Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.54

[1] The Athenians, arriving with their army, with ten of their galleys and two thousand men of arms of the Milesians, took a town lying to the sea, called Scandeia; and with the rest of their forces, having landed in the parts of the island towards Malea, marched into the city itself of the Cythereans, lying likewise to the sea.

[2] The Cythereans they found standing all in arms prepared for them. And after the battle began, the Cythereans for a little while made resistance, but soon after turned their backs and fled into the higher part of the city, and afterwards compounded with Nicias and his fellow-commanders that the Athenians should determine of them whatsoever they thought good but death.

[3] Nicias had had some conference with certain of the Cythereans before, which was also a cause that those things which concerned the accord both now and afterwards were both the sooner and with the more favour dispatched. For the Athenians did but remove the Cythereans, and that also because they were Lacedaemonians, and because the island lay in that manner upon the coast of Laconia.

[4] After this composition, having as they went by received Scandeia, a town lying upon the haven, and put a guard upon the Cythereans, they sailed to Asine and most of the towns upon the sea-side. And going sometimes aland, and staying where they saw cause, wasted the country for about seven days together.

[1] Coming to land here with their armament, the Athenians with ten ships and two thousand Milesian heavy infantry took the town of Scandea, on the sea; and with the rest of their forces landing on the side of the island looking towards Malea, went against the lower town of Cythera , where they found all the inhabitants encamped.

[2] A battle ensuing, the Cytherians held their ground for some little while, and then turned and fled into the upper town, where they soon afterwards capitulated to Nicias and his colleagues, agreeing to leave their fate to the decision of the Athenians, their lives only being safe.

[3] A correspondence had previously been going on between Nicias and certain of the inhabitants, which caused the surrender to be effected more speedily, and upon terms more advantageous, present and future, for the Cytherians; who would otherwise have been expelled by the Athenians on account of their being Lacedaemonians and their island being so near to Laconia .

[4] After the capitulation, the Athenians occupied the town of Scandea near the harbour, and appointing a garrison for Cythera , sailed to Asine , Helus, and most of the places on the sea, and making descents and passing the night on shore at such spots as were convenient, continued ravaging the country for about seven days.

Nachdem die Athener mit ihrer Flotte dort angekommen
waren, ließen sie die dort an der See belegene Stadt Skandeia
durch zehn Schiffe und zweitausend Hopliten aus Milet be­
setzen. Mit dem übrigen Heere landeten sie auf der Malea
gegenüberliegenden Seite der Insel und rückten vor die nicht
weit von der See entfernte Stadt Kythera, wo sie sich als­
bald die Einwohner gegenüber sahen, die hier mit ihrer ganzen
Macht im Lager standen. Es kam zu einem Gefecht, in dem
die Kytherer kurze Zeit standhielten, dann aber geschlagen
wurden und in die obere Stadt flohen. Nachher trafen sie
jedoch mit Nikias und seinen Mitfeldherren ein Abkommen,
wodurch sie sich der Entscheidung der Athener unterwarfen und
sich nur das Leben ausbedangen. Schon vorher aber waren
zwischen Nikias und einigen Kytherern gewisse Verabredungen
getroffen, infolge deren die Sache in dem Augenblick so glatt
abging und sich auch weiterhin so günstig für sie gestaltete;
sonst hätten die Athener diese lakedämonischen Bewohner von
ihrer Lakonien so unmittelbar gegenüberliegenden Insel doch
wohl abgeschoben. Nach jenem Abkommen ließen die Athener,
welche die Hafenstadt Skandeia bereits besetzt hatten, auch in
Kythera eine Besatzung zurück, um nunmehr mit der Flotte
Asine, Helos und den ganzen Küstenstrich heimzusuchen, wo sie
mehrfach landeten, gelegentlich auch über Nacht blieben und
das Land ungefähr sieben Tage lang verheerten.

LIV. L’expédition athénienne y aborda : dix vaisseaux et deux mille hoplites de Milet allèrent s’emparer d’une ville maritime du nom de Scandie. Le reste de l’armée débarqua dans la partie de l’île qui regarde Malée et se porta contre la ville des Cythériens, bâtie également sur le rivage. Ils ne tardèrent pas à les trouver tous campés hors de la ville ; et le combat s’engagea. Les Cythériens tinrent quelque temps ; mais ensuite ils prirent la fuite et se réfugièrent dans la haute ville. Là, ils capitulèrent entre les mains de Nicias et de ses collègues, et se rendirent à discrétion, à la seule condition d’avoir la vie sauve. Déjà, du reste, Nicias avait eu avec quelques-uns des Cy- thériens des conférences qui facilitèrent les négociations et valurent aux habitants des conditions plus avantageuses pour le présent et pour l’avenir ; car, sans cela, ils eussent été transportés ailleurs, surtout étant Lacédémoniens et habitant une île si voisine de la La- conie. Après cette capitulation, les Athéniens, déjà maîtres de Scandie, place située sur le port ¹ , mirent garnison à Cythère et firent voile pour Asiné, Hélos, et la plupart des villes maritimes ² . Ils descendaient à terre, bivaquaient là où ils trouvaient un emplacement favorable, et ravagèrent ainsi le pays durant sept jours.

