Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.89

[1] Now the manner how the Athenians came to the administration of those affairs by which they so raised themselves was this.

[2] After that the Medes, overcome by sea and land, were departed, and such of them as had escaped by sea to Mycale were there also utterly overthrown, Leotychides, king of the Lacedaemonians, then commander of the Grecians at Mycale, with their confederates of Peloponnesus went home. But the Athenians with their confederates of Ionia and the Hellespont, as many as were already revolted from the king, stayed behind and besieged Sestus, holden then by the Medes; and when they had lain before it all the winter, they took it abandoned by the barbarians. And after this they set sail from the Hellespont, everyone to his own city.

[3] And the body of the Athenians, as soon as their territory was clear of the barbarians, went home also and fetched thither their wives and children and such goods as they had from the places where they had been put out to keep, and went about the reparation of their city and walls. For there were yet standing some pieces of the circuit of their wall, and likewise a few houses (though the most were down) which the principal of the Persians had reserved for their own lodgings.

[1] The way in which Athens came to be placed in the circumstances under which her power grew was this.

[2] After the Medes had returned from Europe , defeated by sea and land by the Hellenes, and after those of them who had fled with their ships to Mycale had been destroyed, Leotychides, King of the Lacedaemonians, the commander of the Hellenes at Mycale, departed home with the allies from Peloponnese . But the Athenians and the allies from Ionia and Hellespont, who had now revolted from the king, remained and laid siege to Sestos , which was still held by the Medes. After wintering before it, they became masters of the place on its evacuation by the barbarians; and after this they sailed away from Hellespont to their respective cities.

[3] Meanwhile the Athenian people, after the departure of the barbarian from their country, at once proceeded to carry over their children and wives, and such property as they had left, from the places where they had deposited them, and prepared to rebuild their city and their walls. For only isolated portions of the circumference had been left standing, and most of the houses were in ruins; though a few remained, in which the Persian grandees had taken up their quarters.

Zu der Stufe aber, bis zu welcher ihre Macht gewachsen
war, gelangten die Athener auf folgende Weise Als die Meder,
zu Wasser und zu Lande von den Hellenen besiegt, Europa geräumt
hatten, und auch die vernichtet waren, welche sich zu Schiff nach
Mykale geflüchtet hatten, so kehrte der Lakedämonierkönig LeotychideS,
der bei Mykale über die Hellenen den Oberbefehl geführt, mit den
peloponnesischen Bundesgenossen nach Hause zurück. Die Athener aber
und die Bundesgenossen aus Jonien und vom Hellespont, welche vom
König schon abgefallen waren, blieben vor SestoS und belagerten die
persische Besatzung, und nachdem sie den Winter durch ausgehalten,
bekamen sie auch die Stadt in ihre Gewalt, indem die Barbaren
abzogen. Dann räumten ihre Schiffe den HelleSpont, und Jeder kehrte
nach seiner Heimaih zurück. Die Regierung von Athen aber ließ, da
die Barbaren aus ihrer Landschaft abgezogen waren, die Weiber und
Kinder und sonstiges Gut von den Orten, wo dieselben in Sicherheit
gebracht worden waren, wieder nach Hause bringen und traf
Anstalten, die Stadt und die Mauern wieder auszubauen. Von den
Ringmauern stand nämlich nur noch sehr wenig, und die Häuser
waren meist eingestürzt, bis auf wenige, in denen die vornehmen Perser
selbst Wohnung genommen hatten.

LXXXIX. Voici, du reste, comment les Athéniens parvinrent à la direction des affaires, source première de leur puissance. Lorsque les Mèdes, vaincus sur terre et sur mer par les Grecs, eurent quitté l’Europe, et que ceux d’entre eux qui s’étaient retirés sur leurs vais- seaux à Mycale eurent été détruits ¹ , Léotychidas, roi des Lacédémoniens, qui commandait à Mycale, retourna dans sa patrie avec les alliés du Péloponnèse. Les Athéniens, au contraire, avec les alliés de l’Ionie et de l’Hellespont qui déjà s’étaient détachés du roi, continuèrent la guerre et assiégèrent Sestos ² , occupée par les Mèdes. Ils passèrent l’hiver devant cette place, dont les rendit maîtres le départ des barbares ; ensuite ils quittèrent l’Hellespont pour rentrer chacun dans leur pays. Dès que les barbares eurent évacué l’Attique, les Athéniens ramenèrent leurs enfants, leurs femmes et leurs effets des lieux où ils les avaient mis en sûreté ³ , et se disposèrent à relever leur ville et leurs murailles. L’enceinte était détruite à peu de chose près ; la plupart des maisons étaient tom- bées ⁴ ; il ne restait debout que celles, on petit nombre, qu’avaient occupées les plus considérables des Perses.

Il me reste maintenant à raconter de quelle manière les Athéniens étaient parvenus à la suprématie qui contribua tant à leur puissance.

