Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.12

[1] When Alcibiades saw this, he dealt with Endius and the rest of the ephores again not to fear the voyage, alleging that they would [make haste, and] be there before the Chians should have heard of the misfortune of the fleet, and that as soon as he should arrive in Ionia himself, he could easily make the cities there to revolt by declaring unto them the weakness of the Athenians and the diligence of the Lacedaemonians, wherein he should be thought more worthy to be believed than any other.

[2] Moreover to Endius he said that it would be an honour in particular to him that Ionia should revolt and the king be made confederate to the Lacedaemonians by his own means, and not to have it the mastery of Agis;

[3] for he was at difference with Agis. So having prevailed with Endius and the other ephores, he took sea with five galleys, together with Chalcideus of Lacedaemon, and made haste.

[1] Perceiving this, Alcibiades again persuaded Endius and the other Ephors to persevere in the expedition, saying that the voyage would be made before the Chians heard of the fleet's misfortune, and that as soon as he set foot in Ionia , he should, by assuring them of the weakness of the Athenians and the zeal of Lacedaemon , have no difficulty in persuading the cities to revolt, as they would readily believe his testimony.

[2] He also represented to Endius himself in private that it would be glorious for him to be the means of making Ionia revolt and the king become the ally of Lacedaemon , instead of that honour being left to Agis

[3] (Agis, it must be remembered, was the enemy of Alcibiades); and Endius and his colleagues thus persuaded, he put to sea with the five ships and the Lacedaemonian Chalcideus, and made all haste upon the voyage.

Als Alkibiades das erfuhr, redete er Endios und den
übrigen Ephoren auch jetzt wieder zu, den Zug nur unbedenk­
lich zu unternehmen, indem er ihnen vorstellte, daß ihre Schiffe
in Chios ankommen würden, bevor das Mißgeschick der Flotte
dort bekannt geworden sei, und daß es ihm selbst nach der
Landung in Ionien ein leichtes sein würde, die Städte zum
Abfall zu bewegen, wenn er ihnen die Schwäche der Athener
und den Eifer der Lakedämonier schildere, was man ihm eher
als jedem anderen glauben würde. Endios selbst aber gab
er noch unter vier Augen zu bedenken, wie rühmlich es für ihn
sein würde, mit seiner Hilfe den Abfall Ioniens zu bewirken und
ein Bündnis des Königs mit den Lakedämoniern zustande zu
bringen und diese Ehre nicht Agis zu überlassen. Er selbst war
nämlich damals mit Agis persönlich verfeindet. Nachdem er
Endios und die übrigen Ephoren zu seiner Ansicht bekehrt hatte,
machte er sich mit dem Lakedämonier Chalkideus und den fünf
Schiffen auf die Fahrt, die dann auch rasch vonstatten ging.

XII. Alcibiade, voyant ces dispositions, persuada de nouveau à Eudios et aux autres éphores de ne pas reculer devant l’expédition : il leur dit qu’on aborderait à Chio avant que le désastre de la flotte y fût connu; que, pour lui, une fois en lonie, il entraînerait facilement les villes à la défection en leur représentant la faiblesse d’Athènes et les dispositions guerrières des Lacédémoniens; car on le croirait bien mieux qu’aucun autre. Il insinua en particulier à Eudios qu’il serait beau pour lui d’être le promoteur du soulèvement de l’Ionie et d’une alliance entre le Roi et Lacédémone; qu’il ne fallait pas laisser à Agis un pareil avantage. Alcibiade était mal avec Agis. — Il entraîna Eudios et les autres éphores. Les cinq vaisseaux commandés par le Lacédémonien Chalcidéus mirent en mer avec lui, et firent toute diligence.

