Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.80

[1] "Men of Lacedaemon, both I myself have the experience of many wars, and I see you of the same age with me to have the like, insomuch as you cannot desire this war either through inexperience, as many do, nor yet as apprehending it to be profitable or safe.

[2] And whosoever shall temperately consider the war we now deliberate of will find it to be no small one.

[3] For though in respect of the Peloponnesians and our neighbour states we have equal strength and can quickly be upon them, yet against men whose territory is remote and are also expert seamen and with all other things excellently furnished, as money, both private and public, shipping, horses, arms, and number, more than any one part of Greece besides, and that have many confederates paying them tribute: against such, I say, why should we lightly undertake the war? And since we are unfurnished, whereon relying should we make such haste to it? On our navy?

[4] But therein we are too weak; and if we will provide and prepare against them, it will require time. On our money? But therein also we are more too weak; for neither hath the state any, nor will private men readily contribute.

[1] ‘I have not lived so long, Lacedaemonians, without having had the experience of many wars, and I see those among you of the same age as myself, who will not fall into the common misfortune of longing for war from inexperience or from a belief in its advantage and its safety.

[2] This, the war on which you are now debating, would be one of the greatest magnitude, on a sober consideration of the matter.

[3] In a struggle with Peloponnesians and neighbors our strength is of the same character, and it is possible to move swiftly on the different points. But a struggle with a people who live in a distant land, who have also an extraordinary familiarity with the sea, and who are in the highest state of preparation in every other department; with wealth private and public, with ships, and horses, and heavy infantry, and a population such as no one other Hellenic place can equal, and lastly a number of tributary allies—what can justify us in rashly beginning such a struggle? wherein is our trust that we should rush on it unprepared?

[4] Is it in our ships? There we are inferior; while if we are to practise and become a match for them, time must intervene. Is it in our money? There we have a far greater deficiency. We neither have it in our treasury, nor are we ready to contribute it from our private funds.

„Ich selbst, ihr Lakedämonier, habe die Erfahrung vieler
Kriege und sehe auch einen Theil von euch in den gleichen
Jahren mit mir, in denen Einer weder aus Mangel an Erfahrung einen
Krieg herbei wünscht, wie es wohl bei der großen Menge der Fall sein
mag, noch auch denselben für etwas Gutes und Gewinnbringendes
hält. Was nun den Krieg betrifft, über welchen hier berathschlagt
wird, so möchte er sich wohl nicht als einender unbedeutenderen finden
lassen, wenn man die Umstände genau erwägt. Den Peloponnesiern
und unsern Nachbarn ist unsere Macht zwar gewahcsen, und wir sind
hier auch im Stande, nach allen Punkten hin die nöthigen Maßregeln
schnell zu treffen; allein gegenüber den Bewohnern eines entfernteren
Landes, die überdies im Seewesen sehr erfahren sind und auch sonst
in allen Stücken auf's Trefflichste versehen, mit Privatreichthum
nämlich und öffentlichen Geldern, mit Schiffen, Pferden, Waffen und einer
Menschenmenge, wie sie sonst in keinem andern Hellenischen Staate
vorhanden sind, und die dazu noch viele zinspflichtige Bundesgenossen
haben, — wie kann man gegen solche so leichthin Krieg anfangen,
und worauf setzen wir denn eigentlich unser Vertrauen, daß wir trotz
der mangelnden Vorbereitungen damit so eilen sollten? Etwa auf
Schiffe? Da sind wir die Schwächeren; und wenn wir uns erst üben
und unsere Gegenrüstungen herstellen wollen, so wird das Zeit
brauchen. Oder vielleicht auf Geld? Das haben wir erst recht gar nicht; ¹
denn wir haben weder im öffentlichen Schatze etwas, noch sind wir
damit bei der Hand, aus dem Eigenen beizusteuern."

LXXX. « J’ai moi-même l’expérience de bien des guerres, ô Lacédémoniens, et je vois parmi vous des hommes de mon âge qui l’ont également. Aussi ne vous laisserez-vous point entraîner aveuglément, comme tant d’autres, à désirer la guerre, ni à la croire utile et sans danger. Celle sur laquelle vous délibérez en ce moment ne paraîtra pas, tant s’en faut, de médiocre importance, si l’on y réfléchit mûrement. Contre les Péloponnésiens et les peuples limitrophes nous combattons dans les mêmes conditions, et nous pouvons nous porter rapidement sur chaque point. Mais quand il s’agit d’hommes qui habitent une contrée éloignée, qui ont, de plus, une grande expérience de la mer, qui sont abondamment pourvus de tout, richesses particulières et publiques, flotte, chevaux, armes, population plus nombreuse qu’aucun autre État de la Grèce, nombreux alliés tributaires, peut-on s’engager légèrement dans une guerre contre eux ? Sur quoi donc comptons-nous pour nous précipiter ainsi en avant sans préparatifs ? Sur nos vaisseaux ? Mais à cet égard nous leur sommes inférieurs ; et, pour nous exercer, pour leur opposer une flotte, il faudra du temps. Sur nos finances ? Sur ce point notre infériorité est bien plus grande encore ; nous n’avons ni trésor public ni ressources disponibles dans les fortunes privées.

« J’ai traversé bon nombre de guerres, et je vois ici bien des gens de mon âge qui peuvent en dire autant ; ils n’imiteront donc pas le commun des hommes qui, par inexpérience, désirent la guerre, parce qu'ils la croient profitable et sans danger.

