Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 1.23

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Bis dahin war der Perserkrieg das wichtigste Ereignis
gewesen, und doch war in ihm schon nach je zwei Schlachten
zu Lande und zur See die Entscheidung gekommen. Dieser
Krieg dagegen hat sehr lange gedauert, und Griechenland hat
in ihm Leiden durchgemacht wie nie zuvor in einer gleichen
Spanne Zeit. Niemals waren so viele Städte erobert und
zerstört, sei es durch Barbaren, sei es durch die kriegführenden
Mächte selbst - einige von ihnen wurden auch nach ihrer
Einnahme mit anderen Einwohnern besetzt -, niemals so viel
Menschen von Haus und Hof vertrieben und entweder durch
den Krieg selbst oder in Parteikämpfen ums Leben gekommen.
Dinge, von denen man bis dahin zwar wohl gehört, aber kaum
jemals selbst was erlebt hatte, waren jetzt an der Tagesordnung.
Gewaltige Erdbeben, die sich über einen großen Teil der Erde
erstreckten, Sonnenfinsternisse, welche häufiger eintraten, als
man sich dessen von früher erinnerte, Zeiten großer Dürre mit
Hungersnot im Gefolge, vor allem aber die furchtbare Pest,
welche die Menschen so massenhaft hinraffte, das alles stellte
sich in diesem Kriege miteinander ein. Den aber begannen
die Athener und die Peloponnesier mit dem Bruch des dreißig-
jährigen Friedens, den sie nach der Unterwerfung von Euboia
miteinander geschlossen hatten. Um von vornherein der Frage
zu begegnen, wie es in Griechenland zu einem so furchtbaren
Kriege kommen konnte, führe ich zuerst die Ursachen und die
Streitigkeiten an, welche den Bruch herbeiführten. Der eigent
liche Grund, so wenig von ihm die Rede gewesen ist, war
nach meiner Überzeugung die Furcht der Lakedämonier vor der
wachsenden Macht Athens, die sie zum Kriege trieb. Die
Gründe aber, worauf sich beide Teile für den Rücktritt vom
Vertrage und den Wiederbeginn des Krieges vor der Welt
beriefen, waren folgende.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Theodor Braun (Translator). Leipzig. 1917.

Current edition First1KGreek

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs (German) (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 1.23.1 focus

[1] τῶν δὲ πρότερον ἔργων μέγιστον ἐπράχθη τὸ Μηδικόν, καὶ τοῦτο ὅμως δυοῖν ναυμαχίαιν καὶ πεζομαχίαιν ταχεῖαν τὴν κρίσιν ἔσχεν. τούτου δὲ τοῦ πολέμου μῆκός τε μέγα προύβη, παθήματά τε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ τῇ Ἑλλάδι οἷα οὐχ ἕτερα ἐν ἴσῳ χρόνῳ.

[2] οὔτε γὰρ πόλεις τοσαίδε ληφθεῖσαι ἠρημώθησαν, αἱ μὲν ὑπὸ βαρβάρων, αἱ δ’ ὑπὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν ἀντιπολεμούντων (εἰσὶ δ’ αἳ καὶ οἰκήτορας μετέβαλον ἁλισκόμεναι), οὔτε φυγαὶ τοσαίδε ἀνθρώπων καὶ φόνος, ὁ μὲν κατ’ αὐτὸν τὸν πόλεμον, ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ στασιάζειν.

[3] τά τε πρότερον ἀκοῇ μὲν λεγόμενα, ἔργῳ δὲ σπανιώτερον βεβαιούμενα οὐκ ἄπιστα κατέστη, σεισμῶν τε πέρι, οἳ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἅμα μέρος γῆς καὶ ἰσχυρότατοι οἱ αὐτοὶ ἐπέσχον, ἡλίου τε ἐκλείψεις, αἳ πυκνότεραι παρὰ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πρὶν χρόνου μνημονευόμενα ξυνέβησαν, αὐχμοί τε ἔστι παρ’ οἷς μεγάλοι καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ λιμοὶ καὶ ἡ οὐχ ἥκιστα βλάψασα καὶ μέρος τι φθείρασα ἡ λοιμώδης νόσος· ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα μετὰ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ἅμα ξυνεπέθετο.

