Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.73

[1] "Though our embassage was not to this end, that we should argue against our confederates, but about such other affairs as the city was pleased to employ us in; yet having heard of the great exclamation against us, we came into the court not to make answer to the criminations of the cities (for to plead before you here were not to plead before the judges either of them or us) but to the end you may not be drawn away to take the worse resolution at the persuasion of the confederates in matters of so great importance, and withal, touching the sum of the oration made against us, to inform you that what we possess we have it justly, and that our city deserveth reputation.

[2] But what need we now to speak of matters long past, confirmed more by hearsay than by the eyes of those that are to hear us relate them? But our actions against the Persian, and such as you yourselves know as well as we, those, though it be tedious to hear them ever objected, we must of necessity recite. For when we did them, we hazarded ourselves for some benefit, of which, as you had your parts in the substance, so must we have ours (if that be any benefit) in the commemoration.

[3] And we shall make recital of them not by way of deprecation but of protestation and declaration of what a city, in case you take ill advice, you have to enter the list withal.

[4] We therefore say that we not only first and alone hazarded battle against the barbarian in the fields of Marathon, but also afterwards, when he came again, being unable to resist him by land, embarked ourselves, every man that was able to bear arms, and gave him battle amongst the rest by sea at Salamis, which was the cause that kept him back from sailing to Peloponnesus and laying it waste city after city; for against so many galleys you were not able to give each other mutual succour.

[5] And the greatest proof of this is the Persian himself, who, when his fleet was overcome and that he had no more such forces, went away in haste with the greatest part of his army.

[1] The object of our mission here was not to argue with your allies, but to attend to the matters on which our State despatched us. However, the vehemence of the outcry that we hear against us has prevailed on us to come forward. It is not to combat the accusations of the cities (indeed you are not the judges before whom either we or they can plead), but to prevent your taking the wrong course on matters of great importance by yielding too readily to the persuasions of your allies. We also wish to show on a review of the whole indictment that we have a fair title to our possessions, and that our country has claims to consideration.

[2] We need not refer to remote antiquity: there we could appeal to the voice of tradition, but not to the experience of our audience. But to the Median war and contemporary history we must refer, although we are rather tired of continually bringing this subject forward. In our action during that war we ran great risk to obtain certain advantages: you had your share in the solid results, do not try to rob us of all share in the good that the glory may do us.

[3] However, the story shall be told not so much to deprecate hostility as to testify against it, and to show, if you are so ill-advised as to enter into a struggle with Athens , what sort of an antagonist she is likely to prove.

[4] We assert that at Marathon we were at the front, and faced the barbarian single-handed. That when he came the second time, unable to cope with him by land we went on board our ships with all our people, and joined in the action at Salamis . This prevented his taking the Peloponnesian states in detail, and ravaging them with his fleet; when the multitude of his vessels would have made any combination for self-defence impossible.

[5] The best proof of this was furnished by the invader himself. Defeated at sea, he considered his power to be no longer what it had been, and retired as speedily as possible with the greater part of his army.

