Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.76

[1] "For you also, men of Lacedaemon, have command over the cities of Peloponnesus and order them to your best advantage. And had you, when the time was, by staying it out, been envied in your command, as we know well, you would have been no less heavy to the confederates than we, you must have been constrained to rule imperiously or to have fallen into danger.

[2] So that, though overcome by three of the greatest things, honour, fear, and profit, we have both accepted the dominion delivered us and refuse again to surrender it, we have therein done nothing to be wondered at nor beside the manner of men. Nor have we been the first in this kind, but it hath been ever a thing fixed for the weaker to be kept under by the stronger. Besides, we took the government upon us as esteeming ourselves worthy of the same; and of you also so esteemed till having computed the commodity, you now fall to allegation of equity, a thing which no man that had the occasion to achieve anything by strength ever so far preferred as to divert him from his profit.

[3] Those men are worthy of commendation who following the natural inclination of man in desiring rule over others are juster than for their own power they need.

[4] And therefore if another had our power, we think it would best make appear our own moderation; and yet our moderation hath undeservedly incurred contempt rather than commendation.

[1] You, at all events, Lacedaemonians, have used your supremacy to settle the states in Peloponnese as is agreeable to you. And if at the period of which we were speaking you had persevered to the end of the matter, and had incurred hatred in your command, we are sure that you would have made yourselves just as galling to the allies, and would have been forced to choose between a strong government and danger to yourselves.

[2] It follows that it was not a very wonderful action, or contrary to the common practice of mankind, if we did accept an empire that was offered to us, and refused to give it up under the pressure of three of the strongest motives, fear, honor, and interest. And it was not we who set the example, for it has always been the law that the weaker should be subject to the stronger. Besides, we believed ourselves to be worthy of our position, and so you thought us till now, when calculations of interest have made you take up the cry of justice—a consideration which no one ever yet brought forward to hinder his ambition when he had a chance of gaining anything by might.

[3] And praise is due to all who, if not so superior to human nature as to refuse dominion, yet respect justice more than their position compels them to do.

[4] We imagine that our moderation would be best demonstrated by the conduct of others who should be placed in our position; but even our equity has very unreasonably subjected us to condemnation instead of approval.

„Ihr Lakedämonier führt ja auch die Oberleitung so, daß
ihr den peloponnesischen Städten Verfassungen gebet, wie sie eurem
Vortheil entsprechen Wäret ihr nun damals in der
Oberansührung geblieben und dabei verhaßt geworden, wie wir, so wissen wir
wohl, daß ihr den Bundesgenossen nicht weniger lästig gefallen wäret
und auch nur die Wahl gehabt hättet, entweder die Herrschaft kräftig
zu handhaben, oder selbst Gefahr zu laufen. So haben denn auch wir
nichts Verwunderliches noch Unmenschliches gethan, da wir die
angebotene Herrschaft annahmen und im Zwang der mächtigsten
Triebfedern, der Ehre, der Sicherheit und des Vortheils, die Zügel nicht
erschlaffen ließen. Auch sind wir ja nicht die Ersten, die ein solches
Betragen einführen, sondern es war immer die Ordnung, daß der
Schwächere von dem Stärkeren eingeschränkt wurde UND. Auch ^{1 2 3}
schienen wir unS selbst dieser Stellung würdig, und euch ebenfalls,
bis ihr jetzt, euren Vortheil bedenkend, das Wort Gerechtigkeit in den
Mund nehmt, welcher doch noch Niemand den Vorzug gegeben und
sich von der Erweiterung seines Besitzes hat abhalten lassen, wenn die
Gelegenheit eS gestattete, durch Gewalt etwas zu erwerben. Lob
verdienen diejenigen, welche der menschlichen Natur gemäß sich der
Herrschaft über Andere erfreuen und sich dabei gerechter zeigen, als es bei
ihrer Macht nothwendig wäre. Wir glauben, wenn Andere an unserer
Stelle wären, so würden diese selbst den besten Beweis liefern, ob wir ⁴
mit Maß zu Werke gehen; uns selbst aber ist aus unserer Mäßigung
ungerechter Weise mehr Verläumdung erwahcsen, als Lob