[4] ἤρξαντο δὲ αὐτοῦ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ Πελοποννήσιοι λύσαντες τὰς τριακοντούτεις σπονδὰς αἳ αὐτοῖς ἐγένοντο μετὰ Εὐβοίας ἅλωσιν.

[5] διότι δ’ ἔλυσαν, τὰς αἰτίας προύγραψα πρῶτον καὶ τὰς διαφοράς, τοῦ μή τινα ζητῆσαί ποτε ἐξ ὅτου τοσοῦτος πόλεμος τοῖς Ἕλλησι κατέστη.

[6] τὴν μὲν γὰρ ἀληθεστάτην πρόφασιν, ἀφανεστάτην δὲ λόγῳ, τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἡγοῦμαι μεγάλους γιγνομένους καὶ φόβον παρέχοντας τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ἀναγκάσαι ἐς τὸ πολεμεῖν· αἱ δ’ ἐς τὸ φανερὸν λεγόμεναι αἰτίαι αἵδ’ ἦσαν ἑκατέρων, ἀφ’ ὧν λύσαντες τὰς σπονδὰς ἐς τὸν πόλεμον κατέστησαν.

Translations (9)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 1.23.1 focus

[1] The greatest action before this was that against the Medes; and yet that, by two battles by sea and as many by land, was soon decided. But as for this war, it both lasted long and the harm it did to Greece was such as the like in the like space had never been seen before.

[2] For neither had there ever been so many cities expugned and made desolate, what by the barbarians and what by the Greeks warring on one another (and some cities there were that when they were taken changed their inhabitants), nor so much banishing and slaughter, some by the war some by sedition, as was in this.

[3] And those things which concerning former time there went a fame of, but in fact rarely confirmed, were now made credible: as earthquakes, general to the greatest part of the world and most violent withal; eclipses of the sun oftener than is reported of any former time; great droughts in some places, and thereby famine; and that which did none of the least hurt but destroyed also its part, the plague.

[4] All these evils entered together with this war, which began from the time that the Athenians and Peloponnesians brake the league which immediately after the conquest of Euboea had been concluded between them for thirty years.

[5] The causes why they brake the same and their quarrels I have therefore set down first, because no man should be to seek from what ground so great a war amongst the Grecians could arise.

[6] And the truest quarrel, though least in speech, I conceive to be the growth of the Athenian power, which putting the Lacedaemonians into fear necessitated the war. But the causes of the breach of the league publicly voiced were these.

History of the Peloponnesian War Perseus (Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Crawley, Richard, translator. London and Toronto: J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1914.) — 1.23.1 focus

[1] The Median war, the greatest achievement of past times, yet found a speedy decision in two actions by sea and two by land. The Peloponnesian war was prolonged to an immense length, and long as it was it was short without parallel for the misfortunes that it brought upon Hellas .

[2] Never had so many cities been taken and laid desolate, here by the barbarians, here by the parties contending (the old inhabitants being sometimes removed to make room for others); never was there so much banishing and blood-shedding, now on the field of battle, now in the strife of action.

[3] Old stories of occurrences handed down by tradition, but scantily confirmed by experience, suddenly ceased to be incredible; there were earthquakes of unparalleled extent and violence; eclipses of the sun occurred with a frequency unrecorded in previous history; there were great droughts in sundry places and consequent famines, and that most calamitous and awfully fatal visitation, the plague. All this came upon them with the late war,

[4] which was begun by the Athenians and Peloponnesians by the dissolution of the thirty years' truce made after the conquest of Euboea .

[5] To the question why they broke the treaty, I answer by placing first an account of their grounds of complaint and points of difference, that no one may ever have to ask the immediate cause which plunged the Hellenes into a war of such magnitude.

[6] The real cause I consider to be the one which was formally most kept out of sight. The growth of the power of Athens , and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon , made war inevitable. Still it is well to give the grounds alleged by either side, which led to the dissolution of the treaty and the breaking out of the war.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 1.23 focus

