Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.13

[1] But when the power of Greece was now improved, and the desire of money withal, their revenues being enlarged, in most of the cities there were erected tyrannies (for before that time kingdoms with honours limited were hereditary); and the Grecians built navies and became more seriously addicted to the affairs of the sea.

[2] The Corinthians are said to have been the first that changed the form of shipping into the nearest to that which is now in use, and at Corinth are reported to have been made the first galleys of all Greece.

[3] Now it is well known that Aminocles, the shipwright of Corinth, built four ships at Samos; and from the time that Aminocles went to Samos until the end of this present war are at the most but three hundred years.

[4] And the most ancient naval battle that we know of was fought between the Corinthians and the Corcyraeans, and from that battle to the same time are but two hundred and sixty years.

[5] For Corinth, seated on an isthmus, had been always a place of traffic (because the Grecians of old, from within and without Peloponnesus, trading by land more than by sea, had no other intercourse one to another but through the Corinthians' territory), and was also wealthy in money, as appears by the poets, who have surnamed this town the rich. And after the Grecians had commerce also by sea, then likewise having furnished themselves with a navy, they scoured the sea of pirates and, affording traffic both by sea and land, mightily increased their city in revenue of money.

[6] After this, the Ionians, in the times of Cyrus, first king of the Persians, and of his son Cambyses, got together a great navy, and making war on Cyrus, obtained for a time the dominion of that part of the sea that lieth on their own coast. Also Polycrates, who in the time of Cambyses tyrannised in Samos, had a strong navy wherewith he subdued divers of the islands; and amongst the rest having won Rhenea, he consecrated the same to Apollo of Delos. The Phocaeans likewise, when they were building the city of Marseilles, overcame the Carthaginians in a fight at sea.

[1] But as the power of Hellas grew, and the acquisition of wealth became more an object, the revenues of the states increasing, tyrannies were by their means established almost everywhere,— the old form of government being hereditary monarchy with definite prerogatives,— and Hellas began to fit out fleets and apply herself more closely to the sea.

[2] It is said that the Corinthians were the first to approach the modern style of naval architecture, and that Corinth was the first place in Hellas where galleys were built;

[3] and we have Ameinocles, a Corinthian shipwright, making four ships for the Samians. Dating from the end of this war, it is nearly three hundred years ago that Ameinocles went to Samos .

[4] Again, the earliest sea-fight in history was between the Corinthians and Corcyraeans; this was about two hundred and sixty years ago, dating from the same time.

[5] Planted on an isthmus, Corinth had from time out of mind been a commercial emporium; as formerly almost all communication between the Hellenes within and without Peloponnese was carried on overland, and the Corinthian territory was the highway through which it travelled. She had consequently great money resources, as is shown by the epithet ‘wealthy’ bestowed by the old poets on the place, and this enabled her, when traffic by sea became more common, to procure her navy and put down piracy; and as she could offer a mart for both branches of the trade, she acquired for herself all the power which a large revenue affords.

[6] Subsequently the Ionians attained to great naval strength in the reign of Cyrus, the first king of the Persians, and of his son Cambyses, and while they were at war with the former commanded for a while the Ionian sea. Polycrates also, the tyrant of Samos , had a powerful navy in the reign of Cambyses with which he reduced many of the islands, and among them Rhenea, which he consecrated to the Delian Apollo. About this time also the Phocaeans, while they were founding Marseilles , defeated the Carthaginians in a sea-fight.