„Der Zweck unserer Gesandtschaft ist nicht, dem zu wider-
sprechen, was eure Bundesgenossen vorgebracht haben, sondern die
Besorgung der Angelegenheiten unseres Staates, mit denen wir
betraut sind; da wir aber gehört haben, daß kein kleines Geschrei gegen
uns erhoben worden sei, so sind wir hiemit aufgetreten, nicht um die
Beschwerden der Städte zu widerlegen, — denn ihr wäret ja auch
nicht die Richter, vor welchen in diesem Falle wir und jene zu reden
hätten, — sondern damit ihr in so wichtigen Dingen euren
Bundesgenossen nicht allzuleicht Glauben schenken und etwas Nachtheiliges
beschließen möget. Zugleich wollen wir aber auch gegenüber all dem
Gerede, das ihr angehört habt, zeigen, daß unser. Besitz nicht
unrechtmäßig erworben ist, und daß unser Staat seinerseits wohl auch
Berücksichtigung verdient. Von den ältesten Zeiten reden wir gar nicht,
denn wir müßten uns dabei mehr auf die Zeugenschaft der Sage
berufen, als ans die eigene Anschauung unserer Zuhörer; von den
Perserkriegen aber und von dem, was ihr selbst noch miterlebt habt,
müssen wir wohl reden, wenn es vielleicht auch lästig sein sollte, da
ihr es euch bei jeder Gelegenheit müßt vorrücken lassen. Als wir jene
Thaten ausführten, unterzogen wir uns der Gefahr des allgemeinen
Vortheils halber, und da auch ihr von diesem thatsächlich mitgenvssen
habt, so wollen wir uns wenigstens nicht die Erlaubniß nehmen lassen,
davon zu reden, wenn es Vortheil bringen kann. Wir werden aber
das nicht vorbringen, um uns in ein günstiges Licht zu stellen,
sondern mehr um euch ein Beispiel und einen Beweis zu geben, mit wem
ihr es zu thun haben werdet, wenn ihr nicht den rechten Entschluß
faßt. Wir sagen also, daß bei Marathon wir allein US) es waren,
die für die Andern gegen den Barbaren gekämpft haben; und als er
zum zweiten Male kam, und wir nicht stark genug waren, ihm zu
Lande entgegenzutreten, so sind wir bis auf den letzten Mann zu
Schiffe gegangen, um bei Salamis mitzukämpfen, und das allein war
eS, was die Perser gehindert hat, von einer Stadt zur andern zu
schissen und den Peloponnes zu verwüsten; denn ihr wäret dann nicht
im Stande gewesen, gegen so viele Schiffe euch einander zu Hilfe zu
kommen. Den deutlichsten Beweis davon aber hat der Barbar selbst
gegeben, denn als er in der Seeschlacht besiegt war, hat er, als ob er
nun nicht mehr gleich mächtig sei, mit dem größeren Theile seines
Heeres den Rückzug angetreten."

LXXIII. « Il n’entre pas dans notre mission de répondre aux attaques de vos allies ; nos concitoyens nous ont députés pour un tout autre objet. Cependant, informés que de nombreuses clameurs s’élèvent contre nous, nous venons ici, non pour repousser les accusations des villes (car nous ne pouvons vous considérer comme juges entre eux et nous), mais pour empêcher que, dans une affaire importante, vous ne vous laissiez trop facilement entraîner par vos alliés à une résolution regrettable. Nous voulons aussi montrer, en réponse à tous ces discours tenus sur notre compte, que nous avons des droits légitimes sur ce dont nous sommes détenteurs, et que notre ville mérite quelques respects.

« A quoi bon rappeler des faits trop anciens et admis sur ouï-dire, lorsqu’on peut invoquer le témoignage de ceux-là mêmes qui vous écoutent ? Quant à la guerre médique et aux autres événements que vous connaissez comme nous, il nous est indispensable d’en parler, quoique nous courions risque de fatiguer en les rappelant sans cesse. En nous exposant alors, nous agissions dans l’intérêt commun ; vous avez eu votre part des avantages ; qu’il ne nous soit donc pas interdit absolument de rappeler ce que nous avons fait, si nous y trouvons quelque utilité. Ce que nous en dirons d’ailleurs est bien moins pour nous justifier que pour vous prouver, par cet exemple, quel est le peuple que vous aurez à combattre, si vous prenez d’imprudentes résolutions. Oui, nous le déclarons, à Marathon nous nous sommes les premiers, et seuls, hasardés contre le Barbare ; lorsqu’il revint ensuite, trop faibles pour le combattre sur terre, nous sommes montés sur nos vaisseaux, et, réunis en corps de nation, nous l’avons attaqué sur mer à Salamine. C’est grâce à notre victoire qu’il n’a pas pu faire voile vers le Péloponnèse et ravager, une à une, des villes incapables de se défendre mutuellement contre une flotte nombreuse. Le Barbare lui-même nous rendit le plus éclatant témoignage : car, après sa défaite sur mer, il montra qu’il ne se sentait plus la même puissance en faisant une prompte retraite avec la plus grande partie de son armée.

« Nous n’avons pas été députés vers vous pour entrer en lice avec vos alliés, mais pour nous acquitter de notre mission. Cependant, informés qu’il s’élève contre nous de violentes clameurs, nous avons demandé la parole, non pour répondre aux villes qui nous accusent, — car vous ne sauriez être juges entre elles et nous, — mais afin que, dans une affaire de cette gravité, vous ne preniez pas légèrement et sur leurs discours une résolution fâcheuse. D’ailleurs nous désirons, au sujet de la question soulevée contre nous, faire voir que ce que nous possédons nous l’avons acquis sans injustice, et que notre ville mérite que l’on compte avec elle.

