Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.80

[1] For the Athenians vexing Peloponnesus, and their particular territory Laconia most of all, they thought the best way to divert them was to send an army to the confederates of the Athenians, so to vex them again. And the rather because Perdiccas and the Chalcideans were content to maintain the army, having called it thither to help the Chalcideans in their revolt.

[2] And because also they desired a pretence to send away part of their Helotes, for fear they should take the opportunity of the present state of their affairs, the enemies lying now in Pylus, to innovate.

[3] For they did also this further, fearing the youth and multitude of their Helotes, for the Lacedaemonians had ever many ordinances concerning how to look to themselves against the Helotes. They caused proclamation to be made that as many of them as claimed the estimation to have done the Lacedaemonians best service in their wars should be made free; feeling them in this manner and conceiving that, as they should every one out of pride deem himself worthy to be first made free, so they would soonest also rebel against them.

[4] And when they had thus preferred about two thousand, which also with crowns on their heads went in procession about the temples as to receive their liberty, they not long after made them away; and no man knew how they perished. And now at this time, with all their hearts, they sent away seven hundred men of arms more of the same men along with Brasidas.

[5] The rest of the army were mercenaries, hired by Brasidas out of Peloponnesus. [But] Brasidas himself the Lacedaemonians sent out, chiefly because it was his own desire;

[1] The attacks of the Athenians upon Peloponnese , and in particular upon Laconia , might, it was hoped, be diverted most effectually by annoying them in return, and by sending an army to their allies, especially as they were willing to maintain it and asked for it to aid them in revolting.

[2] The Lacedaemonians were also glad to have an excuse for sending some of the Helots out of the country, for fear that the present aspect of affairs and the occupation of Pylos might encourage them to move.

[3] Indeed fear of their numbers and obstinacy even persuaded the Lacedaemonians to the action which I shall now relate, their policy at all times having been governed by the necessity of taking precautions against them. The Helots were invited by a proclamation to pick out those of their number who claimed to have most distinguished themselves against the enemy, in order that they might receive their freedom; the object being to test them, as it was thought that the first to claim their freedom would be the most high spirited and the most apt to rebel.

[4] As many as two thousand were selected accordingly, who crowned themselves and went round the temples, rejoicing in their new freedom. The Spartans, however, soon afterwards did away with them, and no one ever knew how each of them perished.

[5] The Spartans now therefore gladly sent seven hundred as heavy infantry with Brasidas, who recruited the rest of his force by means of money in Peloponnese .

Denn die Lakedämonier hofften, sich die Athener, die dem
Peloponnes und besonders ihrem eigenen Lande so schwer
auflagen, am ersten vom Halse zu schaffen, wenn sie ihnen
selbst zu Leibe gingen und ein Heer ins Land ihrer Bundes­
genossen schickten, zumal diese sich erboten, dessen Verpflegung
zu übernehmen, und sie zu Hilfe riefen, um die Herrschaft der
Athener abzuschütteln. Zugleich bot sich ihnen damit ein er­
wünschter Vorwand, eine Anzahl Heloten außer Landes zu
schicken, damit diese nicht etwa den Augenblick, wo Pylos in
Feindeshand war, benutzten, um sich zu empören. Auch hatten
sie aus Furcht vor ihrem zahlreichen jungen Nachwuchs bereits
zu einer anderen Maßregel gegen sie gegriffen, wie denn bei
ihnen von jeher im Grunde alles darauf hinauslief, die He­
loten im Zaume zu halten. Sie machten bekannt, aber nur
um sie auf die Probe zu stellen, wer unter ihnen sich besonders
tüchtig zum Kriegsdienst fühle, solle sich melden und dann
eingestellt und freigelassen werden; denn vermutlich würden
grade die, welche am meisten nach Freiheit verlangten, auch
zuerst bei der Hand sein, ihnen den Hals abzuschneiden. Es
wurden denn auch gegen zweitausend ausgehoben, die darauf
als nunmehr freie Leute bekränzt durch die Tempel zogen.
Nach kurzer Zeit aber ließen die Lakedämonier sie sämtlich
verschwinden, und niemand erfuhr, wo und wie sie ums Leben
gekommen waren. So nahmen sie auch jetzt gern die Gelegen­
heit wahr, siebenhundert Heloten als Hopliten mit Brasidas
hinauszuschicken. Im übrigen bestand dessen Heer aus Söldnern,
die er im Peloponnes geworben hatte.

