Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.7

[1] The same winter the Lacedaemonians and their confederates, all but the Corinthians, having drawn out their forces into the territory of the Argives, wasted a small part of their fields and carried away certain cart-loads of their corn. Thence they went to Orneae, and having placed there the Argive outlaws, left with them a few others of the rest of the army; and then making a composition for a certain time, that they of Orneae and those Argives should not wrong each other, they carried their army home.

[2] But the Athenians arriving not long after with thirty galleys and six hundred men of arms, the people of Argos came also forth with their whole power, and joining with them, sat down betimes in the morning before Orneae. But when at night the army went somewhat far off to lodge, they within fled out; and the Argives, the next day perceiving it, pulled Orneae to the ground and went home.

[3] And so also did the Athenians not long after with their galleys. Also the Athenians transported certain horsemen by sea, part of their own and part Macedonian fugitives that lived with them, into Methone and ravaged the territory of Perdiccas.

[4] And the Lacedaemonians sent unto the Chalcideans upon Thrace, who held peace with the Athenians from ten days to ten days, appointing them to aid Perdiccas. But they refused. And so ended the winter, and the sixteenth year of this war written by Thucydides.

[1] The envoys of the Athenians were accordingly despatched to Sicily . The same winter the Lacedaemonians and their allies, the Corinthians expected, marched into the Argive territory, and ravaged a small part of the land, and took some yokes of oxen and carried off some corn. They also settled the Argive exiles at Orneae, and left them a few soldiers taken from the rest of the army; and after making a truce for a certain while, according to which neither Orneatae nor Argives were to injure each other's territory, returned home with the army.

[2] Not long afterwards the Athenians came with thirty ships and six hundred heavy infantry, and the Argives joining them with all their forces, marched out and besieged the men in Orneae for one day; but the garrison escaped by night, the besiegers having bivouacked some way off. The next day the Argives, discovering it, razed Orneae to the ground, and went back again; after which the Athenians went home in their ships.

[3] Meanwhile the Athenians took by sea to Methone on the Macedonian border some cavalry of their own and the Macedonian exiles that were at Athens , and plundered the country of Perdiccas.

[4] Upon this the Lacedaemonians sent to the Thracian Chalcidians, who had a truce with Athens from one ten days to another, urging them to join Perdiccas in the war, which they refused to do. And the winter ended, and with it ended the sixteenth year of this war of which Thucydides is the historian.

Die Gesandten der Athener reisten dann auch nach Sizilien
ab. Die Lakedämonier und ihre Bundesgenossen außer den
Korinthern zogen in diesem Winter ins Argeiische, verheerten
einen Strich Landes und nahmen von dort auf Wagen, die
sie bei sich hatten, Getreide mit. Den vertriebenen Argeiern
wiesen sie Orneai als Wohnsitz an und ließen dort zu deren
Schutz einen kleinen Teil ihres Heeres zurück. Darnach gingen
sie, nachdem man vereinbart, daß einstweilen zwischen Argos
und Orneai keinerlei Feindseligkeiten stattfinden sollten, mit
ihrem Heere wieder nach Hause. Als jedoch bald nahcher die
Athener mit dreißig Schiffen und sechshundert Hopliten ein­
trafen, rückten die Argeier und die Athener mit dem ganzen
Heere vor Orneai und belagerten es einen Tag lang. In der
Nacht aber, wo sich das Heer unweit der Stadt gelagert hatte,
machten sich die Bewohner aus dem Staube. Als die Argeier
am Tage draus dahinterkamen, zerstörten sie Orneai. Darauf
zogen sie ab, und die Athener fuhren mit ihren Schiffen wieder
nach Hause.

Die Athener landeten mit eigener Reiterei und den zu ihnen
geflüchteten Makedonien bei Methone an der Grenze von
Makedonien und verheerten das Gebiet des Perdikkas. Die
Lakedämonier aber schickten zu den thrakischen Chalkidiern und
forderten sie auf, Perdikkas zu Hilfe zu kommen. Doch die
wollten nicht. Damit endete der Winter und das sechzehnte
Jahr des Krieges, den Thnkydides beschrieben hat.