Les Athéniens ayant pris terre, dix de leurs vaisseaui et deux mille hoplites de Milet ¹ s’emparèrent de la ville de Scandéa, située au bord de la mer. Le reste de l’armée alla descendre dans la partie de l’ile‘qui fait face au Malée, et marcha contre la ville maritime des Cythériens. On les trouva tous campés hors des murs. Le combat s’engagea bientôt. Les Cythériens tinrent quelque temps ; mais ensuite ils tournèrent le dos et se réfugièrent dans la ville haute ² . Plus tard, ils capitulèrent avec Nicias et ses collègues; ils se rendirent à discrétion, sous la seule réserve d’avoir la vie sauve. Déjà précédemment, Nicias avait noué des intelligences avec quelques Cythériens. C’est ce qui facilita dans le moment la transaction et valut aux habitants de meilleures conditions pour la suite ; autrement les Athéniens n’eussent pas manqué d’expulser de Cythère toute la population, qui était lacédémonienne et proche de la Laconie. Là-dessus les Athéniens prirent possession de Scan dé a, qui est située près du port. Ils mirent une garnison à Cythère et firent voile pour Asiné, Hélos et les autres places du littoral. Ils y opérèrent des descentes, passèrent la nuit où bon leur sembla, et ravagèrent la campagne pendant sept jours.

[1] So then the Athenians, putting in at Cythera with their armament, consisting of ten ships and two thousand Milesian hoplites, ¹ took the city by the sea called Scandeia ² ; then, with the rest of their forces landing on the part of the island which looks toward Malea, they advanced against the city of Cythera which is away from the sea, ³ where they found that all the inhabitants had immediately established themselves in camp.

[2] A fight ensued, in which the Cytherians stood their ground for some little time, then turned and fled to the upper town, but afterwards capitulated to Nicias and his colleagues, agreeing to leave the question of their own fate, except as to a penalty of death, to the arbitration of the Athenians.

[3] Some negotiations between Nicias and certain of the Cytherians had already taken place, and for this reason the settlement of the terms, both for the present and the future, was arranged more speedily and with better advantage to them;

[4] for otherwise the Athenians would have expelled the inhabitants, since they were Lacedaemonians and the island lay in that position on the coast of Laconia. After the capitulation the Athenians took possession of Scandeia, the town at the harbour, and having taken precautions for guarding Cythera, then sailed to Asine, Helus, and most of the other towns on the seacoast; here they made raids or bivouacked at whatever place they found convenient, and ravaged the land for about seven days.

[1] The Athenians therefore, having made the land with their armament, with ten of their ships and two thousand heavy-armed of the Milesians, took the town on the coast called Scandea; while with the rest of their forces they landed on the side of the island looking towards Malea, and advanced against the lower town of Cythera, and at once found all the inhabitants encamped there.

[2] A battle having been fought, the Cytherians stood their ground for some short time, and then turned and fled into the upper town; after which they came to an agreement with Nicias and his colleagues to throw themselves on the mercy of the Athenians, only stipulating that they should not be put to death.

[3] Indeed there had been before certain proposals made by Nicias to some of the Cytherians, in consequence of which the terms of the capitulation were settled more quickly and favourably, both for their present and future interests: else the Athenians would have expelled the Cytherians, both on the ground of their being Lacedaemonians and of the island being so adjacent to Laconia.

[4] After the capitulation, the Athenians, having got possession of Scandea, the town near the harbour, and appointed a garrison for Cythera, sailed to Asine, Helus, and most of the places on the sea; and making descents and passing the night on shore at such spots as were convenient, they continued ravaging the country about seven days.

[1] Athenienses igitur quum appulissent cum suis copiis , decem navibus et duobus Milesiorum millibus urbem maritimam, nomine Scandeam, capiunt; cum reliquo vero exercitu in insulae partes, quae Maleam spectant, exscensu e navibus facto ad maritimam Cytheriorum urbem iverunt, ejusque incolas statim omnes sub armis stantes offenderunt.

