Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.68

[1] Against such confusion, therefore, and against the fortune of our greatest enemies now betraying itself into our hands, let us fight with anger, and with an opinion not only that it is most lawful to fulfil our hearts' desire upon those our enemies that justified their coming hither as a righting of themselves against an assailant, but also that to be revenged on an enemy is both most natural and, as is most commonly said, the sweetest thing in the world.

[2] And that they are our enemies, and our greatest enemies, you all well enough know, seeing them come hither into our dominion to bring us into servitude. Wherein if they had sped, they had put the men to the greatest tortures, the women and children to the greatest dishonesty, and the whole city to the most ignominious name in the world.

[3] In regard whereof, it is not fit that any of you should be so tender as to think it gain if they go away without putting you to further danger; for so they mean to do, though they get the victory; but effecting (as it is likely we shall) what we intend, both to be revenged of these and to deliver unto all Sicily their liberty, which they enjoyed before but now is more assured. Honourable is that combat and rare are those hazards wherein the failing bringeth little loss and the success a great deal of profit.

[1] The fortune of our greatest enemies having thus betrayed itself, and their disorder being what I have described, let us engage in anger, convinced that, as between adversaries, nothing is more legitimate than to claim to sate the whole wrath of one's soul in punishing the aggressor, and nothing more sweet, as the proverb has it, than the vengeance upon an enemy, which it will now be ours to take.

[2] That enemies they are and mortal enemies you all know, since they came here to enslave our country, and if successful had in reserve for our men all that is most dreadful, and for our children and wives all that is most dishonorable, and for the whole city the name which conveys the greatest reproach.

[3] None should therefore relent or think it gain if they go away without further danger to us. This they will do just the same, even if they get the victory; while if we succeed, as we may expect, in chastising them, and in handing down to all Sicily her ancient freedom strengthened and confirmed, we shall have achieved no mean triumph. And the rarest dangers are those in which failure brings little loss and success the greatest advantage.’

„Diesen also erschütterten und an ihrem Glück verzweifeln­
den Erzfeinden wollen wir nun nach Herzenslust zu Leibe gehen
und daran denken, daß wir nicht nur volles Recht haben, unsern
Mut an ihnen zu kühlen und sie für ihren ruchlosen Angriff
zu bestrafen, sondern jetzt auch in der Lage sind, uns an unseren
Feinden zu rächen, und daß, wie es im Sprichwort heißt, die
Rache süß ist. Daß sie unsere Feinde, unsere bösesten Feinde
sind, wißt ihr alle. Sind sie uns doch ins Land gekommen,
um uns zu unterjochen, und wenn ihnen das gelungen, so
würden sie den Männern grausam zugesetzt, Weiber und Kinder
schandbar mißhandelt und der ganzen Stadt Schimpf und
Schande angetan haben. Deshalb darf man nicht aus Mit­
leid den Großmütigen gegen sie spielen oder etwa glauben, es
wäre das beste, sie unbehelligt abziehen zu lassen. Das werden
sie schon sowieso tun, auch wenn sie uns besiegt haben. Nur
wenn wir unsere Absicht redlich ausführen, sie bestrafen und
ganz Sizilien zu der Freiheit, deren es sich früher erfreute,
verhelfen und sie fester begründen, werden wir mit Ehren aus
diesem Kampfe hervorgehen. Auch ist man nur selten in der
glücklichen Lage, unter Umständen zu schlagen, wo eine Nieder­
lage so wenig ausmachen würde, ein Sieg aber die größten
Vorteile verspricht."

LXVIII. « Jetons-nous donc avec colère au milieu de ce désordre, sur ces ennemis acharnés, dont la fortune se livre d’elle-même à nous; songeons que rien n’est plus légitime que de vouloir satisfaire son ressentiment sur un adversaire, en représailles de ses attaques; que rien en même temps n’est plus doux, le proverbe le dit, que de se venger d’un ennemi, comme nous allons pouvoir le faire. Ce sont des ennemis, vous le savez tous, et des ennemis acharnés, eux qui sont venus dans notre pays pour l’asservir, et qui, s’ils eussent réussi, auraient imposé aux hommes les plus cruels traitements, aux enfants et aux femmes le comble de l’ignominie, à la république entière le plus honteux de tous les noms ¹ . Vengez-vous donc; que personne ne mollisse, et croyez n’avoir rien gagné, s’ils font impunément leur retraite; car, même vainqueurs, ils ne veulent pas autre chose. Mais atteindre, comme tout nous le promet, le but de nos espérances, châtier ² nos ennemis, donner à la Sicile, en possession déjà de la liberté, une liberté mieux assurée, voilà une vietoire vraiment belle. Quant aux risques, c’est ici une de ces occasions bien rares, où l’on a peu à perdre en cas de revers, tout à gagner si l’on réussit. »

« En présence d’une désorganisation si complète et d’une fortune qui livre en nos mains nos implacables ennemis, fondons sur eux avec furie. Rien n’est plus légitime que de punir d’injustes agresseurs, et, comme on dit, rien n'est plus doux i. savourer que la vengeance.