VII. Le même hiver, les Lacédémoniens et leurs alliés, à l’exception des Corinthiens, firent une expédition contre l’Argie, ravagèrent une petite partie du pays et emportèrent du blé sur des chariots qu’ils avaient amenés. Ils établirent à Ornées les exilés d’Argos, à qui ils laissèrent quelque peu de troupes prises dans le reste de l’armée; puis ils conclurent un traité aux termes duquel les Ornéates et les Argiens devaient, pendant quelque temps, respecter mutuelle- ¹ ment leur territoire, et ils ramenèrent chez eux leur armée. Mais, les Athéniens étant arrivés peu après avec trente vaisseaux et six cents hoplites, les Argiens sortirent en masse avec eux et assiégèrent Ornées pendant un jour. La nuit suivante, pendant qu’ils bivouaquaient à distance, lesOrnéates s’échappèrent. Dès que les Argiens s’en aperçurent le lendemain, ils rasèrent Ornées et se retirèrent. Les Athéniens, de leur côté, retournèrent ensuite chez eux sur leurs vaisseaux.

Les Athéniens transportèrent aussi par mer à Méthone, sur les confins de la Macédoine, des cavaliers d’Athènes ainsi que des bannis de Macédoine qu’ils avaient accueillis, et ils ravagèrent les États de Perdiccas. Les Lacédémoniens envoyèrent chez les Chalcidiens de l’Épithrace, qui avaient une trêve de dix jours avec les Athéniens, pour les engager à unir leurs armes à celles de Perdiccas; mais ils s’y refusèrent. L’hiver finit, et, avec lui, la seizième année de cette guerre dont Thucydide a écrit l’histoire.

Le même hiver, les Lacédémoniens et leurs alliés, sauf les Corinthiens, firent une incursion en Argolide, ravagèrent une portion du territoire, et emportèrent du blé sur des chariots qu’ils avaient amenés. Ils établirent à Ornées ¹ les exilés argiens, y laissèrent des troupes, et firent une convention en vertu de laquelle les Ornéates et les Argiens devaient temporairement s’abstenir de toute agression mutuelle ; puis ils rentrèrent dans leurs foyers avec le reste de leur armée. Mais les Athéniens étant peu après survenus avec trente vaisseaux et j six cents hoplites, les Argiens en masse sortirent avec eux et assiégèrent Ornées pendant un jour. La nuit suivante, les Ornéates profitèrent de l’éloignement des campements ennemis pour s’évader. Dès le lendemain, les Argiens, s’étant aperçus de leur départ, rasèrent Ornées et firent-leur retraite. La flotte athénienne repartit également.

Les Athéniens expédièrent par mer à Méthone, sur les confins de la Macédoine ² , un corps de cavalerie composé de citoyens et d’exilés macédoniens réfugiés à Athènes. Ces troupes infestèrent le pays de Perdiccas. Les Lacédémoniens députèrent aux Chalcidéens du littoral de la Thrace, qui n’avaient avec les Athéniens qu’une trêve de dix jours ³ , pour les engager à joindre leurs armes à celles de Perdiccas; mais les Chalcidéens s’y refusèrent. Sur quoi l’hiver finit, ainsi que la seizième année de la guerre que Thucydide a racontée.

[1] Accordingly the Athenian envoys were despatched to Sicily. But during the same winter the Lacedaemonians and their allies, except the Corinthians, invaded the Argive territory, ravaged a small part of the land and carried off some corn in wagons which they had brought with them; then having settled the Argive fugitives at Orneae, leaving with them also a small body of troops, after they had made a truce for a certain time, on condition that the Orneates and Argives were not to injure one another's land, they went home with the rest of their force.

[2] When the Athenians came not long afterwards with thirty ships and six hundred hoplites, the Argives, in company with the Athenians, went out in full force and besieged the garrison at Orneae for a single day; but under cover of night, when the besieging army had bivouacked at a distance, the garrison of Orneae escaped.

[3] The next day the Argives, on learning this, razed Orneae to the ground and withdrew, and later the Athenians also went home with their ships.
  The Athenians also conveyed by sea some of their own cavalry and the Macedonian exiles that were with them to Methone, which borders on Macedonia, and ravaged the country of Perdiccas.

[4] And the Lacedaemonians sent to the Chalcidians in Thrace, who were observing a truce renewable every ten days with the Athenians, and urged them to join Perdiccas in the war; but they were unwilling. So the winter ended, and with it the sixteenth year of this war of which Thucydides wrote the history.