LXXX. En effet, les Athéniens harcelaient sans cesse le Péloponnèse, et en particulier la Laconie. Les Lacédémoniens pensaient que le meilleur moyen de les éloigner était de les inquiéter à leur tour, en faisant passer une armée chez leurs alliés ; d’autant plus que ceux-ci offraient de nourrir les troupes et les appelaient pour se révolter. Ils voulaient, en même temps, avoir un prétexte pour faire sortir une partie des Hilotes ; car ils craignaient qu’ils ne profitassent des circonstances pour se soulever au moment où Pylos était au pouvoir de l’ennemi. Redoutant leur jeunesse et leur nombre ¹ , — car de tout temps la première de leurs préoccupations avait été la garde des Hilotes, — ils adoptèrent encore la mesure suivante : ils publièrent que ceux d’entre eux qui pensaient leur avoir rendu le plus de services contre l’ennemi par leur bravoure eussent à se faire connaître, et qu’ils seraient affranchis. C’était un piège qu’ils leur tendaient, dans la pensée que les premiers qui prétendraient à la liberté seraient aussi, par l’élévation de leur caractère, les plus disposes à conspirer. Ils en choisirent jusqu’à deux mille, qui se promenèrent dans les temples, la tête couronnée, comme s’ils eussent déjà été affranchis, mais peu de temps après on les fit disparaître, et personne ne sut par quel genre de mort ils avaient péri.

Dans cette circonstance, ils s’empressèrent d’en faire partir sept cents avec Brasidas, en qualité d’hoplites. Brasidas recruta le reste de son armée dans le Péloponnèse par l’appât d’une solde ; il avait lui-même témoigné beaucoup d’empressement à se faire charger de cette expédition.

Comme les Athéniens ne cessaient d’infester le Péloponèse et spécialement la Laconie , les Lacédémoniens pensèrent que le meilleur moyen de faire diversion était de jeter une armée chez leurs alliés ; d'autant plus que ceux-ci offraient de la défrayer, et l’appelaient dans un esprit de révolte. D’ailleurs, ils n’étaient pas fâchés d’avoir un prétexte pour envoyer au dehors un cehain nombre de leurs Hilotes; car ils craignaient qu’ils ne profitassent de l’occupation de Pylos pour se soulever. Les Lacédémoniens sont dans une perpétuelle appréhension au sujet des Hilotes: et, comme à cette époque ils redoutaient leur jeunesse et leur multitude, ils poussaient à l’extrême les précautions à leur égard ¹ . C’est ainsi qu’ils avaient fait publier que ceux d’entre eux qui croyaient leur avoir rendu le plus de services à la guerre eussent à se déclarer et qu’ils seraient affranchis. C’était une manière de les éprouver ; car on pensait bien que les plus désireux de liberté seraient aussi les plus enclins à la révolte. Ils en choisirent jusqu’à deux mille, qui firent le tour des temples, la tête couronnée comme affranchis ; mais peu après on les fit tous disparaître, sans que personne ait jamais su comment ils avaient péri. On saisit donc avec empressement l’occasion d'en faire partir six cents avec Brasidas en qualité d’hoplites. Le reste de son armée se composait de mercenaires levés par lui dans le Péloponèse.

[1] For since the Athenians kept harassing the Peloponnesians, and especially the territory of the Lacedaemonians, the latter thought that the best way of diverting them would be to retaliate by sending an army against their allies, especially since these allies were ready to maintain an army and were calling upon the Lacedaemonians for help in order that they might revolt.

[2] Furthermore, the Lacedaemonians were glad to have an excuse for sending out some of the Helots, in order to forestall their attempting a revolt at the present juncture when Pylos was in the possession of the enemy.

[3] Indeed, through fear of their youth ¹ and numbers —for in fact most of their measures have always been adopted by the Lacedaemonians with a view to guarding against the Helots—they had once even resorted to the following device. They made proclamation that all Helots who claimed to have rendered the Lacedaemonians the best service in war should be set apart, ostensibly to be set free. They were, in fact, merely testing them, thinking that those who claimed, each for himself, the first right to be set free would be precisely the men of high spirit who would be the most likely to attack their masters.

[4] About two thousand of them were selected and these put crowns on their heads and made the rounds of the temples, as though they were already free, but the Spartans not long afterwards made away with them, and nobody ever knew in what way each one perished.

[5] So, on the present occasion, the Spartans gladly sent with Brasidas seven hundred Helots as hoplites, the rest of his forces being drawn from the Peloponnesus by the inducement of pay.