Von den früheren Ereignissen ist der Perserkrieg das
bedeutendste, und doch fand auch dieser in zwei See- und zwei
Landschlachten eine schnelle Entscheidung^*)! der gegenwärtige Krieg aber
hat sich sehr in die Länge gezogen und über Hellas Leiden gebracht,
wie solche in einem gleichen Zeiträume sich sonst nie gehäuft haben;
denn es wurden früher weder so viele Städte eingenommen und
verwüstet, sei es nun durch die Barbaren 6") oder durch die
kriegführenden Parteien selbst ° >), und viele wurden auch nach ihrer Einnahme
mit andern Einwohnern besetzt^). Nie mußten so viele Menschen
ihr Vaterland verlassen, und nie haben so viele ihr Leben verloren,
sei es durch den Krieg selbst, sei es durch inneren Aufruhr. Was
in früherer Zeit nur vom Hörensagen bekannt war, in der
Wirklichkeit selbst aber nur selten erfahren wurde, fand nun thatsächliche
Bestätigung, so z. B. Erdbeben, welche sich über einen großen Theil
der Erde erstreckten und zugleich von außerordentlicher Heftigkeit
waren, ferner Sonnenfinsternisse, welche häufiger stattfanden, als es von ¹²³⁴
früheren Zeiten erzählt wird, dann auch häufige Dürre und in ihrer
Folge Hungersnoth 6 2), und endlich, was nicht am wenigsten
Schaden gethan und eine große Zahl von Menschen getödtet hat, die Pest.
Das Alles kam während dieses Krieges vereint vor. — Es
begannen ihn aber die Athener und Peloponnesier, nachdem
sie den dreißigjährigen Vertrag gebrochen hatten,
welcher nach der Einnahme Euböa's zwischen ihnen
geschlossen worden war^).

Damit aber künftighin Niemand fragen dürfe, aus welchen
Ursachen sich ein so bedeutender Krieg zwischen den Hellenen entspannen
habe, so erzähle ich zuerst seine Veranlassung und die Zerwürfnisse,
welche die Lösung jenes Waffenstillstandes herbeiführten. Für die
eigentliche, in den Urtheilen der Menschen aber am wenigsten
hervorgezogene Ursache halte ich, daß die Athener in ihrer Macht-
entwickelung den Lakedämoniern Furcht einflößten und
sie auf diese Weise zum Kriege nöthigten6°). Die Ursachen
aber, welche jede der beiden Parteien als Grund anführte, daß sie
den Waffenstillstand lösten und zum Kriege schritten, sind die
folgenden.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 1.23 focus

XXIII. De tous les faits antérieurs, le plus considérable fut la guerre médique, et cependant deux batailles navales¹ et deux combats sur terre² eurent bientôt décidé la querelle. La guerre actuelle, au contraire, s’est longtemps prolongée ; et pendant sa durée la Grèce éprouva des désastres tels, qu’elle n’en vit jamais de pareils dans une même période de temps. Jamais, en effet, il n’y eut autant de villes prises et dévastées, soit par les barbares, soit par les Grecs eux-mêmes, dans leurs luttes réciproques (on en vit même qui, une fois prises, changèrent complètement d’habitants). Jamais les combats et les séditions n’amenèrent autant d’exils et de meurtres. Des événements qui n’étaient précédemment connus que par la tradition, et que les faits venaient bien rarement confirmer, trouvèrent alors créance : ce furent, par exemple, de violents tremblements qui s’étendirent à la plus grande partie de la terre ; des éclipses de soleil plus fréquentes qu’en aucun temps dont on ait gardé le souvenir ; dans quelques contrées de grandes sécheresses et par suite la disette ; enfin un mal redoutable entre tous et qui dépeupla une partie de la Grèce, la peste ; car les Grecs virent dans le cours de cette guerre tous ces fléaux réunis fondre sur eux.

La guerre commença entre les Athéniens et les Péloponnésiens par la rupture de la trêve de trente ans qu’ils avaient conclue après la prise de l’Eubée³. J’ai exposé d’abord les motifs de cette rupture et l’origine du différend, afin qu’on ne se demande pas un jour quelle cause suscita entre les Grecs une guerre de cette importance. Le véritable motif, suivant moi, celui sur lequel cependant on gardait le plus profond silence, fut le développement de la puissance athénienne. C’est là ce qui, en inspirant des craintes aux Lacédémoniens, rendit la guerre inévitable. Voici d’ailleurs ]es raisons publiquement invoquées de part et d’autre pour rompre le traité et recourir aux armes.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 1.23 focus