« Celle qui fait l’objet de votre délibération ne vous paraîtra pas sans importance, pour peu que vous y réfléchissiez. Aux Péloponésiens, aux peuples de notre voisinage, nous pouvons opposer une force égale, et ils sont à portée de nos coups ; mais comment entreprendre légèrement une lutte contre des hommes qui habitent une terre éloignée, qui ont une grande expérience de la mer, qui sont abondamment pourvus de toutes choses, richesses privées et publiques, vaisseaux, chevaux, armes, population plus nombreuse qu’en aucune autre contrée de la Grèce, et qui de plus Ont une foule d’alliés tributaires? Et sur quoi compterions-nous, pour nous hâter avant d’être suffisamment préparés? Sur notre marine? Mais à cet égard nous leur sommes inférieurs ; et, si nous voulons nous exercer et nous mettre en état de leur tenir tête, il faudra du temps. Sur nos finances? Encore moins; car nous n’avons pas de trésor public, et nous sommes peu disposés à contribuer de nos deniers.

[1] " I have both myself, Lacedaemonians, had experience in my day of many wars, and I see men among you who are as old as I am; no one of them, therefore, is eager for war through lack of experience, as would be the case with most men, nor because he thinks it a good or a safe thing.

[2] And you would find that this war about which you are now deliberating is likely to prove no trifling matter, if one should reflect upon it soberly.

[3] For in a contest with the Peloponnesians or the neighbouring states ¹ our power is of the same type with theirs ² and we can be upon them quickly at every point; but when opposed to men whose territory is far away, who besides are beyond all others experienced in seamanship and are best equipped in all other respects, with wealth both private and public, ships, horses, arms and a larger population than is to be found in anyother single district in Hellas, who have, moreover, numerous allies subject to tribute—against such men why should we lightly take up arms ? In what do we place our trust that we should attack them unprepared ? In our ships? But there we are inferior;

[4] and if we train and make ourselves ready to encounter them, that will take time. In our wealth then ? But in that respect we are still more deficient, neither having money in the treasury of the state nor finding it easy to raise money from our private resources by taxation. ³

[1] "I have both myself already had experience in many wars, Lacedaemonians, and see that those of you who are of the same age [have had it also]; so that one would neither desire the business from inexperience, as might be the case with most men, nor from thinking it a good and safe one.

[2] But this war, about which you are now consulting, you would find likely to be none of the least, if any one should soberly consider it.

[3] For against the Peloponnesians and our neighbours our strength is of the same description, and we can quickly reach our destination in each case. But against men who live in a country far away, and besides are most skilful by sea, and most excellently provided with every thing else, with riches, both private and public, and ships, and horses, and heavy-armed, and a crowd of irregulars, such as there is not in any one Grecian town beside, and moreover, have many allies under payment of tribute; how can it be right to declare war rashly against these men? and in what do we trust, that we should hurry on to it unprepared? Is it in our ships? Nay, we are inferior to them:

[4] but if we shall practise and prepare against them, time will pass in the interval. Well then, is it in our money? Nay, but we are still more deficient in this, and neither have it in the public treasury, nor readily contribute it from our private funds.

[1] r Et ipse, Lacedaemonii, multorum jam bellorum eum peritus, et item peritos illos de vobis video, qui sunt eadem aetate, ita ut neque propter imperitiam belli quisqoam cupidus sit futurus, id quod multis vulgo acciderit, neque propterea, quod id bonum ac tutum judicet.

[2] lntelliga* tis autem hoc, de'quo nunc consultatis, bellum non minimum fore, si quis id sapienter perpenderit.

[3] Nam adversus quidem Peloponnesios et finitimos nostrae vires sunt prope pares, et cito in locum quemque pervenire possumus; sed adversus viros, qui et agrum procul incolunt, et praeterea rerum maritimarum sunt peritissimi, et ceteris omnibus rebus optime sunt instructi, et privatis et publicis opibus et navibus et equis et armis et hominum copia, quanta non in alia una Graeciae civitate est, et praeterea multos socios vectigales habent, quo tandem modo bellum adversus hos facile suscipere oportet? et qua re fretos, quum simus imparati, exsurgere?

[4] Utrum classe? At hac inferiores sumus; si vero ei parandae operam dabimus, et nos adversus illos instruemus, tempus intercedet. Sed fortasse pecunia? At ista multo etiam magis impares sumus, et nec in aerario habemus. neque a privatis prompte sumimus.

« Ed io e voi che qui véggo della mia età, o Lacedemoni, abbiamo già di più d' una guerra esperienza ; così che non è da credere che alcuno o per imperizia la guerra desideri ( lo che a molti intervenir potrebbe ), o perchè la creda cosa utile e sicura : ma voi troverete questa guerra intorno a cui deliberate, non essere per riuscire di piccol momento, ove alcuno si faccia a saggiamente considerarla. Conciossiachè difronte ai Peloponnesi ed ai confinanti noi abbiam forze quasi eguali, e prontamente possiamo recarci contro ciascuno di essi : ma contro a genti che abitano terre lontane, e per aggiunta bravissime in mare, e di tutte cose ottimamente fornite , di pubbliche e private ricchezze, di navi, cavalli, armi e soldatesca quanta non è in Verun altro luogo della Grecia, con di più molti alleati tributari ; come mai incontro a costoro hassi ad intraprendere francamente la guerra ? Ed a che affidati, senza apparecchiamenti affrettarsi cotanto ? Forse alle navi ? ma ne siamo al di sotto : e se vorremo esercitarvict in modo da star loro a fronte, egli abbisogna di tempo. Forse ai denari ? ma anche in ciò siamo molto inferiori : noi non abbiamo nè pubblica , nè privata pecunia per contribuir prontamente.