Als das Land kräftiger und mit der Zeit immer reicher
geworden war, gerieten die Städte, deren Einnahmen auch
gewachsen waren, unter die Herrschaft von Tyrannen, während
es früher ein erbliches Königtum mit bestimmten Ehrenrechten
gegeben hatte. Jetzt warf man sich in Griechenland auf die
See und baute Schiffe. Zuerst sollen die Korinther die Schiff-
fahrt schon annähernd in jetziger Weise betrieben haben, in
Korinth auch die ersten Trieren in Griechenland gebaut sein.
Angeblich hat auch ein Schiffsbauer aus Korinth, Ameinokles,
den Samiern vier Schiffe gebaut. Seit AmeinokleS' Ankunft!'
auf Samos bis zum Ende dieses Krieges sind ungefähr drei-i:
hundert Jahr. Die älteste Seeschlacht, von der wir wissen,
hat zwischen Korinthern und Kerkyräern stattgefunden, und
von da bis zu demselben Zeitpunkt sind ungefähr zweihundert-
sechzig Jahr. Bei seiner Lage auf dem Isthmus war Korinth
von jeher ein Handelsplatz. Da die Griechen in alter Zeit
mehr zu Lande als zur See verkehrten und der ganze Verkehr
von und nach dem Peloponnes über Korinth ging, so wurde
dies eine reiche Stadt, wie es ja auch schon bei den alten
Dichtern das reiche Korinth heißt. Als dann der Verkehr zur
See bei den Griechen zunahm, legten die Korinther mit ihren
Schiffen den Seeräubern das Handwerk, und so wurde ihre
für den Land- und Seehandel gleich günstig gelegene Stadt
noch reicher und mächtiger. Später, zur Zeit des Kyros, des
ersten Perserkönigs, und seines Sohnes Kambyses, hatten auch
die Jonier eine ansehnliche Flotte und beherrschten damit
während ihres Krieges mit Kyros eine Zeitlang die dortigen
Gewässer. Auch Polykrates, der zu Kambyses' Zeit Tyrann
von Samos war, besaß eine starke Flotte, womit er verschiedene
Inseln unterwarf, namentlich auch Rheneia eroberte, das er
dann dem delifchen Apollon weihte. Endlich haben auch die
Phokäer, die sich in Massalia niederließen, die Karthager in
einer Seeschlacht besiegt.

XIII. Quand la Grèce devint plus puissante, et qu’on y fut plus occupé encore à s’enrichir, des tyrannies s’établirent dans la plupart des villes, à mesure que les revenus s’accroissaient. (Il y avait bien eu auparavant des royautés héréditaires, mais avec des prérogatives déterminées ¹ .) On équipa des flottes et on s’adonna davantage à la navigation. On dit que les Corinthiens ont, les premiers, fait usage de bâtiments très peu différents de ceux d’aujourd’hui, et que les premières trirèmes grecques ont été construites à Corinthe. On sait que le constructeur corinthien Ami- noclès fit aussi quatre vaisseaux pour les Samiens. De l’arrivée d’Aminoclès à Samos à la fin de la guerre du Péloponnèse il y a juste trois cents ans ² . Le plus ancien combat naval connu eut lieu entre les Corinthiens et les Corcyréens, deux cent soixante ans avant la fin de la guerre actuelle ³ .

Corinthe, gràce à sa situation sur l’isthme, fut de tout temps une place de commerce ; car autrefois les Grecs, communiquant entre eux beaucoup plus par terre que par mer, tant ceux de l’intérieur du Péloponnèse que ceux du dehors, devaient traverser le territoire des Corinthiens ; aussi Corinthe était-elle puissante et riche, comme on le voit par les récits des anciens poëtes qui lui donnent le surnom d’Opulente. Lorsque les Grecs s’adonnèrent davantage à la navigation, les Corinthiens eurent une flotte et détruisirent les pirates. En possession d’un double marché ⁴ , ils virent leur puissance s’accroître rapidement par l’affluence des richesses. Plus tard les Ioniens aussi eurent nne flotte nombreuse, au temps de Cyrus, premier roi des Perses, et de Cambyse son fils. En guerre avec Cyrus, ils dominèrent quelque temps sur la mer d’Ionie. Sous le règne de Cambyse, Polycrate, tyran de Samos, cut une marine puissante ; il soumit plusieurs ìles, entre autres Rhénie qu’il consacra à Apollon de Délos. Les Phocéens, fondateurs de Marseille, vainquirent sur mer les Carthaginois.

Cependant la puissance et la richesse de la Grèce grandissaient de jour en jour. A la faveur de cette prospérité croissante, on vit dans la plupart des villes s’élever des tyrannies ¹ à la place des anciennes royautés héréditaires, dont les privilèges étaient déterminés ² . En même temps les Grecs formaient leur marine et s’adonnaient de plus en plus à la navigation. Les Corinthiens furent, dit-on, les premiers qui, pour les constructions navales, adoptèrent un système analogue à celui d’aujourd’hui. C’est à Corinthe que furent construites les premières trirèmes grecques ³ . On sait aussi que le constructeur corinthien Amino-clès fit pour les Samiens quatre vaisseaux de guerre ; or l’arrivée d’Aminoclès à Samos eut lieu précisément trois cents ans avant la fin de la guerre actuelle ⁴ . Le plus ancien combat naval dont nous ayons conservé le souvenir est celui que les Corinthiens livrèrent aux Corcyréens ⁵ deux cent soixante ans avant la même époque ⁶ .