[1] And what contributed to their getting the army out of the Peloponnese the more easily, was the misfortune of the Lacedaemonians at that time. For as the Athenians were pressing hard upon the Peloponnese, and especially upon their territory, they hoped to divert them from it most effectually, if they annoyed them in return by sending an army to their allies; especially as they were ready to maintain it, and were calling them to their aid, with a view to revolting.

[2] Besides, they were glad to have a pretext for sending away some of the Helots; lest in the present state of affairs, when Pylus was occupied by an enemy, they might attempt some revolution.

[3] Indeed through fear of their youth and great numbers, they even perpetrated the following deed: (for at all times most of the Lacedaemonian institutions were framed particularly with a view to the Helots, to guard against them.) They made proclamation, that as many of them as claimed to have done the state most service against the enemy should be picked out, professing that they would give them their liberty; thus applying a test to them, and thinking that those who severally claimed to be first made free, would also, through their high spirit, be most ready to attack them.

[4] Having thus selected as many as two thousand, the Helots crowned themselves, and went round to the temples, on the strength of having gained their freedom; but the Spartans soon after did away with them, and no one ever knew by what means they were severally dispatched. And on this occasion they eagerly sent away seven hundred of them with Brasidas as heavy-armed troops:

[5] the rest of his army he induced by pay to follow him from the Peloponnese. As for Brasidas himself, it was chiefly at his own desire that the Lacedaemonians sent him out.

[1] Quum enim Athenienses Peloponneso et maxime ipsorum Lacedaemoniorum agro imminerent, hi sperabant fore ut praecipue hoc modo eos averterent, si vicissim illos incommodo allicerent, copiis ad eorum socios missis, praesertim quum hi parati essent ad exercitum alendum et ipsos etiam ad defectionem faciendam accerserent.

[2] Simul etiam Helotum partem ipsis commodum accidebat quod sub aliqua causa emittere poterant, ne propter praesentem rerum statum Pylo occupata aliquid novi molirentur,

[3] quando quidem hoc quoque fecerunt sinistrum eorum animum et multitudinem reformidantes; semper enim apud Lacedaemonios pleraque de Helotibus instituta ad cavendas maxime eorum insidias pertinebant. Edixerunt, ut, quotquot ex iis se fortissime contra hostes pugnasse persuasum haberent, secernerentur, quod eos libertate donare statuissent, hoc modo mentem illorum explorantes, et existimantes, prout se primus quisque libertate dignum esse censuisset, sic etiam hos ipsos potissimum prae animi elatione impetum in se facturos.

[4] Quare quum ad duo millia delegissent, hi quidem templa coronati circumiverunt, ut libertate donati ; illi vero non multo post ex hominum conspectu eos sustulerunt, nec quisquam sensit, quonam modo eorum quisque perisset.

[5] Atque tunc quoque septingentos ex iis gravi armaturae adseriptos cum Brasida libenter dimise· runt; ceteros vero Brasidas ex Peloponneso mercede conductos eduxit.

[6] Ipsum autem Brasidam Lacedaemonii eundi maxime cupidum eo miserunt;

[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

Speravano i Lacedemoni che, siccome gli Ateniesi soprastavano al Peloponneso e principalmente al territorio di Sparta , valevolissimo mezzo a divertirli sarebbe se anche essi li inquietassero collo spedir genti ai loro alleati, che di ciò li ricercavano per ribellarsi, obbligandosi ancora al nutrimento dei soldati. Desideravano inoltre d’avere un pretesto per mandar fuori degli Iloti, perchè di presente essendo Pilo in potere degli Ateniesi f non dovessero tentare qualche novità. Avevano già i Lacedemoni usato molti compensi per tenersi sempre ben guardati dagli Iloti ; ed allora che molti erano e giovani, e però mettevan loro paura ricorsero a quest’astuzia. Bandirono che quelli tra loro che pretendessero di essere stati i più valorosi nelle cose di guerra a prò dello stato si separassero dagli altri, che verrebbero fatti liberi. Era questa una tenta per iscoprirgli , perchè i Lacedemoni facevano a dire che quelli i quali avessero presunto d’ essere i primi ad ottenere la libertà, avrebbero anche avuta maggior baldanza degli altri ad assalirli. Cosi sceltine duemila li menarono inghirlandati attorno a’templi come costumasi coi libertini; ma poco dopo gli fecero sparire senza che nessuno sapesse con qual genere di morte, e spedirono prontamente settecento degli altri armati alla grave sotto il comando di Brasida che ardentemente lo desiderava, e che si procacciò col soldo altre milizie del Peloponneso.