Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.131

[1] When the Lacedaemonians heard of it, they called him home the first time. And when being gone out the second time without their command in a galley of Hermione, it appeared that he continued still in the same practices and, after he was forced out of Byzantium by siege of the Athenians, returned not to Sparta, but news came that he had seated himself at Colonae in the country of Troy practicing still with the barbarians and making his abode there for no good purpose, then the ephori forebore no longer but sent unto him a public officer with the scytale commanding him not to depart from the officer and, in case he refused, denounced war against him.

[2] But he, desiring as much as he could to decline suspicion and believing that with money he should be able to discharge himself of his accusations, returned unto Sparta the second time. And first he was by the ephori committed to ward (for the ephori have power to do this to their king); but afterwards, procuring his enlargement, he came forth and exhibited himself to justice against such as had anything to allege against him.

[1] The above-mentioned conduct, coming to the ears of the Lacedaemonians, occasioned his first recall. And after his second voyage out in the ship of Hermione , without their orders, he gave proofs of similar behavior. Besieged and expelled from Byzantium by the Athenians, he did not return to Sparta ; but news came that he had settled at Colonae in the Troad , and was intriguing with the barbarians, and that his stay there was for no good purpose; and the Ephors, now no longer hesitating, sent him a herald and a scytale with orders to accompany the herald or be declared a public enemy.

[2] Anxious above everything to avoid suspicion, and confident that he could quash the charge by means of money, he returned a second time to Sparta . At first thrown into prison by the Ephors (whose powers enable them to do this to the king), he soon compromised the matter and came out again, and offered himself for trial to any who wished to institute an inquiry concerning him.

Eben darum hatten ihn auch die Lakedämonier, als sie
davon gehört, schon das erstemal abberufen, und diesmal, wo
er ohne ihr Geheiß mit dem hermionischen Schiffe ausgefahren
war, machte er es anscheinend wieder ebenso. Als ihm die
Athener in Byzanz den Stuhl vor die Tür gesetzt hatten, war
er nicht nach Sparta zurückgekehrt, sondern hatte sich nach
Kolonai in Troas begeben und dem Vernehmen nach mit den
Persern eingelassen, so daß man sich von seinem längeren
Aufenthalt dort nichts Gutes versprechen konnte. Das wurde
den Lakedämoniern schließlich doch zu viel, und die Ephoren
schickten ihm einen Herold mit einem Bandschreiben und dem
Befehl, im Geleit des Heroldes sofort zurückzukommen, widrigen­
falls ihm Sparta damit den Krieg erkläre. Er aber kehrte,
um sich nicht noch verdächtiger zu machen, und in der Hoff­
nung, sich mit Geld aus der Schlinge ziehen zu können, zum
zweitenmal nach Sparta zurück. Hier ließen die Ephoren ihn
zunächst gefangennehmen, wozu sie auch den Königen gegenüber
befugt sind; nachher aber setzte er dann doch seine Freilassung
durch, indem er sich bereit erklärte, sich jedem, der ihm etwas
beweisen wolle, vor Gericht zu stellen.

CXXXI. Ces procédés motivèrent son rappel, quand ¹ on les connut à Lacédémone. Lorsque les Lacédémoniens le virent ensuite reprendre la mer sans leur ordre, sur un vaisseau d’Hermione, et continuer les mêmes intrigues ; lorsqu’on sut qu’après avoir été expulsé de Byzance par les Athéniens il ne revenait pas à Sparte, mais s’était établi à Colone en Troade, d’où il traitait, disait-on, avec les barbares, on comprit que ce n’était pas à bonne intention qu’il prolongeait là son séjour, et on perdit patience. Les éphores lui envoyèrent un héraut, porteur d’une scytale ² , avec ordre de ne pas quitter le héraut ; sinon, Sparte lui déclarerait la guerre. Pausanias, voulant écarter tout soupçon, et comptant d’ailleurs sur l’argent pour échapper à l’ac- cusation, revint une seconde fois à Sparte. Les éphores le firent d’abord jeter en prison ; car ils ont ce droit, même avec un roi ; mais Pausanias en sortit, grâce à ses intrigues, et s’offrit à rendre compte de sa conduite si quelqu’un voulait l’accuser.

