Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.44

[1] Both sides having been heard and the Athenian people twice assembled, in the former assembly they approved no less of the reasons of the Corinthians than of the Corcyraeans. But in the latter they changed their minds, not so as to make a league with the Corcyraeans both offensive and defensive, that the friends and enemies of the one should be so of the other (for then, if the Corcyraeans should have required them to go against Corinth, the peace had been broken with the Peloponnesians), but made it only defensive, that if anyone should invade Corcyra or Athens, or any of their confederates, they were then mutually to assist one another.

[2] For they expected that even thus they should grow to war with the Peloponnesians and were therefore unwilling to let Corcyra, that had so great a navy, to fall into the hands of the Corinthians, but rather, as much as in them lay, desired to break them one against another; that if need required, they might have to do with the Corinthians, and others that had shipping, when they should be weakened to their hands.

[3] And the island seemed also to lie conveniently for passing into Italy and Sicily.

[1] Such were the words of the Corinthians.
  When the Athenians had heard both out, two assemblies were held. In the first there was a manifest disposition to listen to the representations of Corinth ; in the second, public feeling had changed, and an alliance with Corcyra was decided on, with certain reservations. It was to be a defensive, not an offensive alliance. It did not involve a breach of the treaty with Peloponnese : Athens could not be required to join Corcyra in any attack upon Corinth . But each of the contracting parties had a right to the other's assistance against invasion, whether of his own territory, or that of an ally.

[2] For it began now to be felt that the coming of the Peloponnesian war was only a question of time, and no one was willing to see a naval power of such magnitude as Corcyra sacrificed to Corinth ; though if they could let them weaken each other by mutual conflict, it would be no bad preparation for the struggle which Athens might one day have to wage with Corinth and the other naval powers.

[3] At the same time the island seemed to lie conveniently on the coasting passage to Italy and Sicily .

So sprachen die Korinther. Nachdem nun die Athener
beide Theile angehört nnd sogar nach einander zwei
Volksversammlungen abgehalten hatten, so fanden die Korinther in der ersten nicht
geringe Beistimmung, in der folgenden aber siegte eine andere
Meinung, und sie beschlossen, zwar nicht mit den Kerkyräern ein
Schutzund Trutzbündniß in der Art einzugehen, daß die Feinde jener auch
ihre Feinde, und jener Freunde auch ihre Freunde sein sollten, — denn
wenn die Kerkyräer sie diesfalls aufgefordert hätten, mit ihnen gegen
Korinth in See zu gehen, so wäre dadurch der mit den
Peloponnesiern geschlossene Waffenstillstand von ihrer Seite gebrochen worden,
— sondern sie schlossen ein Schutzbündniß zur gegenseitigen
Vertheidigung für den Fall, daß Einer Kerkyra oder Athen oder beider
Bundesgenossen angreifen sollte. Der Krieg mit den Peloponnesiern ^{1 2}
schien ihnen nämlich ohnehin nicht zu vermeiden, und sie wollten
Kerkyra mit seiner bedeutenden Seemacht nicht den Korinthern in
die Hände liefern, wünschten aber doch, daß beide Theile so hart als
möglich aneinander gerathen möchten, damit sie selbst mit einem schon
geschwächten Feinde zu thun hätten, wenn es zum Krieg mit
Korinth oder einer andern Seemacht kommen sollte. Zugleich schien
ihnen die Insel für die Ueberfahrt nach Italien und Sicilien sehr
günstig gelegen.

XLIV. Les deux parties entendues, les Athéniens se réunirent deux fois en assemblée. Ils penchèrent d’abord en faveur des Corinthiens ; mais, changeant d’avis la seconde fois, ils résolurent de faire avec les Corcyréens non pas un traité d’alliance tel qu’ils eussent mêmes amis et mêmes ennemis (car, dans ce cas, si les Corcyréens leur eussent demandé de marcher contre Corinthe, leur traité avec les Péloponnésiens se serait trouvé rompu), mais bien une ligue défensive pour le cas où quelqu’un attaquerait soit Corcyre, soit Athènes, soit leurs alliés. Ils sentaient bien qu’en tout état de cause ils auraient la guerre avec les Péloponnésiens, et ils ne voulaient pas abandonner aux Corinthiens Corcyre pourvue d’une marine si florissante ; ils aimaient mieux mettre aux prises les deux peuples autant qu’ils le pourraient, afin que, le cas échéant et la guerre venant à s’engager, ils trouvassent Corinthe et les autres puissances maritimes déjà affaiblies. D’ailleurs, Corcyre leur paraissait avantageusement située sur la route de l’Italie et de la Sicile.