Corinthe, par sa position sur l’isthme, fut de bonne heure une place de commerce. Comme autrefois les Grecs communiquaient entre eux plutôt par terre que par mer, c’était cette ville qui mettait en rapport les habitants de l’intérieur du Péloponèse et ceux du dehors; aussi devint-elle très-florissante, ainsi que l’atteste le surnom d'opulente, que les anciens poètes lui ont donné ⁷ . Quand la navigation se fut étendue, les Corinthiens employèrent leurs vaisseaux à détruire la piraterie; et, ouvrant un double marché au négoce, ils eurent une ville puissante par ses revenus.

La marine des Ioniens se forma plus tard, sous le règne de Cyrus, premier roi des Perses, et sous celui de son fils Cambyse. Durant la guerre qu'ils soutinrent contre Cyrus, ils eurent un moment l’empire de la mer qui les avoisine ; et du temps de Cainbyse, Polycrate, tyran de Samos, fut assez fort sur mer pour soumettre plusieurs îles, notamment Rhénéa, qu’il prit et consacra au dieu de Délos ⁸ ; enfin les Phocéens, à l’époque où ils fondaient Marseille, remportèrent sur les Carthaginois une victoire navale ⁹ .

[1] As Hellas grew more powerful and continued to acquire still more wealth than before, along with the increase of their revenue tyrannies began to be established in most of the cities, whereas before that there had been hereditary kingships based on fixed prerogatives. The Hellenes began to fit out navies, too, and to apply themselves more to the sea.

[2] And the Corinthians are said to have been the first of all to adopt what was very nearly the modern plan as regards ships and shipping, ¹ and Corinth was the first place in all Hellas, we are told, where triremes were built.

[3] And it appears that Ameinocles, a Corinthian shipwright, built four ships for the Samians, also; and it was about three hundred years before the end of the Peloponnesian war that Ameinocles came to the Samians. ²

[4] The earliest sea-fight, too, of which we know, was fought by the Corinthians against the Corcyraeans; ³ and this was two hundred and sixty years before the same date.

[5] For as the Corinthians had their city on the Isthmus, from the very earliest times they maintained there a market for the exchange of goods, because the Hellenes within and without the Peloponnesus, in olden times communicating with one another more by land than by sea, had to pass through their territory; and so they were powerful and rich, as has been shown even by the early poets, who called the place “ Wealthy Corinth”. ⁴ And when navigation grew more prevalent among the Hellenes, the Corinthians acquired ships and swept the sea of piracy, and offering a market by sea as well as by land, raised their city to great power by means of their revenues.

[6] The Ionians, too, acquired a powerful navy later, in the time of Cyrus, ⁵ the first king of the Persians, and of Cambyses his son; and waging war with Cyrus they maintained control of the sea about their own coasts for some time. Polycrates, also, who was tyrant of Samos in the time of Cambyses, ⁶ was strong in sea-power and subdued a number of the islands, Rhenea among them, which he captured and consecrated to the Delian Apollo. ⁷ Finally the Phocaeans, when they were colonizing Massalia, ⁸ conquered the Carthaginians in a sea-fight.

[1] Now when Greece was becoming more powerful, and acquiring possession of money still more than before, tyrannies, generally speaking, were established in the cities, from the revenues becoming greater; whereas before there had been hereditary kingly governments with definite privileges; and Greece began to fit out navies, and they paid more attention to the sea.

[2] Now the Corinthians are said first to have managed naval matters most nearly to the present fashion, and triremes to have been built at Corinth first in Greece.

[3] And Aminocles, a Corinthian shipwright, appears to have built four ships for the Samians also. Now it is about three hundred years to the end of this war from the time that Aminocles went to the Samians;

[4] and the most ancient sea-fight with which we are acquainted was fought between the Corinthians and the Corcyraeans. And from that too it is about two hundred and sixty years to the same period.

[5] For the Corinthians, having their city situated on the isthmus, had always possessed an emporium; as the Greeks of old, both those within the Peloponnese and those without, had intercourse with each other by land more than by sea, through their country: and they were very rich, as is shown even by the old poets; for they gave the title of to the place. And when the Greeks began to make more voyages, having got their slips they put down piracy; and rendered their city rich in income of money, as they afforded an emporium both ways.

