and whatever was made a pretext for this war.

[2] All these things that the Greeks performed against one another and the barbarian, occurred in about fifty years, between the retreat of Xerxes and the beginning of this war: in the course of which the Athenians established their empire on a firmer footing, and themselves advanced to a great pitch of power; while the Lacedaemonians, though they perceived it, did not try to stop them, except for a short time, but remained quiet the greater part of the period. For even before this they were not quick in proceeding to hostilities, unless they were compelled; and to a certain extent also they were hindered by intestine wars; ¹ until the power of the Athenians was clearly rising to a dangerous height, and they were encroaching on their confederacy. Then, however, they considered it no longer endurable, but were of opinion that they ought with the greatest resolution to attack their power, and overthrow it, if they could, by commencing this war. Now the Lacedaemonians themselves had decided that the treaty had been broken, and that the Athenians were guilty;

[3] but they sent to Delphi and inquired of the god, whether it would be better for them if they went to war : and he answered them, as it is reported, that if they carried on the war with all their might, they would gain the victory; and said that he would himself take part with them, whether called upon or not.

[1] Jam vero non multis post haec anuis accideruut ca, quae supra commemoravi, de Corcyra et Potidaaa et quaecunque hujus belli causa extiterunt.

[2] Haec autem omnia, quae Graeci vel iuter se, vel adversus barbarum gesserunt, intra quinquaginta ferme annos gesta sunt a discessu Xerxis usque ad hujus belli initium; quorum annorum spatio Athenienses imperium coniirmarunt, et ipsi in magnam potentiam provecti sunt. Lacedaemonii vero, quamvis hoc intelligerent, non impediebant, nisi aliquatenus, majo-remque temporis partem ab armis abstinebant, quippe etiam antea ad bella suscipienda non admodum celeres, nisi cogerentur, tum etiam bellis domesticis impediti, priusquam Atheniensium potentia aperte exsurrexit suosque socios jam attrectabant. Tunc enim rem non amplius ferendam judicabant, sed conandum omni studio videbatur et potentia illorum frangenda, si possent, bello hoc suscepto.

[3] Lacedaemonii igitur apud se quidem statuerant ftedera esse fracta, et Athenienses injuste facere; sed tamen, legatis Delphos missis, deum interi ogarunt, essetne sibi res feliciter eventura, si bellum susciperent. Ille vero, ut aiunt, respondit ipsis, si totis viribus bellum gererent, victoriam eos secuturam, atque se ipsum dixit et vocalum et non vocatum adfu turum.

[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.

Pochi anni dipoi le cose narrate, avvennero i fatti per me dichiarati di Corfù e di Potidea, e quanti altri frattanto diedero materia a questa guerra. Tutto ciò che fecero i Greci tra loro o contro il barbaro, accadde nello spazio di cinquantanni che fu tramezzo alla ritirata di Serse ed al coininciamento di questa guerra ; nel corso dei quali anni gli Ateniesi consolidarono viemaggiormente il loro imperio ; e grandemente avanzarono il loro potere. Sapevanselo i Lacedemoni, ma lenti essendo anche di prima ad entrare in guerra, se non vi fossero astretti, e di più impediti dalle domestiche contese, non vi si opponevano per nessun modo, salvo che in qualche caso per breve durata, mentre che il più del tempo stavano inoperosi. Ma alla (ine come videro la potenza degli Ateniesi manifestamente innalzarsi ed essere inquietati i loro stessi alleati, allora giudicarono non esser più da tollerare; doversi anzi con ogni studio andar contro, e se possibil fosse abbattere la grandezza ateniese coll' imprendere questa guerra. Per lo che non solamente per proprio avviso i Lacedemoni decisero violata la tregua dagli Ateniesi, ma spedirono ancora a Delfo , domandando l' oracolo se movendo la guerra capiterebbero a buon fine. Raccontasi l’oracolo rispondesse che intraprendendola con tutte le forze sarebbero vincitori, e che egli, richiesto ono, porgerebbe loro soccorso.