« A quoi bon remonter aux temps tout à fait anciens, qui nous sont connus seulement par de vagues traditions? Mais les guerres Médiques et autres événements dont vous avez une connaissance personnelle, nous sommes forcés de les rappeler, dût-on nous reprocher d'y revenir sans cesse. Lorsque nous bravions le danger, c'était dan ^l’intérêt de tous; et, puisque vous avez eu votre part des résultats, qu’il ne nous soit pas interdit d’en rappeler le souvenir, pour peu qu’il nous soit utile. Nous parlerons bien moins pour nous disculper, que pour vous faire voir quelle est la ville que vous aurez à combattre, si vous prenez une résolution funeste. t Disons-le donc : à Marathon nous fûmes les premiers et les seuls à combattre le Barbare ; et lorsqu’il vint pour la seconde fois, trop faibles pour lui résister sur terre, nous montâmes sur nos vaisseaux, et notre peuple tout entier livra le combat naval de Salamine; nous empêchâmes une innombrable flotte de ravager une à une les villes du Péloponèse, incapables de se prêter un mutuel appui. Le roi lui-mème le fit bien voir: vaincu sur mer, il se retira précipitamment avec la majeure partie de ses troupes, ne se jugeant plus en état de continuer la lutte.

[1] "Our embassy did not come here to enter into a dispute with your allies, but on the business for which our city sent us. Perceiving, however, that no small outcry is being made against us, we have come forward, not to answer the charges of the cities (for it can hardly be that either they or we are addressing you as judges), but in order that you may not, yielding to the persuasion of your allies, lightly make a wrong decision about matters of great importance. And at the same time we wish, as regards the whole outcry that has been raised against us, to show that we are rightfully in possession of what we have acquired, and that our city is not to be despised. "Now, what need is there to speak about matters quite remote, ¹ whose only witnesses are the stories men hear rather than the eyes of those who will hear them told?

[2] But concerning the Persian War and all the other events of which you have personal knowledge, we needs must speak, even though it will be rather irksome to mention them, since they are always being paraded. For when we were performing those deeds the risk was taken for a common benefit, and since you got a share of the actual results of that benefit, we should not be wholly deprived of the credit, if there is any benefit in that.

[3] And our aim in the recital of the facts will be, not so much to deprecate censure, as to show by evidence with what sort of city you will be involved in war if you are not well advised.

[4] "For we affirm that at Marathon we alone bore the first brunt of the Barbarian's attack, and that when he came again, not being able to defend ourselves by land, we embarked in a body on our ships and joined in the sea-fight at Salamis. This prevented his sailing against you city by city and ravaging the Peloponnesus, for you would have been unable to aid one another against a fleet so numerous.

[5] And the weightiest testimony to the truth of what we say was afforded by the enemy himself; for when his fleet was defeated, as if aware that his power was no longer a match for that of the Hellenes, he hastily withdrew with the greater part of his army.

[1] "Our embassy was not sent for the purpose of controversy with your allies, but on the business on which the state sent us. Perceiving, however, that there is no small outcry against us, we have come forward, not to answer the charges of the states, (for our words would not be addressed to you as judges, either of us or of them,) but to prevent your adopting bad counsel through being easily persuaded by the allies on matters of great importance; and at the same time with a wish to slow, on a view of the general argument as it affects us, that we do not improperly hold what we possess, and that our state is worthy of consideration. Now as to things of very ancient date why need we mention them? since hearsay must attest them, rather than the eyes of those who will be our auditors.

[2] But the Median war, and the deeds with which you yourselves are acquainted, we must speak of; though it will be rather irksome to us to be for ever bringing them forward: for when we performed them, the danger was run for a benefit, of the reality of which you had your share; and let us not be deprived of the whole credit, if it is of any service to us.

[3] Our words, however, will be spoken, not so much for the purpose of exculpation, as of testimony, and of showing with what kind of a state you will have to contend, if you do not take good counsel.

[4] For we say that at Marathon we alone stood in the van of danger against the barbarian; and that when he came the second time, though we were not able to defend ourselves by land, we went on board our ships with all our people, and joined in the sea-fight at Salamis; which prevented his sailing against and ravaging the Peloponnese, city by city. while you would have been unable to assist one another against his numerous ships.

