Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.93

[1] Thus spake Alcibiades. And the Lacedaemonians, though before this they had a purpose of their own accord to send an army against Athens but had delayed and neglected it, yet when these particularly were delivered by him, they were a great deal the more confirmed in the same, conceiving that what they had heard was from one that evidently knew it.

[2] Insomuch as they had set their minds already upon the fortifying of Deceleia and upon the sending of some succours into Sicily for the present. And having assigned Gylippus, the son of Cleandridas, unto the Syracusian ambassadors for chief commander, they willed him to consider, both with them and the Corinthians, how best for their present means and with greatest speed some help might be conveyed unto them in Sicily.

[3] He thereupon appointed the Corinthians to send him two galleys presently to Asine, and to furnish the rest they meant to send, and to have them ready to sail when occasion should serve.

[4] This agreed upon, they departed from Lacedaemon. In the meantime the galley arrived at Athens which the generals sent home for money and horsemen. And the Athenians, upon hearing, decreed to send both provision and horsemen to the army. So the winter ended, and the seventeenth year of this war written by Thucydides.

[1] Such were the words of Alcibiades. The Lacedaemonians, who had themselves before intended to march against Athens , but were still waiting and looking about them, at once became much more in earnest when they received this particular information from Alcibiades, and considered that they had heard it from the man who best knew the truth of the matter.

[2] Accordingly they now turned their attention to the fortifying of Decelea and sending immediate aid to the Sicilians; and naming Gylippus, son of Cleandridas, to the command of the Syracusans, bade him consult with that people and with the Corinthians and arrange for succors reaching the island, in the best and speediest way possible under the circumstances.

[3] Gylippus desired the Corinthians to send him at once two ships to Asine , and to prepare the rest that they intended to send, and to have them ready to sail at the proper time. Having settled this, the envoys departed from Lacedaemon .

[4] In the meantime arrived the Athenian galley from Sicily sent by the generals for money and cavalry; and the Athenians, after hearing what they wanted, voted to send the supplies for the armament and the cavalry. And the winter ended, and with it ended the seventeenth year of the present war of which Thucydides is the historian.

So Alkibiades. Die Lakedämonier, welche selbst schon
länger einen Zug nach Attika im Sinne gehabt, ihn aber
bisher noch nicht beschlossen, sondern immer noch hinaus-
geschoben hatten, wurden jetzt, nachdem er, der ihrer Meinung
nach am besten Bescheid wußte, ihnen das alles auseinander­
gesetzt hatte, in ihrer Absicht vollends bestärkt. Sie entschlossen
sich also nunmehr, Dekeleia zu befestigen, und ließen sofort
ein kleines Geschwader zur Unterstützung der Syrakuser nach
Sizilien abgehen. GylippoS, KleandridaS' Sohn, aber gaben sie
ihnen als Feldherrn und befahlen ihm, sich mit ihnen und
den Korinthern zu benehmen und alles zu tun, wodurch die
Sache der dortigen Griechen den Umständen nach am schnellsten
und wirksamsten gefördert werden könne, und dieser forderte
nun die Korinther auf, ihm sogleich zwei Schiffe nach Asine
zu schicken, auch die übrigen, die sie noch weiter stellen wollten,
bereit zu halten, um rechtzeitig in See gehen zu können.
Nachdem sie das glücklich zuwege gebracht hatten, reisten die
Gesandten der Syrakuser aus Lakedämon wieder ab.

Unterdessen kam auch die athenische Triere, welche die Feld­
herren abgesandt hatten, um sich Geld und Reiter auszubitten,
aus Sizilien an, worauf die Athener beschlossen, ihnen die
Reiter und den Sold für die Truppen zu schicken. Damit
endete der Winter und das siebzehnte Jahr des Krieges, den
Thukydides beschrieben hat.

XCIII. Ainsi parla Alcibiade. Les Lacédémoniens avaient déjà songé eux-mêmes à une expédition contre Athènes, mais ils hésitaient encore et temporisaient. Losqu’ils eurent entendu tous ces détails de la bouche d’un homme qu’ils croyaient parfaitement renseigné, ils se confirmèrent dans leurs desseins, et songèrent dès lors à fortifier Décélie et à envoyer immédiatement quelques secours en Sicile, Gylippos, fils de Cléandri- ¹ das, fut désigné pour prendre le commandement des Syracusains, avec mission de se concerter avec eux et les Corinthiens pour faire parvenir à Syracuse les secours les plus efficaces et les plus prompts possibles dans la circonstance. Gylippos demanda aux Corinthiens de lui expédier sur-le-champ deux vaisseaux à Asiné, d’équiper tous ceux qu’ils avaient l’intention d’envoyer, et de se tenir prêts à mettre à la voile quand il en serait temps. Ces mesures arrêtées, les ambassadeurs quittèrent Lacédémone.

La trirème expédiée de Sicile par les généraux, pour réclamer de l’argent et de la cavalerie, arriva à Athènes. Les Athéniens, sur cette demande, décrétèrent l’envoi de subsistances et de cavalerie pour l’armée. Avec l’hiver finit la dix-septième année de cette guerre dont Thucydide a écrit l’histoire.