Informés de sa conduite, les Lacédémoniens l'avaient, pour cette raison, rappelé une première fois. Lorsque, sans leur aveu, il fut reparti sur un vaisseau d’Hermione, et qu'on le vit persévérer dans la même conduite; lorsque, chassé de Byzance par les armes d’Athènes, au lieu de retourner à Sparte, il s’établit à Colones en Troade, d’où l’on sut qu’il intriguait avec les Barbares, prolongeant son séjour à mauvaise fin ; alors, sans plus tarder, les éphores lui dépêchèrent un héraut porteur d’une scytale ¹ , et lui enjoignirent de revenir avec le héraut, s’il ne voulait pas que les Spartiates lui déclarassent la guerre. Pausanias, désirant dissiper les soupçons et se flattant de se tirer d’affaire avec de l’argent, retourna une seconde fois à Sparte. D’abord il fut incarcéré par les éphores, qui ont ce pouvoir sur le roi ; ensuite il obtint son élargissement et provoqua lui-même un jugement, offrant de répondre à qui voudrait l’accuser.

[1] Now it was just this conduct that had caused the Lacedaemonians in the first instance to recall Pausanias, when they learned of it; and when this second time, on his sailing away in the ship of Hermione without their authority, it was evident that he was acting in the very same manner—when, after being forcibly dislodged from Byzantium by the Athenians, instead of returning to Sparta, he settled at Colonae in the Troad and was reported to the ephors to be intriguing with the Barbarians and tarrying there for no good purpose—then at length they held back no longer, but sent a herald with a skytale-dispatch, ¹ in which they told him not to lag behind the herald, or the Spartans would declare war upon him.

[2] And he, wishing to avoid suspicion as far as possible, and confident that he could dispose of the charge by the use of money, returned the second time to Sparta. And at first he was thrown into prison by the ephors, who have the power to do this in the case of the king himself; then, having contrived after a time to get out, he offered himself for trial to any who might wish to examine into his case.

[1] The Lacedaemonians, on becoming acquainted with it, recalled him the first time on this very account; and when he went out the second time in the vessel of Hermione, without their orders, and appeared to be acting in this way, and did not return to Sparta when forcibly driven out from Byzantium by the Athenians after a siege, but news came of his being settled at Colonae in the Troad, and intriguing with the barbarians, and making his stay there for no good; under these circumstances they waited no longer, but the ephors sent a herald and a scytale, ¹ and told him not to leave the herald, else that they declared war against him.

[2] Wishing to be as little suspected as possible, and trusting to quash the charge by means of money, he proceeded to return the second time to Sparta. And at first he was thrown into prison by the ephors, (for the ephors have power to do this to the king,) but afterwards, having settled the business, he subsequently came out, and offered himself for trial to those who wished to examine into his case.

[1] Lacedaemonii vero his auditis, propter haec ipsa et primum eum revocarant, et postquam iterum Hermio-nide navi vectus ipsorum injussu hujusmodi facinora facere videbatur, et Byzantio ab Atheniensibus obsesso per vim pulsus, non Spartam revertebatur, sed sedibus apud Colonas in agro Trojano positis consilia cum barbaris agitare nunciabalur, neque bono consilio manere : ita demum non amplius se continuerunt, sed caduceatore misso ephori et scytala imperarunt, ne a caduceatore discederet; alioqui Spartanos ei bellum indicere.

[2] Ille vero, quum quam minimum suspectus esse vellet, et crimen objectum se pecuniis diluere posse speraret, iterum Spartam redibat.

Ac primum quidem ab ephoris in carcerem est conjectus, (ephoris enim regi hoc facere licet,) deinde vero perfecit ut exiret, seque reum constituit, si qui se coarguere vellent.

[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.

Era ciò pervenuto a notizia dei Lacedemoni, e però lo richiamarono la prima volta. Ma da che, imbarcatosi la seconda volta senza loro ordine sulla nave Ermionide, ebbe fatto chiaramente conoscere tali essere le sue intenzioni ; e da che , astretto ad uscir di Bizanzio assediata dagli Ateniesi, non tornava altrimenti a Sparta , ed era giunta la nuova avere egli preso stanza a Colone città della Troade (ove si tratteneva per cagione non buona , ma per continovare le sue pratiche coi barbari), allora daddovero stimarono non essere più da tollerare : e gli efori spedirono un araldo colla scitala, intimandogli di non restare indietro all’ araldo stesso, altrimenti fin d’ allora gli Spartani gli dichiaravano guerra. Volendo egli divenir sospetto il meno poteva, e confidando di dissipare col denaro le imputazioni, tornò di nuovo a Sparta, ove fu messo in carcere dagli efori, i quali hanno facoltà di trattare così anche il re. Quindi finalmente uscito per via di maneggi, presentossi in giudizio per dar discarico di sè a chiunque volesse intentare accuse contro di lui.