Témoin de ces fluctuations, Alcibiade persuada de nouveau à Endios et aux autres éphores de ne pas renoncer à l’expédition. Il leur dit qu’on avait le temps d’arriver avant que la mésaventure de la flotte fût connue à Chios ; qu’une fois en Ionie, il n’aurait pas de peine à déterminer les villes à la révolte par le tableau qu’il leur ferait de la faiblesse d’Athènes et de l’ardeur des Lacédémoniens ; que sur ce point on le croirait mieux que personne. A Endios en particulier il représentait qu'il serait glorieux pour lui d’attacher son nom au soulèvement de l’Ionie et à l’alliance du roi avec les Lacédémoniens ; qu’il ne devait pas laisser cueillir cette palme à Agis, avec lequel il était brouillé. Alcibiade, ayant réussi à le convaincre lui et les autres éphores, partit avec les cinq vaisseaux et le Lacédémonien Chalcidéus. Ils firent promptement la traversée.

[1] Now when Alcibiades learned of this, he again urged Endius and the other ephors not to shrink from the expedition, saying that their fleet would have completed the voyage before the Chians could hear of the disaster to their ships, and that he himself, when he reached Ionia, would easily persuade the cities to revolt by telling them of the weakness of the Athenians and the zeal of the Lacedaemonians; for he would be more readily believed than others.

[2] And to Endius he said privately that it would be an honour for him, through the agency of Alcibiades, to cause Ionia to revolt and to make the King an ally to the Lacedaemonians, urging him not to let this become the achievement of Agis;

[3] for he happened himself to be at variance with Agis. ¹ So having persuaded Endius and the other ephors, he put to sea with the five ships in company with Chalcideus the Lacedaemonian, and they made the voyage with all speed.

[1] When Alcibiades knew this, he again persuaded Endius and the rest of the ephors not to shrink from the expedition; telling them that they would have made their voyage before the Chians heard of the disaster which had befallen their fleet; and that he himself, when he had once reached Ionia, would easily persuade the cities to revolt, by acquainting them both with the weakness of the Athenians and the forwardness of the Lacedaemonians; for he should be thought more credible than others.

[2] To Endius himself he also represented in private, that it would be a glorious thing to have caused by his own agency the revolt of Ionia, and to have brought the king into alliance with the Lacedaemonians, instead of that honour being earned by Agis; (for with him he happened to be at variance.)

[3] He, then, having prevailed on the rest of the ephors, as well as Endius, put out to sea with the five ships, in company with Chalcideus the Lacedaemonian, and they proceeded on their voyage with all speed.

[1] Quod quum intellexisset Alcibiades, persuadet rur· sus Endio ceterisque ephoris, ne per metum a classe mittenda desisterent, dicens, se prius illuc venturos, quam Chii classis cladem sentirent, et se, ubi ad Ioniam appulisset, fecile civitatibus persuasurum, ut deficerent, et Atheniensium imbecillitatem commemorando et Lacedaemoniorum studium; majorem enim sibi, quam aliis, fidem habitum iri.

[2] Et ipsi Endio privatim dicebat, praech-ni m fore, si per ipsum et Ionia deficeret, et regis societas

Lacedaemoniis conciliaretur, nec Agidis liaec certaminis gloria esset; Agidi enim ipse erat inimicus.

[3] Hic Igitur quum et ceteris ephoris et Endio rem persuasisset» solvebat cum quinque navibus et Cbalcideo Lacedaemonio, et celeri* tate adhibita navigationis cursum faciebant.

Alcibiade inteso questo »’toma a persuadere Endio e gli altri Efori che non dovessero porsi giù dalla spedizione di quelle navi, dicendo che arriverebbero a Chio, prima che colà nulla fosse trapelato intorno alla flotta peloponnesia ; e che egli medesimo, approdato che fosse nella Ionia, di leggeri recherebbe le città a ribellarsi, col far palese la debolezza degli Ateoiesi e lo zelo dei Lacedemoni ; imperocché ad esso più che a tutta!tri daranno fede. E ad Endio in privato facea vedere come sarebbegli decoroso che la Ionia si ribellasse per opera sua, ed il re si facesse alleato dei Lacedemoni, piuttostochè lasciare questo vanto ad Agide , del quale egli era nemico. Persuasi adunque cosi gli altri Efori ed Endio, partì Alcibiade con le cinque navi« accompagnando Calcideo lacedemone ; ed affrettavano la navigazione.