Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.56

[1] The next winter the Lacedaemonians, unknown to the Athenians, put three hundred garrison soldiers under the command of Agesippidas into Epidaurus by sea.

[2] For which cause the Argives came and expostulated with the Athenians that whereas it was written in the articles of the league that no enemy should be suffered to pass through either of their dominions, yet had they suffered the Lacedaemonians to pass by sea; and said they had wrong, unless the Athenians would again put the Messenians and Helotes into Pylus against the Lacedaemonians.

[3] Hereupon the Athenians, at the persuasion of Alcibiades, wrote upon the Laconian pillar, [under the inscription of the peace], that the Lacedaemonians had violated their oath; and they drew the Helotes out of Cranii and put them again into Pylus to infest the territory with driving off booties;

[4] but did no more. All this winter, though there was war between the Argives and Epidaurians, yet was there no set battle, but only ambushes and skirmishes, wherein were slain on both sides such as it chanced.

[5] But in the end of winter, and the spring now at hand, the Argives came to Epidaurus with ladders, as destitute of men by reason of the war, thinking to have won it by assault, but returned again with their labour lost. And so ended this winter, and the thirteenth year of this war.

[1] The next winter the Lacedaemonians managed to elude the vigilance of the Athenians, and sent in a garrison of three hundred men to Epidaurus , under the command of Agesippidas.

[2] Upon this the Argives went to the Athenians and complained of their having allowed an enemy to pass by sea, in spite of the clause in the treaty by which the allies were not to allow an enemy to pass through their country. Unless, therefore, they now put the Messenians and Helots in Pylos to annoy the Lacedaemonians, they, the Argives, should consider that faith had not been kept with them.

[3] The Athenians were persuaded by Alcibiades to inscribe at the bottom of the Laconian pillar that the Lacedaemonians had not kept their oaths, and to convey the Helots at Cranii to Pylos to plunder the country; but for the rest they remained quiet as before.

[4] During this winter hostilities went on between the Argives and Epidaurians, without any pitched battle taking place, but only forays and ambuscades, in which the losses were small and fell now on one side and now on the other.

[5] At the close of the winter, towards the beginning of spring, the Argives went with scaling-ladders to Epidaurus , expecting to find it left unguarded on account of the war and to be able to take it by assault, but returned unsuccessful. And the winter ended, and with it the thirteenth year of the war ended also.

Im folgenden Winter schickten die Lakedämonier, ohne
daß die Athener darum wußten, dreihundert Mann unter
Agesippidas zu Wasser als Besatzung nach Epidauros. Die
Argeier aber beshcwerten sich in Athen darüber, daß man die
Lakedämonier auf dem Seewege durchgelassen habe, obwohl in
dem Vertrage ausdrücklich bestimmt sei, daß keiner fremdem
Kriegsvolk den Durchzug durch sein Gebiet gestatten solle.
Wenn sie nun nicht auch die Messenier und die Heloten bei
Pylos auf die Lakedämonier losließen, so würde man in Argos
darin eine Vertragsverletzung erblicken müssen. Die Athener
brachten dann auch auf Alkibiades' Rat auf der lakonischen
Säule den Zusatz an, daß die Lakedämonier den Eid gebrochen
hätten, ließen auch die Heloten aus Kranioi nach Pylos
kommen, um von dort aus Streifzüge zu unternehmen, machten
aber sonst nichts weiter aus der Sache. Im Kriege zwischen
den Argeiern und den Epidauriern kam es in diesem Winter
zu keiner ordentlichen Schlacht, sondern nur hin und wieder
zu einem Überfall aus dem Hinterhalt oder einem kleinen
Scharmützel, wobei je nachdem der eine oder der andere Teil
ein paar Tote auf dem Platze ließ. Gegen Ende des Winters
kurz vor Frühlingsanfang rückten die Argeier mit Leitern vor
Epidauros, das sie infolge des Krieges von Truppen entblößt
glaubten, um die Stadt mit Sturm zu nehmen, mußten aber
unverrichteter Sache wieder abziehen. Damit endete der
Winter und das dreizehnte Jahr des Krieges.