« Qu’ils soient nos ennemis et nos ennemis acharnés, c’est ce que vous savez de reste. Ils sont venus dans notre pays pour l’asservir ; s’ils avaient réussi, ils auraient infligé aux Ii o mm es les traitements les plus cruels, aux enfants et aux femmes les plus sanglants outrages, à la ville entière le plus infâme de tous les noms. Aussi, que nul de vous ne faiblisse et ne croie avoir gagné quelque chose en les laissant partir impunément. C’est tout ce qu’ils désirent, fussent-ils vainqueurs. Mais les traiter comme ils le méritent, les punir et assurer à la Sicile son antique liberté, voilà un glorieux prix du combat. Elles sont bien rares les occasions oùla défaite est peu à redouter, et où l’on a tout à gagner par la victoire. »

[1] “Against a disorderly array like this, therefore, and against the fortune of our bitterest foes that has surrendered itself into our hands, let us give battle with fury; and let us consider that against enemies it is a most lawful act if for the punishment of the aggressor anyone thinks fit to glut his heart's animosity; and again, that vengeance on foes will be within our power—and that, as the proverb has it, is of all things the sweetest.

[2] And that they are enemies, and the worst of enemies, you all know; since they came against our land to enslave it, and, if they had succeeded in that, would have inflicted upon our men all that is most painful, upon our women and children the worst indignities, and upon the city as a whole the most shameful of appellations. ¹

[3] Wherefore it is fitting that no one of us should be soft-hearted, or count it a gain that they should depart without risk to us. For this, even if they win the victory, they will do all the same; whereas if we accomplish, as it is likely we shall, that which we wish—that these men be punished, and that we hand over to Sicily, which enjoyed it before, a liberty still more secure— how glorious the prize! And of all hazards those are rarest which harm least in consequence of failure but benefit most because of success.”

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[1] « Adversus igitur talem confusionem et infestissimorum bominum fortunam, quae se ipsam tradidit, iratis animis contendentes pugnam conseramus, et existimemus, simul quidem aequissimum esse in adversarios, si qui in ulciscendo nimirum eo, qui se invaserit, jure se suo putent animi iram saturare, simul vero etiam penes nos futurum inimicos propulsare, quod vel etiam proverbio dicitur suavissimum esse.

[2] Inimicos autem illos atque adeo inimicissimos esse, omnes nostis, si quidem in nostram regionem nos in servitutem redacturi venerunt, quam rem si feliciter gessissent, viros quidem acerbissimis cruciatibus, liberos vero et uxores summa turpitudine affecissent, universam vero rempublicam turpissima cognomenti infamia.

[3] Quibus pro rebus neminem rem molliter gerere decet, neque pro lucro ducere, si illi sine nostro periculo abeant. . Hoc enim etiam si vicerint, non minus facient; si vero gestis, ut par est, rebus iis, quas volumus, et isti puniantur, et universae Siciliae libertatem, qua prius etiam fruebatur, firmiorem tradamus, hoc vero praeclarum certamen est. Atque ea pericula sunt rarissima, quae, si offendas, minimum damnum, si rem feliciter geras, maximas utilitates afferant. »

« Azzuffiamoci adunque animosamente come c’invita siffatto disordine e la fortuna di uomini nimicissiini che spontanea si è posta nelle mani nostre ; e pensiamo che non solo é atto legittimissimo il saziare lo sdegno dell’animo contro avversari che a propria giustificazione alleghino d'esser venuti a punir l' aggressore ; ma che anche sta in poter nostro quella che comunemente dicesi la più dolce delle cose , la vendetta de’ nemici. Che gli Ateniesi ci sieno nemici e nemici mortali voi tutti il sapete , poiché son venuti per fare schiavo il paese nostro ; e se vi fossero riusciti, arebber martoriato crudelmente gli uomini, svergognati i figli e le donne, e posto a tutta la città la più turpe denominazione. Il perché non deve chicchessia allenirsi, né reputar guadagno la loro partita senza nostro pericolo, che certo partiranno egualmente ancor che vincano. Bella impresa sarà per noi (recando ad effetto, come è da credere, i nostri disegni) il punir costoro, e rendere a tutta quanta la Sicilia più stabile quella libertà che anche prima godeva ; e rarissimi son quei cimenti che avendo cattivo esito arrechino piccolissimi danni ; e sortendo buon fine, vantaggi grandissimi ».