De toutes les guerres précédentes la plus considérable fut celle des Mèdes ; cependant deux combats sur terre et autant sur mer en décidèrent promptement l’issue¹. Celle-ci au contraire a été très-longue; et, pendant sa durée, la Grèce a éprouvé des désastres tels qu’il n’y en eut jamais de pareils dans un-même espace de temps. Jamais tant de villes prises et dévastées par les Barbares ou par les Grecs armés les uns contre les autres : il en est même qui changèrent d’habitants par suite de la çonquête; jamais tant de proscriptions, tant de massacres dans les combats ou les émeutes. Des événements jadis célébrés par la renommée, mais rarement attestés par les faits, ont cessé d’être incroyables : violentes secousses ébranlant à la fois une immense étendue de terre, éclipses de soleil plus fréquentes qu’en aucun autre temps connu; en certains endroits sécheresses excessives, accompagnées de famine; enfin le plus terrible des fléaux, la peste, qui dépeupla une partie de la Grèce. Toutes ces calamités se réunirent pour aggraver les maux de cette guerre.

Les Athéniens et les Péloponésiens la commencèrent en rompant la paix de trente ans, conclue après la conquête de l’Eubée ². J'ai exposé d’abord les démêlés avant-coureurs de cette rupture, afin qu’on ne fût pas à se demander un jour quelle avait été l’origine d’un si grand conflit. La cause la plus réelle, quoique la moins avouée, celle qui rendit la guerre inévitable, fut, selon moi, la crainte qu’inspirait aux Lacédémoniens l’accroissement de la puissance d’Athènes. Au surplus je vais énoncer les prétextes qui furent allégués de part et d’autre pour rompre la paix et pour entamer les hostilités.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides, Vol. 1-4. Smith, Charles Foster, translator. London and Cambridge, MA: Heinemann and Harvard University Press, 1919-1923.) — 1.23.1 focus

[1] The greatest achievement of former times was the Persian war, and yet this was quickly decided in two sea-fights¹ and two land-battles.² But the Peloponnesian war was protracted to a great length, and in the course of it disasters befell Hellas the like of which had never occurred in any equal space of time.

[2] Never had so many cities been taken and left desolate, some by the Barbarians,³ and others by Hellenes⁴ themselves warring against one another; while several, after their capture, underwent a change of inhabitants.⁵ Never had so many human beings been exiled, or so much human blood been shed, whether in the course of the war itself or as the result of civil dissensions.

[3] And so the stories of former times, handed down by oral tradition, but very rarely confirmed by fact, ceased to be incredible: about earthquakes, for instance, for they prevailed over a very large part of the earth and were likewise of the greatest violence; eclipses of the sun, which occurred at more frequent intervals than we find recorded of all former times; great droughts also in some quarters with resultant famines; and lastly- the disaster which wrought most harm to Hellas and destroyed a considerable part of the people—the noisome pestilence. For all these disasters fell upon them simultaneously with this war.

[4] And the war began when the Athenians and Peloponnesians broke the thirty years' truce,⁶ concluded between them after the capture of Euboea.

[5] The reasons why they broke it and the grounds of their quarrel I have first set forth, that no one may ever have to inquire for what cause the Hellenes became involved in so great a war.

[6] The truest explanation, although it has been the least often advanced, I believe to have been the growth of the Athenians to greatness, which brought fear to the Lacedaemonians and forced them to war. But the reasons publicly alleged on either side which led them to break the truce and involved them in the war were as follows.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides. The history of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1-2. Dale, Henry, translator. London: Heinemann and Henry G. Bohn, 1851-1852.) — 1.23.1 focus

[1] Now of former achievements, the greatest that was performed was the Median; and yet that had its decision quickly, in two battles by sea and two by land. But of this war both the duration was very long, and sufferings befell Greece in the course of it, such as were never matched in the same time.

[2] For neither were so many cities ever taken and laid desolate, some by barbarians, and some by the parties themselves opposed in the war; (some, too, changed their inhabitants when taken;) nor was there so much banishing of men and bloodshed, partly in the war itself, and partly through sedition.

[3] And things which before were spoken of from hearsay, but scantily confirmed by fact, were rendered not incredible; both about earthquakes, which at once extended over the greatest part of the world, and most violent at the same time; and eclipses of the sun, which happened more frequently than was on record of former times; and great droughts in some parts, and from them famines also; and what hurt them most, and destroyed a considerable part—the plague. For all these things fell upon them at once along with this war:

[4] which the Athenians and Peloponnesians began by breaking the thirty years' truce after the taking of Euboea.