LXXVI. « Vous-mêmes, ô Lacédémoniens, vous commandez aux villes du Péloponnèse, et vous y avez établi l’ordre qui convient à vos intérêts ¹ . Et si, lors de la guerre, vous aviez persisté jusqu’au bout ; si vous aviez, comme nous, encouru les haines qui s’attachent au commandement, nous sommes bien sûrs que vous ne seriez pas devenus moins odieux que nous aux alliés, et que force vous eût été ou de maintenir énergiquement votre domination ou de compromettre votre sécurité. Nous n’avons donc rien fait dont on doive s’étonner, rien qui ne soit dans l’ordre des choses humaines, en acceptant l’empire qu’on nous offrait, et en ne le laissant point échapper ensuite, dominés que nous étions par les mobiles les plus puissants, la crainte, l’honneur, l’intérêt. C’est une loi que nous n’avons pas établie les premiers, car elle est de tous les temps, que le plus faible soit soumis au plus fort. Nous nous croyons d’ailleurs dignes de l’empire, et telle était aussi votre opinion jusqu’à ce jour ; mais maintenant, obéissant à un calcul d’intérêt, vous mettez en avant des principes de justice qui jamais n’ont détourné personne de s’agran- dir par la force, quand l’occasion s'en est présentée. On doit même des éloges à ceux qui, tout en cédant au penchant de domination naturel à l’homme, ont montre un respect de la justice dont les dispensait leur puissance. Aussi sommes-nous persuadés que si d’antres prenaient notre place, leur conduite prouverait combien nous sommes modérés. Et pourtant, par une étrange injustice, cette modération nous a plutôt valu le dénigrement que l’éloge ² .

« Vous-mêmes, Lacédémoniens, vous commandez aux villes du Péloponèse, en y établissant le régime qui vous convient; mais si, dans le temps, vous aviez continué la guerre et encouru comme nous la haine dans le commandement, comme nous aussi vous auriez été à charge à vos alliés et obligés de les gouverner avec vigueur, sous peine de craindre pour vous-mêmes.

« Ainsi nous n’avdns rien fait d’étrange ni de contraire à la nature humaine, en acceptant un empire qu’on nous oiTrait, et en le retenant d’une main ferme, dominés comme nous l’étions par les motifs les plus puissants, l’honneur, la crainte et l’intérêt. Ce n’est pas nous qui avons donné un tel exemple ; de tout temps il a été admis que le plus faible fût maîtrisé par le plus fort. D’ailleurs nous croyons être dignes de l’empire, et vous en avez ainsi jugé vous-mêmes jusqu’au moment où des vues intéressées vous ont fait mettre en avant ces principes de justice qui n’ont jamais empêché personne de s’agrandir par la force, quand l’occasion s'en présentait. Ils méritent des louanges, ceux qui, tout en obéissant au penchant naturel à l’homme pour la domination, montrent plus d’équité que ne le permettrait leur puissance. Si le hasard voulait que d’autres prissent notre place, on verrait bientôt par comparaison combien nous sommes modérés. Et pourtant cette modération, loin de nous valoir de justes éloges, n’a été pour nous qu’une source de blâme.

[1] "At any rate you, Lacedaemonians, in the exercise of your leadership over the Peloponnesian states regulate their politiesl according to your own advantage; and if in the Persian war you had held out to the end in the hegemony and had become unpopular in its exercise, as we did, you would certainly have become not less obnoxious to the allies than we are, and would have been compelled either to rule them with a strong hand or yourselves to risk losing the hegemony.

[2] Thus there is nothing remarkable or inconsistent with human nature in what we also have done,just because we accepted an empire when it was offered us, and then, yielding to the strongest motives—honour, fear, and self-interest—declined to give it up. Nor, again, are we the first who have entered upon such a course, but it has ever been an established rule that the weaker is kept down by the stronger. And at the same time we thought we were worthy to rule, and used to be so regarded by you also, until you fell to calculating what your interests were and resorted as you do now, to the plea of justice—which no one, when opportunity offered of securing something by main strength, ever yet put before force and abstained from taking advantage.

[3] And they are to be commended who, yielding to the instinct of human nature to rule over others, have been more observant of justice than they might have been, considering their power.

[4] At least, if others should seize our power, they would, we think, exhibit the best proof that we show some moderation; but in our case the result of our very reasonableness is, perversely enough, obloquy rather than commendation.