LVI. L’hiver suivant ¹ , les Lacédémoniens, à l’insu des Athéniens, envoyèrent, par mer, à Épidaure, une garnison de trois cents hommes, sous le commandement d’Agésippidas. Les Argiens allèrent à Athènes se plaindre de ce que, malgré les traités qui portaient que chacun des peuples contractants interdirait à l’en- ^{2 3} nemi le passage sur son territoire, ils eussent laissé passer ces troupes par mer. Ils disaient qu’il y aurait injustice de leur part à ne pas envoyer aussi les Messéniens et les Hilotes à Pylos contre les Lacédémoniens. Les Athéniens, à l’instigation d’Alcibiade, écrivirent sur la colonne ⁴ , au bas du traité conclu avec Lacédémone, que les Lacédémoniens avaient violé leurs serments; puis ils transportèrent les Hilotes de Cranies ⁵ à Pylos, pour piller le pays; du reste ils se tinrent en repos. Dans la guerre que se firent cet hiver les Argiens et les Épidauriens, il n’y eut point de bataille rangée, mais seulement des embuscades et des incursions où la perte se bornait à quelques hommes de part et d’autre. L’hiver finissait et on touchait au printemps, lorsque les Argiens s’approchèrent d’Épidaure avec des échelles : ils espéraient la trouver sans défense à cause de la guerre ⁶ et l’emporter de vive force; mais ils durent se retirer sans avoir rien fait. L’hiver finit, et avec lui la treizième année de la guerre.

L’hiver suivant, les Lacédémoniens, à l’insu des Athéniens, envoyèrent par mer à Ëpidaure une garnison de trois cents hommes sous les ordres d’Agésippidas. Les Argiens se plaignirent aux Athéniens de ce qu’ils avaient permis cette expédition maritime, quoiqu’il fût dit expressément par £e traité qu’on ne laisserait traverser son domaine par aucun ennemi. Ils ajoutèrent que si, par représailles, les Athéniens ne replaçaient pas à Pylos les Messéniens et les Hilotes peur infester la Laconie, ils se tiendraient pour offensés. Les Athéniens, sur la proposition d’Alcibiade, inscrivirent auhasde la colonne lacédémonienne ¹ que les Lacédémoniens avaient trahi leurs serments ; puis ils transportèrent les Hilotes de Cranies à Pylos pour y exercer le brigandage. D’ailleurs ils se tinrent en repos.

Dans la guerre que se firent pendant cet hiver les Argiens et les Épidauriens, il n’y eut point de bataille rangée, mais seulement des escarmouches et des incursions, où les pertes de part et d’autre se réduisirent à quelques hommes. L’hiver finissait et l’on touchait au printemps, lorsque les Argiens s’approchèrent d’Épidaure avec des échelles. Ils avaient compté la trouver sans défense A cause de la guerre et l’emporter d’emblée; mais ils n’y réussirent pas. Là-dessus l’hiver finit, ainsi que la treizième année de la guerre.

[1] During the following winter, the Lacedaemonians, eluding the vigilance of the Athenians, sent a garrison of three hundred men, under the command of Agesippidas, by sea to Epidaurus.

[2] And the Argives, coming to Athens, made complaint that, although it was written in the treaty that they were not to allow enemies to go through their respective territories, ¹ the Athenians had permitted the Lacedaemonians to go past their territory ² by sea; unless, then, the Athenians should bring the Messenians and Helots to Pylos to annoy the Lacedaemonians, they themselves would feel aggrieved.

[3] So the Athenians, on the advice of Alcibiades, inscribed at the bottom of the Laconian column that the Lacedaemonians had not kept their oaths, and they brought to Pylos the Helots from Cranii, ³ to plunder the country;

[4] but in other respects they kept quiet. During this winter, although the Argives and Epidaurians were at war, there was no pitched battle, but there were ambuscades and forays, in which some perished on either side as the chance might be.

[5] As winter was closing and spring at hand, the Argives came with scaling-ladders against Epidaurus, supposing, as it was stripped of its defenders by the war, that they could take it by assault; but they accomplished nothing and went back home. And the winter ended and with it the thirteenth year of the war.