Tel fut le discours des Corinthiens. Les Athéniens écoutèrent les deux partis et tinrent à ce sujet deux assemblées. Dans la première ils inclinèrent en faveur des Corinthiens ; dans la seconde ils se ravisèrent. Ils ne voulurent pas conclure avec les Corcyréens une ligue offensive et défensive, parce que, si Corcyre venait à réclamer leur coopération contre Corinthe, le traité avec le Péioponèse se serait trouvé rompu ; mais ils formèrent avec eux une alliance défensive, s’engageant à se secourir mutuellement en cas d’attaque dirigée contre Corcyre, contre Athènes ou contre leurs alliés. On sentait bien que de toute manière on aurait la guerre avec le Péioponèse : aussi voulait-on ne pas abandonner aux Corinthiens une ville qui possédait une si forte marine ; on préférait mettre ces peuples aux prises entre eux, afin d’avoir meilleur marché de Corinthe et des autres puissances navales quand viendrait le moment de les combattre. Enfin Corcyre paraissait favorablement située sur la route de l’Italie et de la Sicile ¹ .

[1] Thus spoke the Corinthians. And the Athenians, having heard both sides, held a second session of the Ecclesia; and although at the earlier one they were rather inclined to agree with the words of the Corinthians, on the second day they changed their minds in favour of the Corcyraeans, and decided, not, indeed, to make an offensive and defensive alliance with them, for in that case, if the Corcyraeans then asked them to join in an expedition against Corinth, they would have to break, on their own responsibility, the treaty with the Lacedaemoniansbut they made a defensive alliance, namely to aid one another in case anyone should attack Corcyra or Athens or the allies of either.

[2] For they believed that in any event the war with the Peloponnesians would have to be faced, and they did not wish to give up Corcyra, which had so large a fleet, to the Corinthians, but hoped to wear them out upon one another as much as possible, in order that the Corinthians as well as other naval powers ¹ might be found weaker in case they had to go to war with them.

[3] Besides, the island seemed to them admirably situated for a coasting voyage to Italy and Sicily. ²

[1] Now the Athenians, after hearing both sides, when an assembly had been ¹ even twice held, in the former rather admitted the arguments of the Corinthians; but in the one held the next day they changed their minds, and determined, not indeed to make an alliance with the Corcyraeans, so as to have the same enemies and friends, (for if the Corcyraeans had desired them to sail against Corinth, the treaty with the Peloponnesians would have been broken by them;) but they made a defensive alliance, to succour each other's country, should any one go against Corcyra, or Athens, or their allies. For they thought that, even as it was, they should have the war with the Peloponnesians;

[2] and they wished not to give up Corcyra to the Corinthians, with so large a navy as it had, but to wear them out as much as possible against each other, that both the Corinthians and the rest who had navies might be in a weaker condition when they went to war with them, if it should be necessary to do so.

[3] And at the same time the island appeared to them to lie well in the line of voyage along shore to Italy and Sicily.

[1] Athenienses vero, utrisqne auditis et condone bis coacta, in priore quidem Corinthiorum rationes haud minus probarunt; in posteriore vero, mutato consilio, statuerunt nullam quidem belli societatem cum Corcyraeis facere, ut eosdem et inimicos et amicos ducerent (si enim adversus Corinthios Corcyraei ipsos secum navigare juberent, foedera, quae ipsis cum Peloponnesiis erant, rupta essent), sed tantum subsidiariam socielatem fecerunt, ut alteri alterorum agro mutuam ferrent opem, si quis adversus Corcyram, \et Athenas, vel eorum socios iret.

[2] Nam bellum contra Peloponnesios vel sic fore ipsis videbatur, neque Corcyram, quae tantam classem haberet, Corinthiorum potestati permittere volebant, sed eos quam maxime inter se collidere, ut invalidioribus factis, si quando ne-cesse esset, et Corinthiis et reliquis, qui classem habebant, bellum capesserent.

[3] Simul etiam haec insula ad trajiciendum in Italiam et Siciliam in opportuno loco sita ipsis videbatur.

Poscia che gli Ateniesi ebbero udite le parti, tennero due adunanze : nella prima approvarono più le ragioni dei Corintii : nell’ altra mutarono consiglio e deliberarono di stringer lega co’ Corfuotti , non però offensiva e difensiva insieme (perchè venendo da’Corfuotti indotti ad unirsi colle loro navi contro Corinto , trasgredirebbero alle convenzioni) ma difensiva soltanto, pel mutuo soccorso dei territori , contro chi attaccasse Corfù o Atene o gli scambievoli alleati. Pur troppo credevano che anche con questo temperamento avrebbero guerra coi Peloponnesi, e però non volevano abbandonare ai Corintii Corfù sì potente sulla marina, ma farli al più possibile cozzar tra loro , per trovarli più deboli, ove abbisognasse mettersi in guerra coi Corintii, o con altri fomiti di flotta. Senza che pareva la situazione di quell’ isola molto acconcia per tragittare in Italia ed in Sicilia.