Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.22

[1] But the confederates chanced to be present themselves in Lacedaemon; and the Lacedaemonians required such of them as formerly refused that they would accept the peace. But they, upon the same pretence on which they had rejected it before, said that unless it were more reasonable they would not accept it.

[2] And the Lacedaemonians, seeing they refused, dismissed them and by themselves entered with the Athenians into a league, because they imagined that the Argives would not renew their peace (because they had refused it before when Ampelidas and Lichas went to Argos, and held them for no dangerous enemies without the Athenians); and also conceived that by this means the rest of Peloponnesus would not stir; for if they could, they would turn to the Athenians.

[3] Wherefore the ambassadors of Athens being then present, and conference had, they agreed; and the oath and league was concluded on in the terms following:

[1] The allies happened to be present in person at Lacedaemon , and those who had not accepted the treaty were now asked by the Lacedaemonians to adopt it. This, however, they refused to do, for the same reasons as before, unless a fairer one than the present were agreed upon;

[2] and remaining firm in their determination were dismissed by the Lacedaemonians, who now decided on forming an alliance with the Athenians, thinking that Argos, who had refused the application of Ampelidas and Lichas for a renewal of the treaty, would without Athens be no longer formidable, and that the rest of the Peloponnese would be most likely to keep quiet, if the coveted alliance of Athens were shut against them.

[3] Accordingly, after conference with the Athenian ambassadors, an alliance was agreed upon and oaths were exchanged, upon the terms following:—

Die Bundesgenossen waren damals grade in Lakedämon
selbst zugegen, und die Lakedämonier suchten nun auch die
Städte, welche den Frieden nicht angenommen hatten, zum
Beitritt zu bewegen. Die aber lehnten das aus demselben
Grunde ab, aus dem sie sich dessen gleich anfangs geweigert
hatten, und erklärten, sie würden sich dazu nur verstehen
wenn man ihnen günstigere Bedingungen gewähre. Da sie
nicht wollten, ließen die Lakedämonier sie ziehen und schlossen
nun selbst ein Bündnis mit den Athenern. Sie glaubten
nämlich, daß die Argeier, die schon damals Ampelidas und
Lichas gegenüber, in der Meinung, ohne die Athener könnten
sie ihnen nicht gefährlich werden, die Verlängerung des Friedens
abgelehnt hatten, sich jetzt schwerlich ruhig zugeben, sondern
samt den übrigen peloponnesischen Staaten bei erster Gelegen­
heit mit den Athenern verbinden würden. Sie benutzten also
die Anwesenheit athenischer Gesandten, um mit ihnen Ver­
handlungen über den Abschluß eines Bündnisses anzuknüpfen,
das dann auch folgendermaßen zustande kam und beshcworen
wurde.

XXII. Les alliés ¹ se trouvaient pour lors à Lacédémone : ceux d’entre eux qui n’avaient pas adhéré au traité furent invités par les Lacédémoniens à le faire; mais ils déclarèrent qu’ils ne l’accepteraient pas, par les mêmes motifs qui le leur avaient fait repousser d’abord, à moins qu’on ne fît des stipulations plus équitables. Les Lacédémoniens, n’ayant pu les convaincre, les congédièrent et conclurent en leur propre nom un traité d'alliance avec les Athéniens. Ils y étaient déterminés par cette considération, qu’un accommodement était impossible avec les Argiens, puisqu’ils avaient repoussé les propositions portées par Ampelidas et par Lichas; que du reste ils seraient peu redoutables sans les Athéniens, et que c’était là ² le meilleur moyen de maintenir en repos les autres peuples du Péloponnèse; car c’était du côté des Athéniens qu’ils devaient se tourner s’il leur était possible. Comme il y avait alors des ambassadeurs athéniens à Lacédémone, des conférences furent entamées avec eux; on tomba d’accord et une alliance fut jurée sur les bases suivantes :