[1] The ambassadors of the Athenians, then, were thus sent to Sicily. The same winter, the Lacedaemonians and their allies, except the Corinthians, having made an expedition into the Argive territory, ravaged a small part of the land, and took some yokes of oxen, and carried off some corn. They also settled the Argive exiles at Orneae; and having left them a few men from the rest of their forces also, and made a truce for some time, on condition of the Orneatae and the Argives not injuring each other's land, they returned home with their army.

[2] But the Athenians having come no long time after with thirty ships and six hundred heavy—armed, the Argives, in conjunction with the Athenians, taking the field with all their force, besieged the men in Orneae one day; but at night, the army having bivouacked at some distance, they escaped out of it. The next day, the Argives, on finding this, razed Orneae and returned, and the Athenians afterwards went home with their ships.

[3] Moreover, the Athenians took by sea some of their own cavalry, and the Macedonian exiles who were with them, to Methone, the country bordering on Macedonia, and ravaged the territory of Perdiccas.

[4] The Lacedaemonian. therefore sent to the Chalcidians Thrace-ward, who had a truce with the Athenians from one ten days to another, and urged then to join Perdiccas in the war; but they would not. And so the winter ended, and the sixteenth year of this war, of which Thucydides wrote the history.

[1] Et legati quidem Atheniensium in Siciliam missi sunt; Lacedaemonii vero eadem hieme eorumque socii praeter Corinthios cum exercitu in agrum Argivum profecti non magnam agri pariem vastarunt, et frumenti aliquid abs-portarunt plaustris secum adductis, et Argivos exsules Orneis collocarunt, et paucos ex reliquo exercitu apud eos reliquerunt, initisque foederibus ad certum tempus, ut per id Omeatae et Argivi se invicem non laederent, cum reliquis copiis domum redierunt.

[2] Quum autem non multo post Athenienses cum triginta navibus et sexcentis gravis armaturae militibus venissent, Argivi cum Atheniensibus, universo suorum exercitu educto, unum quidem diem Orneas oppugnabant; sed sub noctem quum procul castra haberent, ii qui Orneis erant, illinc effugerunt. Quod ubi sensere postero die Argivi, Orneis eolo aequitatis redierunt, et mox Athenienses etiam cum classe domum reverterunt.

[3] Atque Methonen etiam Macedoniae finitimam quum equites mari transportassent partim ex suis partim ea Macedonibus apud se exsulantibus, Perdiccae terram maleficiis infestabant.

[4] Lacedaemonii vero missis nunciis ad Chalcidenses in Thracia incolentes, qui decem dierum inducias cum Atheniensibus habebant*, eos suis auxiliis Perdiccam in bello adjuvare jubebant; at illi nolebant. Atque Iure hiems finiebatur et hujus belli, quod Thucydides conscripsit, decimus sextus annus finiebatur.

Furono infatti spediti in Sicilia i legati. Nel medesimo inverno i Lacedemoni e i confederati, tranne i Corintii, portarono guerra sul territorio argivo , ne devastarono iuta piccola porzione , e dopo aver portato via del frumento su dei carri che avevano condotti, diedero stanza in Omea a’fuorusciti d’Argo, ai quali lasciarono del resto dell’esercito poche genti. Quindi per un certo tempo fermata tregua , per la quale gli Orneati e gli Argivi non « molesterebbero, tornarono coll’esercito a casa. Ma poco dipoi venuti gli Ateniesi con trenta navi e seicento soldati di grave armatura, gli Argivi insieme con essi uscirono ad oste con tutte le milizie ; e per un intero giorno stettero assaltando quelli che erano in Ornea : e sulla notte avendo discostato l’esercito per trovare alloggiamento , quei di Ornea fuggirono. Il dì seguente gli Argivi visto ciò spianarono Oruea e si ritirarono ; e gli Ateniesi anch’essi tornarono poi eolie navi a casa. In Metona, sulle frontiere di Macedonia, furono per mare spediti dagli Ateniesi alcuni dei propri soldati a cavallo, insieme coi fuorusciti macedoni che si erano rifugiati tra loro ; e di là danneggiavano gli stati di Perdicca. E i Lacedemoni mandarono ai Calcidesi di Tracia, che aveano tregua per dieci giorni con gli Ateniesi, che unissero le loro armi con Perdicca, lo che non vollero fare. Finiva intanto l' inverno, e con esso il sedicesimo anno di questa guerra che ha descritta Tucidide.