Tel fut le discours d’Alcibiade. Les Lacédémoniens avaient déjà pensé à faire une expédition contre Athènes; mais ils différaient et hésitaient encore. Lorsqu’ils eurent entendu ces détails de la bouche de l’homme qu’ils regardaient comme le mieux informé, leur ardeur s’enflamma ; ils ne songèrent plus qu’à fortifier Décélie et à faire passer immédiatement des secours en Sicile. Gylippe, fils de Cléandridas, fut désigné pour aller prendre le commandement des Syracusains. Il eut ordre de s’entendre avec leurs députés et avec ceux de Corinthe, afin de diriger au plus tôt sur la Sicile toutes les troupes qu’on pourrait réunir. Gylippe demanda aux Corinthiens de lui envoyer sur-le-champ deux vaisseaux à Asiné et d’équiper les navires qu’ils voudraient y ajouter, de manière à ce qu’ils fussent prêts à partir au premier jour. Ces mesures prises, les députés quittèrent Lacédémone.

Sur ces entrefaites, arriva de Sicile à Athènes la trirème que les généraux avaient expédiée pour demander de l'argent et des cavaliers. Les Athéniens votèrent ces deux demandes. Là-dessus l’hiver fut fini, ainsi que la dix-septième année de la guerre que Thucydide a racontée.

[1] Such was the speech of Alcibiades; and the Lacedaemonians, who had already before this been disposed to make an expedition against Athens, but were still hesitating and looking about them, were now far more encouraged when Alcibiades himself explained these matters in detail, thinking that they had heard them from the one man who had most certain knowledge.

[2] And so they now turned their attention to the fortification of Deceleia and, in particular, to sending immediately some assistance to the Sicilians. Having appointed Gylippus son of Cleandridas commander of the Syracusan forces, they ordered him, in consultation with the envoys of the Syracusans and Corinthians, to devise how under present circumstances help might come to the Syracusans in the best and quickest way.

[3] And Gylippus bade the Corinthians send to him at once at Asine ¹ two ships, and to equip all the rest they intended to send, and to be ready to sail whenever opportunity offered.

[4] Having made these arrangements the envoys left Lacedaemon and set out for home.
  At this time also there arrived at Athens from Sicily the trireme that had been sent by the generals for money and cavalry. And the Athenians, hearing their request, voted to send to the army both the supplies and the cavalry. And the winter ended, and with it the seventeenth year of this war of which Thucydides wrote the history.

[1] Such was the address of Alcibiades. The Lacedaemonians, who of themselves were previously intending to make an expedition against Athens, but were still acting with delay and circumspection, were far more determined, when he had informed them of these several particulars, and when they considered that they had heard them from the man who had most certain knowledge of them.

[2] So that they now turned their thoughts to the fortification of Decelea, and to immediately sending some assistance to the Sicilians. Having appointed therefore Clearidas to the command of the Syracusans, they instructed him to deliberate with that people and the Corinthians, and to provide for succours reaching them on as large a scale, and with as much speed, as present circumstances permitted.

[3] Accordingly he desired the Corinthians to send him at once two ships to Asine, and to let the rest, as many as they purposed sending, be equipped and in readiness to sail, when the proper time came.

[4] Having arranged these points, they returned from Lacedaemon.

Now, too, arrived the Athenian trireme from Sicily, which the generals had sent for money and cavalry. And when the Athenians had heard their request, they resolved to send both the supplies for their armament and the cavalry. And so the winter ended, and the seventeenth year of this war, of which Thucydides wrote the history.

[1] Alcibiades quidem haec dixit; Lacedaemonii vero quum et ipsi jam antea bellum Athenis inferre cogitarent, sed adhuc cunctarentur et occasionem observarent, tunc multo magis confirmati sunt, postquam ille haec singula docuit, quod existimarent, se audisse ab eo, qui planissime nosset;

[2] quamobrem animum jam advertebant ad muniendam Deceleam, et in praesenti etiam ad Siculos, ut iis aliquod auxilium mitterent. Et Gylippum, Cleandridae filium, Syracusanis ducem assignatum jubebant cum illis et Corinthiis consultare operamque dare, ut pro praesenti rerum facultate certissime et celerrime aliquod auxilium Siculis mitteretur.

[3] Ille vero Corinthiis imperabat, ut duas quidem naves jam tum Asinen ad se mitterent, reliquas vero praepararent, quascumque mittere destinarent, utque, quum tempus adesset, ad navigandum essent paratae. His autem constitutis discedebant Lacedaemone.

[4] Atheniensium etiam triremis, quam duces ad pecunias et equites adducendos miserant, Athenas ex Sicilia pervenit. Athenienses vero, quum postulata audissent, et commeatum et equitatum exercitui mittere decreverunt. Atque haec hiems finiebatur, et hujus belli, quod Thucydides conscripsit, decimus septimus annus finiebatur.

Così parlò Alcibiade. E i Lacedemoni che anch’essi di prima aveano il pensiero di militar contro Atene, e che per circospezione tuttora indugiavano, viemaggiormente ne restarono confortati per gl' insegnamenti di lui sopra ciascuna cosa, stimando averli uditi da tale che ne era ottimo conoscitore. Cosicché applicarono subito Ianimo a munire Decelia, ed a mandar tostamente qualche soccorso a quei di Sicilia. Ed avendo destinato a capitano de’Siracusani Gilippo di Cleandrida gli commisero che consigliandosi con essi e co? Corintii oprasse sì che quelli di là avessero il più vigoroso e sollecito aiuto, secondo che il comportavano i tempi presenti. Chiese Gilippo a’Corintii che immantinente gli mandassero due navi ad Asine e preparassero tutte le altre che pensavano di spedire, e che all’occasione le avessero pronte a navigare. Ed ossi convenutisi di queste cose partirono da Sparta. Intanto giunse di Sicilia in Atene la trireme spedita dai generali per denari e cavalli. Gli Ateniesi, udite le diniande, decretarono di mandar nutrimento e cavalieri all’ esercito ; e così compievasi l’inverno e l' anno decimosettimo di questa guerra che Tucidide ha descrìtto.