[5] And he himself gave the greatest proof of this; for when conquered by sea, thinking that his power was no longer what it had been, retreated as quickly as he could with the greater part of his army.

[1] « Legati ad vos non propterea sumus, ut ad crimina nobis a sociis vestris objecta responderemus, sed aliis de rebus, quarum causa civitas nos misit; quum vero intellexissemus, non levem contra nos criminationem factam esse, in medium prodiimus, non ut ad civitatum crimina respondeamus (neque enim apud vos tamquam judices aut nostros aut istorum verba fiant), sed ne celeriter magnis de rebus, sociorum verbis adducti, male consultetis; simul etiam, quia de tota accusatione contra nos instituta docere volumus, nos neque proler rationem obti- nere, quae peperiuius, et nostram civitatem dignam esse, cujus ratio habeatur.

[2] Ac pervetusta quidem quid opus est recensere, quorum ipsi rumores de illte sparsi potius sunt testes, quam oculi eorum, qui haec sunt audituri? sed res bello Medico gestas, ef quaecunque nobiscum novistis ipsi, quamvis molestiora sint futura, si ea semper jactemus, commemorare est necesse. Etenim quum illa gerebamus , propter communem utilitatem pericula subibamus , cujus re quidem ipsa participes fuistis, commemoratione vero omni, si quid prosit, privari nos par oon est.

[3] Haec autem dicentur non tam, ut nos excusemus, quam ut testemur et doceamus, adversus qualem chitalem vobis consilium minus bonum ineuntibus certamen sit futurum.

[4] Praedicamus enim, solos nos in campis Marathoniis magno cum periculo adversus barbarum propugnasse, et, quum iterum venisset, quia terra ipsum propulsare non poteramus, universos nos navibus conscensis ad Salaminem communiter pneliumnavale commisisse; quae res illum impedivit, ne, infesta classe singulas urbes petens, Peloponnesum vastaret , quum adversus ingentem classem mutuis auxiliis se juvare non possent.

[5] Maximum vero hujus rei documentum ipse dedit; nam classe victus, tamquam potentiam parem non amplius haberet, cum majore copiarum parte, celeritate, quanta maxima potuit, se recepit.

« Noi non fummo certamente inviati qua per venire in con tradi ttorio coi nostri alleati, ma per altre commissioni avute dalla patria : nondimeno informati dei tanti rabbuffi che si fanno contro di noi, ci siamo presentati , non per rispondere alle imputazioni delle città ( perciocché si tratterebbe dinanzi a voi, che giudici rtori sieté nè di noi nè di loro ), ma per non lasciarvi, stando a detta degli alleati, prendere troppo facilmente mala risoluzione sopra affari importantissimi. E medesimamente j riandando tutto il parlato contro noi, vogliamo chiarirvi che ben ci sta quel che abbiamo , e che la nostra Repubblica merita tutta la considerazione. Quanto a’ fatti più antichi attestati dalla tradizione, più tosto che visti dagli occhi di chi ci ascolterà, nulla monterebbe il parlarne : ma delle imprese contro il Medo j e delle altre a voi pure ben note, è indispensabile ragionare, a patto anche di riescir troppo molesti, perchè ad ogni occasione le produciamo. Conciossiachè nelle nostre opere di allora i pericoli furono pel comun bene : del quale siccome voi partecipaste di fatto, così dal farne parola, ove utile ci sia , noi non vogliamo essere interamente esclusi. Nè già favelleremo per nostra discolpa ; ma solo per testimoniare e dichiarare con qual città vi toccherà a combattere, se saggiamente non risolverete. Imperocché ci diamo vanto di esserci soli fatti innanzi a Maratona per sostenere il cimento contro il barbaro : di poi nella seconda sua venuta , trovandoci insufficienti a respingerlo per terra, montammo tutti d'accordo sulle navi, e venimmo con esso lui a battaglia navale a Salamina \ lo che valse a impedire che egli non devastasse il Peloponneso ? investendone colla flotta ad una ad una le città , troppo deboli per soccorrersi scambievolmente contro il gran numero delle sue navi. Egli stesso ne diede poi la più chiara riprova \ perocché vinto dalla nostra flotta, credendo non aver ornai forze eguali alle nostre, si ritirò prestamente colla maggior parte dell’ armata.