[2] Prcelioque commisso Cytherii paulisper impetum sustinuerunt, deinde in fugam versi, in superiorem urbem confugerunt et postea cum Nicia ejusque collegis compositionem fecerunt ea conditione, ut omne de se statuendi arbitrium Atheniensibus permitterent, nisi mortis.

[3] Quaedam autem colloquia et ante inter Niciam et Cytheriorum quosdam habita erant, quamobrem etiam citius et commodius et in praesentia et insequente tempore, quae ad compositionem pertinebant, inter eos transacta sunt; Athenienses enim Cytherios ex suis sedibus in alias transtulissent, tum quod essent Lacedaemonii, tum etiam quod insula agro Laconico adeo vicina esset.

[4] Post compositionem vero Athenienses accepta Scandea, urbe ad portum sila, et praesidio Cytheris imposito, navigarunt ad Asinen et Hclos et ad plurima loca maritima, et exscensu ex navibus in ca facto et commorantes', ubicunque opportunum videbatur, regionem per dies circiter septem vastarunt.

[1] Akanthier! Die Absicht Spartas bei Aussendung meines Heeres ist keine andere, als den Zweck unseres Krieges mit Athen, als welchen wir in der Kriegserklärung die Befreiung Griechenlands angekündigt, zur Wirklichkeit zu machen. An unserm späten Erscheinen aber ist die durch die bisherigen Feldzüge getäuschte Hoffnung schuld, euch den Kampf zu ersparen und in kurzer Zeit allein mit Athen fertig zu werden; und es kann uns dasselbe um so weniger zum Vorwurf gemacht werden, da wir jetzt die erste Gelegenheit ergreifen, hieher zu kommen und auch euch zur Theilnahme an dem Vernichtungskampfe einzuladen. Um so mehr befremdet es mich, aus dem Sperren der Thore auf eine unfreundliche Stimmung bei euch schliessen zu müssen. In dem guten Glauben, in euch längst, vor unserer Ankunft schon, entschiedene Bundesgenossen zu finden, denen wir nur willkommen sein würden, haben wir Lacedämonier die Gefahr nicht angesehen, die mit einem so weiten Marsch durch fremdes Gebiet verbunden war, und jedes mögliche Opfer gebracht, — und wie, ihr solltet ganz andere Gesinnungen hegen, solltet eurer eigenen und aller Griechen Befreiung euch widersetzen wollen? Denn nicht allein, dass ihr zu dem Feinde stehet, es müsste auch alle folgenden Städte zurückhaltend und besorgt machen, wenn gleich anfangs eine so ansehnliche und einflussreiche Stadt wie die eurige mich abwiese. Der Glaube an meine Sendung wäre dahin ¹ , man argwohnte nur Böses in der Freiheit, die ich bringe ² , oder sähe in meinem Heere einen zu schwachen und nichtssagenden Schutz gegen Athens drohende Rache. Zwar es war dasselbe Heer, mit dem ich vor Nisäa zog, wo die Athener trotz ihrer Uebermacht keinen Angriff wagten, und ein so zahlreiches Heer wie das nisäische würden sie ohnehin in keinem Fall gegen euch über's Meer schicken. ³

Pertanto gli Ateniesi giunti colà sulla flotta, eoa dieci navi e due mila Milesi di grave armatura, s’impadroniscono di una città marittima nominata Scandea ; e col rimanente dell’ esercito sbarcati nella parte dell’ isola che guarda Malea marciavano sopra la città de’ Citerii. situata sul mare ; ove trovarono gli abitanti già tutti sotto l’armi. Attaccatasi la zuffa i Citerii ressero picciol tempo; poi voltato faccia si rifugiarono nella cittadella ; e finalmente convennero con Nicia e suoi colleghi di reudersi agli Ateniesi; salvo la vita. Già anche di prima aveva Nicia tenuto discorso con alcuni di Citerà ; e però le condizioni dell’accomodamento , tanto prima che poi, furono trattate più presto e più all' amichevole. In fatti gli Ateniesi cacciarono di Citerà solo la gente spartana , considerando che l’isola era cosi prossima alla spiaggia laconica. Dopo la capitolazione , gli Ateniesi padroni di Scandea, città situata presso il porto, misero guarnigione a Citerà e navigarono ad Asine, adEloed a moltissime altre terre marittime, sbarcando ed accampandosi ovunque l’opportunità il richiedesse: e cosi per circa sette giorni davano il guasto alla campagna.