Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.78

[1] About the same time also, the soldiers of the Peloponnesian fleet at Miletus murmured amongst themselves that Astyochus and Tissaphernes overthrew the state of their affairs. Astyochus in refusing to fight, both before, when their own fleet was stronger and that of the Athenians but small, and also now, whilst they were said to be in sedition and their fleet divided; and in expecting the Phoenician fleet, in fame, not in fact to come from Tissaphernes; and Tissaphernes, in that he not only brought not in that fleet of his but also impaired theirs by not giving them their pay, neither fully nor continually; and that they therefore ought no longer to delay time, but to hazard battle. This was urged principally by the Syracusians.

[1] About this time a cry arose among the soldiers in the Peloponnesian fleet at Miletus that Astyochus and Tissaphernes were ruining their cause. Astyochus had not been willing to fight at sea—either before, while they were still in full vigour and the fleet of the Athenians small, or now, when the enemy was, as they were informed, in a state of sedition and his ships not yet united—but kept them waiting for the Phoenician fleet from Tissaphernes, which had only a nominal existence, at the risk of wasting away in inactivity. While Tissaphernes not only did not bring up the fleet in question, but was ruining their navy by payments made irregularly, and even then not made in full. They must therefore, they insisted, delay no longer, but fight a decisive naval engagement. The Syracusans were the most urgent of any.

Um die Zeit herrschte unter der Mannschaft der pelo­
ponnesischen Flotte bei Milet lebhafte Unzufriedenheit darüber,
daß es unter Astyochos und Tissaphernes mit ihnen beständig
rückwärts ginge. Schon früher, als sie selbst noch stärker und
die athenische Flotte nur klein gewesen, habe Astyochos sich auf
keine Schlacht eingelassen, und auch jetzt, wo die Athener dem
Vernehmen nach unter sich in Streit lägen und ihre Flotte
noch nicht beisammen hätten, könne er sich dazu nicht entschließen.
Statt dessen warte man auf Tissaphernes' phönizische Schiffe,
die nur dem Namen nach, in Wirklichkeit aber nicht vorhanden
seien, und taufe Gefahr, schließlich gar völlig vernichtet zu
werden. Tissaphernes aber lasse nicht nur die Schiffe nicht
kommen, sondern schädige auch die Flotte dadurch, daß er den
Sold nur unregelmäßig und unvollständig zahle. Man dürfe
also nicht länger warten, sondern müsse eine Schlacht wagen.
Und vor allem waren es die Syrakuser, welche darauf drangen.

LXXVIII. Vers la même époque, les soldats péloponnésiens qui montaient la flotte de Milet se plaignaient hautement entre eux de ce qu’Astyochos et Tissaphernes ruinaient leurs affaires : ils accusaient le premier de n’avoir pas voulu livrer précédemment un combat naval, quand leur flotte avait encore toute sa supériorité et que celle des Athéniens était peu nombreuse; de différer maintenant encore, au moment où l’ennemi était, disait-on, en proie aux séditions et n’avait pas réuni toutes ses forces navales sur le même point; d’attendre vainement la flotte phénicienne, qui n’était qu’un mot sans réalité; enfin d’exposer l’armée à se consumer dans ces lenteurs. Ils reprochaient à Tissaphernes de ne pas amener la flotte promise, de ruiner, au contraire, leur propre marine en ne fournissant ni régulièrement ni intégralement le subside. Il fallait donc, disaient-ils, couper court à tout nouveau retard et livrer un combat naval. Les Syracusains surtout les y excitaient.

A cette même époque , les Péloponésiens de l’armée de Milet murmuraient tout haut contre Astyochos et Tissapherne qui, disaient-ils, ruinaient leurs affaires. Ils accusaient le premier de s’être refusé à livrer un combat naval, lorsque leur flotte était au grand complet et celle des Athéniens peu nombreuse ; de différer maintenant encore, quoique l’ennemi fût en dissension et n’eût pas concentré tous ses moyens; d’attendre indéfiniment, et au risque de tout compromettre, la flotte phénicienne, dont on parlait toujours et qui ne paraissait jamais. A Tissapherne ils reprochaient de ne point amener cette flotte et de paralyser leur marine en ne fournissant la solde ni régulièrement ni en son entier. Il fallait, selon eux, ne pas rester plus longtemps dans l’inaction, mais livrer une bataille décisive. Les Syracusains surtout se montraient exaspérés.

[1] About this time the Peloponnesian soldiers in the fleet at Miletus were clamouring among themselves, saying that their cause was being ruined by Astyochus and Tissaphernes; by the former because he was unwilling to fight, either before this while they themselves were still the stronger and the Athenian fleet was small, or now when the enemy were said to be rent with factions and their ships had not yet been brought together; nay, they kept waiting for the Phoenician ships which Tissaphernes was to furnish—a mere pretence and not a fact—and thus ran the risk of being worn out by delay; as for Tissaphernes, on the other hand, he was not only not producing these ships, but he was even doing harm to the fleet by not giving it maintenance regularly or in full. Therefore, they said, they ought to wait no longer but should fight to an issue. In all this it was the Syracusans who were most insistent.

[1] About this time also the soldiers in the Peloponnesian fleet at Miletus were raising a clamour amongst themselves, about their cause being ruined by Astyochus and Tissaphernes. For Astyochus, they said, would neither fight before, while they themselves were still the stronger, and the Athenian fleet was small, nor would he now, when the enemy were said to be in a state of sedition, and their ships were not yet brought together; but they would run the risk of being worn out by delay, while waiting for the Phoenician fleet—an idle pretence, and not a reality. And Tissaphernes, on the other hand, did not bring up this fleet, and at the same time injured their own navy by not giving them supplies regularly, or to the full amount. They ought therefore to wait no longer, but to come to a decisive engagement at sea. It was the Syracusans that most especially urged this.

[1] Per idem autem tempus et illi classiarii Peloponnesiorum milites, qui Mileti erant, voces inter se spargebant, res suas ab Aslyocho et Tissapherne perdi, quod ille quidem nec antea navale prudium committere voluisset, donec adhuc et ipsi vires majores haberent, et Atheniensium classis parva esset, neque nunc vellet, dum illi seditione laborare dicerentur, necdum omnes eorum naves in eodem loco essent; sed se ipsos Phoenissas naves a Tissapherne expcclando, nomen inane et non rem certam, in periculum venturos, ne plane mora perderentur; Tissaphernem vero et naves istas non adducere, et stipendium nec assidue nec integrum persolvendo rem navalem perditum ire. Non igitur diutius cunctandum dicebant , sed navali proelio dimicandum esse. Et praecipue Syracusani instigabant.

In questo tempo medesimo i soldati in sulla flotta dei Peloponnesi a Mileto vociferavano tra loro che Astioco e Tissaferne rovinavano gli affari. Dicevano che Astioco per l’innanzi, quando essi erano in forze maggiori e l’armata ateniese in piccol numero avea schivato la battaglia navale, ed ora pur la schivava mentre si sentiva i uemici essere in sedizione , e le navi loro non per anche riunite ; e che intanto coU;aspeltar senza prò le navi fenicie promesse da Tissaferne (che dava parole e non fatti ), si andava incontro alpcricolodi trovarsi al tutto rovinati ; che Tissaferne poi non conduceva le navi promesse e danneggiava la flotta, non dando puntualmente ed interamente le paghe. Laonde concludevano non doversi più indugiare, ma venire a decisiva battaglia per mare; e più di tutti insistevano i Siracusani.