[1] "You, at least, Lacedaemonians, have settled to your own advantage the government of the states in the Peloponnese over which you have a supremacy; and if at that time you had remained through the whole business, and been disliked in your command, as we were, we know full well that you would have become no less severe to the allies, and would have been compelled either to rule with a strong hand, or yourselves be exposed to danger.

[2] So neither have we done any thing marvellous, or contrary to the disposition of man, in having accepted an empire that was offered to us, and not giving it up, influenced as we are by the strongest motives honour, and fear, and profit; and when, again, we had not been the first to set such a precedent, but it had always been a settled rule that the weaker should be constrained by the stronger; and when at the same time we thought ourselves worthy of it, and were thought so by you, until, from calculations of expediency, you now avail yourselves of the appeal to justice; which no one ever yet brought forward when lie had a chance of gaining any thing by might, and abstained from taking the advantage.

[3] Nay, all are worthy of praise, who, after acting according to human nature in ruling others, have been more just than their actual power enabled them to be.

[4] At any rate we imagine, that if some others had possessed our means, they would have best shown whether we are at all moderate or not; though to us there has unfairly resulted from our good nature disrepute rather than commendation.

[1] « Et vero vos, Lacedaemonii, civitatibus, quae sunt in Peloponneso, imperatis, ea reipublicae administrandae forma in singulis constituta, quam vobis conducere putatis. Ac si tunc in imperio semper permanentes, hominum odia vobis contraxissetis, quemadmodum nos, certo scimue, vos non miuus molestos sociis futuros fuisse, et in necessitatem venturos, ut aut strenue imperium exerceretis, aut ipsi periclitaremini.

[2] Ita ne nos quidem mirum quicquam aut ab humanitate alienum fecimus, si imperium oblatum accepimus, idque non deponimus gravissimis rebus coacti, honore et metu et utilitate, neque vero primi hujus exempli auctores exorti, sed perpetuo naturae jure constituto, ut imbecillior a potentiore coerceatur, et dignos simul nos esse putantes, id quod vobis quoque videbatur ad hoc usque tempus, quo utilitatis rationem ducentes quodam aequitatis praetextu utimini, quam nemo unquam, quoties rei per vim parandae occasio sese ipsi obtulit, anteponens a rebus suis amplificandis est deterritus.

[3] Dignique sunt laude, qui humanum ingenium secuti et ita imperium adepti aequiores fuerunt quam imperii, quod obtinebant, magnitudo ferrei.

[4] Itaque alios quidem putamus, si hoc nostro imperio po-terentur, manifestissime declaraturos, num modeste nos geramus; nobis vero ex hac nostra modestia vituperationis plus quam laudis immerito accidit.

« Voi certo, o Lacedemoni, nelle città del Peloponneso , sulle quali imperate, avete costituito reggimento acconcio all’util vostro. E se allora rimasti voi perpetuamente al comando , foste incorsi come noi nell’ odio che il comando stesso si trae dietro ; tenghiamo per certo che necessitati o a comandare vigorosamente , o a correr pericolo, non sareste meno di noi divenuti incomodi agli alleati. Medesimamente neppur noi abbiam fatto cosa da maravigliare, nè lontana dal fare degli uomini, se ricevemmo l’impero trasmessoci, e se non vogliamo rallentarne il vigore vinti da grandissime cause, onore, timore, vantaggio. Nè siamo poi stati i primi a mettere questa sempremai ricevuta usanza, che il debole sia tenuto sotto dal più forte. Oltre di che credevamo di meritarlo e voi pur lo credevate sino a qui ; se non che ora calcolando l' utilità vostra, siete ricorsi ai termini di dritto, per anteporre i quali niuno fu mai che migliorar non volesse le cose $ue quando gli venne il destro di farlo colla forza. Meritano anzi lode tutti coloro che, seguendo l’istinto proprio dell’ uomo di comandare altrui, sieno stati più giusti di quello che avrebbe portato la loro potenza. Almeno quanto a noi pensiamo che, se altri acquistassero il nostro potère, farebbero allor daddovero conoscere se siamo nulla nulla discreti : ma a noi la nostra lenità ha fruttato a torto più di disonore che di gloria.