Les alliés étaient alors assemblés à Lacédémone. Ceux d’entre eux qui n’avaient pas adhéré au traité furent invîtes par les Lacédémoniens aie faire sans retard; mais ils persistèrent dans leur refus, en se fondant sur ce que les conventions n'étaient pas équitables. Les Lacédémoniens, désespérant de les convaincre, les congédièrent et ouvrirent pour leur propre compte des négociations d’alliance avec les Athéniens. Us y furent poussés par deux motifs : d’abord il ne fallait plus songer au renouvellement de la trêve avec les Argiens ; car ils avaient rejeté les propositions d’Âmpélidas et de Lichas, apparemment dans la pensée que les Lacédémoniens sans les Athéniens étaient peu redoutables ; en second lieu, l’alliance avec Athènes était le meilleur moyen de prévenir l’agitation dans le reste du Péloponèse qui, s’il l’avait pu, n’aurait pas manqué de se jeter dans les bras des Argiens ¹ . Il y avait alors des députés athéniens à Lacédémone ; des conférences furent entamées avec eux ; on se mit d’accord, et l’alliance suivante fut conclue sous la foi du serment.

[1] The representatives of the allies ¹ happened to be still present in person at Lacedaemon, and as many of them as had not accepted the treaty were ordered by the Lacedaemonians to adopt it. But they, on the same pretext for which they had at first ² rejected it, still refused to accept it unless a fairer treaty were made.

[2] Since, then, they would not hearken to them, the Lacedaemonians dismissed them, and proceeded to make an alliance with the Athenians by themselves, thinking that the Argives would by no means make an alliance with Sparta— since they had refused to renew the treaty with them when Ampelidas and Lichas went to Argos-and believing that they would not be dangerous to them without the Athenians, and that the rest of the Peloponnesians would be most likely to remain quiet; ³ for, had it been possible, they might have gone over to the Athenians. ⁴

[3] Accordingly since envoys were present from the Athenians, a conference was held and they came to an agreement, and oaths were sworn and an alliance made on the following terms:

[1] Now the allies happened ¹ themselves to be at Lacedaemon, and those of them who had not accepted the treaty were commanded by the Lacedaemonians to adopt it. They, however, on the same grounds as they had at first rejected it, refused to accept it, unless they made a more equitable one than that.

[2] So when they did not listen to them, they sent them away, and themselves proceeded to conclude an alliance with the Athenians; thinking that the Argives ( ² since they refused, on Ampelidas and Lichas going to them, to make a fresh treaty) would be by no means formidable without the support of the Athenians, and that the rest of the Peloponnese would be most disposed to remain quiet; whereas they would have gone over to the Athenians, if they had had the power.

[3] Ambassadors, therefore, having come from the Athenians, and a conference having been held, they came to an agreement, and oaths were taken, and this alliance concluded, on the following terms:

[1] Socii vero forte ipsi erant Lacedaemone, et Lacedaemonii eos, qui foedera non admiserant, id iacere jubebant IUi vero per eandem causam, per quam ea etiam primum rejecerant, negarunt, se accepturos, nisi aliqua his aequiora facerent.

[2] Sed quum eos audire nollent, illos quidem remiserunt, ipsi vero societatem cum Atheniensibus faciebant, existimantes, Argivos, quando per Aropelidam et Licham illuc missos foedus renovare noluerant, eos igitur rati sine Atheniensibus minime formidabiles sibi fore, ce-teramque Peloponnesum maxime quietnram; alioqui enim hos ad Athenienses accessuros, si liceret

[3] Praesentibus igitur Atheniensium legatis habitisque colloquiis compositionem fecerunt, et adhibito jurejurando societatem hanc his conditionibus inierunt.

Quanto agli alleati che si trovavano a Sparta, i Lacedemoni sollecitavano quei di loro che avevano rifiutate le tregue ad accettarle : ed essi col medesimo pretesto con cui da primo l’aveano rifiatate dissero di non approvarle se elle non venissero fatte più giuste. E poiché stavano sulla perfìdia, i Lacedemoni gli rimandarono, e fecero da sé alleanza con gli Ateniesi, riflettendo primieramente che gli Argivi non vorrebbero confermare la lega (dalla quale Ampelide e Lica venuti da Argo si erano mostrati alieni, perché non si avea timore di Sparta disgiunta da Atene), ed in secondo luogo considerando che questo sarebbe il mezzo più valevole a tranquillare il Peloponneso, che potendo si sarebbe voltato agli Ateniesi. Trovandosi adunque presenti i legati di Atene si abboccarono insieme , e convennero di giurare alleanza nel seguente modo.