[1] The following winter, the Lacedaemonians eluded the vigilance of the Athenians in sending by sea to Epidaurus three hundred garrison troops, under command of Agesippidas.

[2] The Argives therefore went to the Athenians, and complained, that though it had been specified in the treaty that they should not allow an enemy to pass through their respective countries, they had allowed them to go there by sea; and therefore they should consider themselves aggrieved, if the Athenians, on their side, did not take the Messenians and helots to Pylus, to annoy the Lacedaemonians.

[3] So the Athenians, at the instigation of Alcibiades, inscribed at the bottom of the Laconian pillar, that the Lacedaemonians had not adhered to their oaths; and they conveyed the helots who were at Cranii to Pylus, to plunder the country;

[4] though in other respects they remained quiet. Now in the course of hostilities during this winter between the Argives and Epidaurians, no pitched battle was fought, but there were only ambuscades and skirmishes, in which some were slain on each side, as might happen.

[5] When the winter was closing, and spring was now at hand, the Argives went with scaling ladders to Epidaurus, supposing that it would be left unguarded on account of the war, and intending to take it by storm; but returned unsuccessful. And thus the winter ended, and the thirteenth year of this war.

[1] Sequentis hiemis initio Lacedaemonii clam Atheniensibus praesidium trecentorum militum et Agesippidain ducem per mare Epidaurum immiserunt.

[2] Argivi vero ad Athenienses profecti cum iis expostularunt, quod, quum in foederibus scriptum esset, ut nulli per agrum suum hostes transire sinerent, per mare Lacedaemonios transire permisissent; et nisi ipsi quoque Messenios et servitia adversus Lacedaemonios Pylum reduxissent, se ab iis injuria affectum iri.

[3] Athenienses vero auctore Alcibiade cippo Laconico subscripserunt, Lacedaemonios in foedere non perstitisse, et Pylum e Craniis servitia reduxerunt, ut latrocinarentur; cetera vero quiescebant.

[4] Per hanc autem hiemem, quum Argivi et Epidaurii bellum inter se gererent, tamen nullum quidem praelium acie palam instructa commissum est, sed insidiae et incursiones tantum laetae sunt, in quibus, prout casus tulit, ex utrisque nonnulli peribant.

[5] Atque extrema hieme, vere jam instante, Argivi cum scalis adversus Epidaurum iverunt, ut propter bellum defensoribus denudatam expugnaturi; sed infecto negotio discesserunt. Et hiems finiebatur et decimus tertius hujus belli annus finiebatur.

Sopravvenendo l’inverno i Lacedemoni di nascosto agli Ateniesi spedirono per mare ad Epidauro un presidio di trecento soldati sotto il comando di Agesippida. Il perchè gli Argivi andarono a rammaricarsi con gli Ateniesi che avessero lasciato tragittare per mare i Lacedemoni, trasgredendo quell’articolo della tregua che diceva, dover ciascuno impedire ai nemici il passaggio pel suo dominio; e protestavano che se gli Ateniesi non riconducevano a Pilo i Messenii e gl’iloti per inquietare i Lacedemoni, Argo si terrebbe offesa. Pertanto gli Ateniesi, per istigazione di Alcibiade, nella colonna ove era scolpita la tregua con Sparta, inscrissero che i Lacedemoni non avevano attenuto i giuramenti ; e ricondussero da Cranio a Pilo gl’ Iloti perchè vi praticassero il ladroneggio : del rimanente poi erano in quiete. E in questo medesimo inverno tutto che gli Argivi e gli Epidaurii fossero in guerra tra loro, pur non vi fu veruna battaglia campale, ma solo aguati e scorrerie; ove, secondo che portava il caso, alcuni da ambe le parti restarono uccisi. In sullo scorcio del verno già verso primavera , gli Argivi andarono con delle scale ad Epidauro che credevano abbandonata a cagion della guerra, volendo occuparla a forza; ma la cosa non riuscì; equi finiva l’inverno , e l’anno tredicesimo di questa guerra.