[6] And the Ionians afterwards had a large navy in the time of Cyrus, the first king of the Persians, and Cambyses his son; and while at war with Cyrus, commanded the sea along their coast for some time. Polycrates also, tyrant of Samos, in the time of Cambyses, having a strong fleet, both made some other of the islands subject to him, and took Rhenea and dedicated it to the Delian Apollo. And the Phocaeans, while founding Massalia, conquered the Carthaginians in a sea-fight.

[1] Sed cum augeretur Graecia potentia et pecuniarum vim diligentius etiam quam ante, compararet, in plerisque civitatibus tyrannides constituebantur, crescentibus in die» reditibus; (ante enim regna haereditaria erant certi» honoribus definita;) et Graeci classem parare, rebusque mariti- mis operam studiosius dare coeperunt.

[2] Primi autem Corinthii feruntur proxime ad eum, qui nunc est, modum tractasse rem navalem, et triremes primum Corinthi ex omni Graecia aedificatae.

[3] Constat vero etiam Samiis Aminoclem Corinthium navium fabricatorem quatuor naves fecisse. Sunt autem anni ferme trecenti ad hujus belli finem, quod Aminoclesad Samios ivit;

[4] proeliumque navale omnium, quae novimus, vetustissimum, est Corinthiorum adversus Corcyraeos; sunt autem item anni ducenti et sexaginta admodum ad idem tempus.

[5] Etenim urbem incolentes Corinthii sitam ad Isthmum semper emporium habe-baiit quia olim Graeci, tam illi, qui intra Peloponnesum, quam qui extra habitant, terra potius, quam mari, per illorum agrum commercia inter se habebant; pecuniaque praepotentes erant, ut et ab antiquis poetis est declaratum; opulentam enim cognominarunt urbem illam. Ac postquam Graeci frequentius navigare coeperunt, paratis navibus latrocinia sustulerunt, et utrinque emporium praebentes validam pecuniarum reditu urbem habuerunt.

[6] Postea Iones quoque magnam navium copiam sibi pararunt, Cyri temporibus, qui fuit primus Persarum rex, et Cambysis, ejus filii, marisque vicini, dum bellum Cyro faciunt, imperium ad aliquod tempus obtinuerunt. Et Polycrates, qui Cambysis tempore Sami tyrannus erat, classe pollens, cum alias insulas in suam potestatem redegit, tum etiam RUe-neam, quam subactam Apollini Delio consecravit. Ac Phocaenses, quum Massiliam conderent, Carthaginienses navali pugna vicerunt.

Essendosi resa la Grecia più potente, e procurandosi anche più che per lo innanzi acquisto di denaro (divenendo cosi maggiori l’entrate) laddove prima i principati erano ereditari con determinati autorevoli uffizi, si stabilivano ordinariamente nelle città governi tirannici, e di flotte si forniva la Grecia dandosi principalmente al mare. Fama è che i Corintii furono i primi a riformare le navi colla massima simiglianza al modo presente, e che a Corinto , innanzi a tutto il rimanente di Grecia, furono fabbricate triremi. Certo è poi che furono costruite quattro navi pei Samii da Àmiuocle corintio che ne faceva il mestiere ; e da che egli andò da’ Samii sino al termine di questa guerra sono circa trecento anni : e la battaglia navale più antica che si sappia è de’ Corintii co’Corfuotti seguita circa dugento sessanta anni innanzi il detto tempo. I Corintii poi, attesa la positura della città loro sull’istmo, ebbero sempre mai mercato ; perchè i Greci del Peloponneso e quei di fuori piuttosto che per mare avevano anticamente scambievole commercio per terra , passando a traverso il loro territorio : ed erano però sin d’allora potenti per denaro, conforme lo dichiarano anche gli antichi poeti, che danno a cotesto paese il nome di ricco. Ma da che i Greci più usavano il mare, i Corintii, fomiti coin’ erano di flotta, distruggevano i pirati, e così offrendo sicurezza di mercatanzia ai Greci del Peloponneso e di fuori, resero la città loro potente per entrate di denaro. Assai più tardi ebbero flotta gli Ionii a’ tempi di Ciro primo re dei Persiani, e di Cambise suo figliolo ; e guerreggiando con Ciro furono per qualche tempo padroni del mare loro adiacente. Al tempo di Cambise, Policrate tiranno di Samo , forte in mare, oltre ad altre isole che avea soggettate, espugnò Renea che consacrò ad Apollo di Deio: ed i Focesi, mentre fondavano Marsilia, ebbero vittoria navale su i Cartaginesi.