[5] As for the reason why they broke it, I have first narrated their grounds of complaint and their differences, that no one might ever have to inquire from what origin so great a war broke out amongst the Greeks. For the truest reason, though least brought forward in words, I consider to have been, that the Athenians, by becoming great, and causing alarm to the Lacedaemonians, compelled them to proceed to hostilities.

[6] But the following were the grounds of complaints openly alleged on either side, from which they broke the truce, and set to the war.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 1.23.1 focus

[1] Bellorum autem superiorum id, quod cum Medis est gestum, maximum fuit: hoc ipsum tamen duobus navalibus, et totidem pedestribus proeliis celeriter est finitum. At hujus belli tum diuturnitas longe processit, tum clades in ipso Graeciae contigerunt, quales in pari temporis spatio nunquam alias;

[2] neque enim tot urbes captae desolataeque sunt, aliae a barbaris, aliae a Graecis ipsis bellum inter se gerentibus (nonnullae vero etiam captae incolas mutarunt), neque tot exilia fuerunt, neque tot caedes aut in ipso bello aut propter seditiones commissae.

[3] Et quae antea fama quidem ferebantur, sed re ipsa rarius confirmabantur, non incredibilia evaserunt, ut de terrae motibus, qui et maximam orbis terrarum partem occuparunt, et simul vehe-mentissimi fuerunt,et solis defectiones, quae frequentiores acciderunt, quam de prioribus temporibus traditur; et siccitates, quae apud nonnullos magnae fuerunt, et fames ex ipsis natae, et qui praeter cetera damnum magnum intulit partemque hominum absumpsit morbus pestilens; haec enim omnia cum hoc bello simul invaserunt.

[4] Initium autem ejus fecerunt Athenienses et Peloponnesii rupta tri-cennali pace, quam post Euboeam captam inter se feceraut.

[5] Cur autem eam ruperint, causas, et dissidia in primis scripsi, ne quis aliquando requirat, unde tantum bellum Graecis conflatum sit.

[6] Nam verissimam quidem, sed sermone minime celebratam causam hanc puto, quod Athenienses , in dies crescentes et terrorem Lacedaemoniis in-cutientes belli movendi necessitatem ipsis imposuerunt; sed causae, quae propalam ferebantur, hae erant utrisque, propter quas ruptis foederibus bellum susceperunt.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 1.23 focus

Delle guerre antecedenti la più famigerata è stata quella dei Medi ; pure ella fu prestamente decisa in due battaglie di mare e due di terra : ma la lunghezza di questa è stata grande, e vi si sono frapposti per la Grecia calamitosi avvenimenti, quali non altri mai in eguale spazio di tempo. Conciossiachè non furono mai prese e spopolate tante città, parte dai barbari, parte dai Greci stessi che erano in guerra tra loro ; alcune delle quali espugnate perderono gli antichi, ed ebbero altri abitatori ; nè tante persone bandite, nè tanto sangue sparso , sì nella guerra medesima , sì per causa di sedizioni. Onde le antiche tradizioni , ben di rado confermate dai fatti si resero credibili, sia riguardo ai terremoti che scossero più parli della terra e furono insieme violentissimi, sia rispetto agli eclissi del sole che accaddero più frequenti in paragone di qnelli che si ricordano nei tempi andati. In alcuni luoghi furono siccità grandi e fami conseguenze di esse, e quel contagioso morbo che sopra tutto danneggiò ed anche distrusse parte della Grecia ; flagelli che tutti concorsero a straziarla unitamente a questa guerra, alla quale diedero cominciamento gli Ateniesi ed i Peloponnesi colla rottura della tregua di trentanni fermata tra loro dopo la presa di Eubea. Ed io ho premesso i motivi di questa rottura e le contenzioni tra di loro f affinchè nessuno abbia mai a cercare donde surse guerra sì grande tra i Greci. Nondimeno cagione verissima, sebbene riposta nel più cupo silenzio, ne furono gli Ateniesi divenuti grandi, i quali mettendo paura ai Lacedemoni li ridussero nella necessità di risolversi per la guerra. Ma le cause di cui si parlava senza mistero, e per le quali ruppero la tregua e si messero in guerra, furono da ambe le parti le seguenti.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.23

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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