Quand les Mèdes eurent quitté l'Europe, vaincus par les Grecs sur terre et sur mer; quand ceux d’entre eux qui, avec leurs vaisseaux, avaient cherché un refuge à Mycale, eurent été détruits, Léotychidas, roi des Lacédémoniens, qui commandait les Grecs en cette journée, retourna dans sa patrie avec les alliés du Péloponèse. Les Athéniens au contraire, avec les alliés de l’Ionie et de l’Hellespont déjà révoltés contre le roi, continuèrent la guerre et mirent le siège devant Sestos, que les Mèdes occupaient. Ils passèrent l’hiver sous les murs de cette place, dont ils s’emparèrent après la retraite des Barbares. Ensuite ils abandonnèrent l’Hellespont, et chacun regagna ses foyers.

A peine l'Attique avait-elle été évacuée parles Barbares, que les Athéniens faisaient revenir des lieux où ils les avaient mis à l’abri leurs enfants, leurs femmes et le restant de leure effets; après quoi ils se disposèrent à reconstruire leur ville et leurs murailles. Il ne subsistait presque rien de l’ancienne enceinte ; la plupart des maisons étaient tombées, sauf quelques-unes, qu'avaient occupées les principaux des Perses.

[1] For it was in the following manner that the Athenians found themselves face to face with those circumstances in dealing with which they rose to greatness.

[2] When the Persians had retreated from Europe, defeated on both sea and land by the Hellenes, ¹ and those of them who with their ships had taken refuge at Mycale had perished there, Leotychides, king of the Lacedaemonians, wh1o was commander of the Hellenes at Mycale, went home with the allies from the Peloponnesus. But the Athenians, together with the allies fiom Ionia and the Hellespont, ² who were already in revolt from the King, remained at their task and besieged Sestos, which was held by the Persians; and passing the winter there they took it, as it had been deserted by the Barbarians; and after that the contingents of the several cities sailed away from the Hellespont.

[3] But the Athenian people, when the Barbarians had departed from their territory, straightway began to fetch back their wives and their children and the remnant of their household goods from where they had placed them for safety, ³ and to rebuild the city and the walls; for of the encircling wall only small portions were left standing, and most of the houses were in ruins, only a few remaining in which the chief men of the Persians had themselves taken quarters.

[1] For it was in the following manner that the Athenians were brought to those circumstances under which they increased their power.

[2] When the Medes had retreated from Europe after being conquered both by sea and land by the Greeks, and those of them had been destroyed who had fled with their ships to Mycale; Leotychides, king of the Lacedaemonians, who was the leader of the Greeks at Mycale, returned home with the allies that were from the Peloponnese; while the Athenians, and the allies from Ionia and the Hellespont, who had now revolted from the king, stayed behind, and laid siege to Sestos, of which the Medes were in possession. Having spent the winter before it, they took it, after the barbarians had evacuated it; and then sailed away from the Hellespont, each to his own city.

[3] And the people of Athens, when they found the barbarians had departed from their country, proceeded immediately to carry over their children and wives, and the remnant of their furniture, from were they had put them out of the way; and were preparing to rebuild their city and their walls. For short spaces of the enclosure were standing; and though the majority of the houses had fallen, a few remained; in which the grandees of the Persians had themselves taken up their quarters.

[1] Nam Athenienses hoc modo ad res eas venerunt , per quas creverunt.

[2] Postquam Medi ex Europa discesserunt, navali pariter ac pedestri pugna a Graecis victi, et qui ex illis ad Mycalen navibus confugerant, profligati sunt, Leotychides quidem Lacedaemoniorum rex, Graecorum, qui apud Mycalen erant, dux, domum abiit cum sociis, qui ex Peloponneso venerant. Athenienses vero et socii, qui ex Ionia et Hellesponto venerant, quum a

Rege jam defecissent, perseverantes, obsidebant Sestum, quam Medi lenebant, et ibi hiemantes eam a barbaris derelictam ceperunt. Postea vero ex Hellesponto in suas quique urbes navigarunt.

[3] Atheniensium vero commune, postquam barbari ipsis ex regione discesserunt, statim absportarunt illinc, ubi deposuerant liberos et uxores et quicquid supellectilis supererat, urbisque sediftcia et muros instau- rare parabant, nam et panrae lantam partes moenium resta-bantet aedes pleraque eoodderant, pancaeqne supererant, in quibus ip*i Persarum principes manseranL

[1] Diesen Grundsätzen, die wir von unsern Vätern überkommen und selber stets bewährt erfunden haben, lasst uns nicht ungetreu werden und nicht binnen weniger Stunden über so viel Menschenleben und Eigenthum, über Staatenglück und Ehre einen übereilten Beschluss fassen, sondern uns Zeit nehmen. Wir haben den Vortheil der Macht, um nichts zu versäumen. Nach Athen also sendet wegen Potidäas und wegen der Beschwerden der Bundesgenossen, besonders da sie eine gerichtliche Entscheidung nicht ablehnen. Wer diese anbietet, den hat man kein Recht als bereits Verurtheilten anzugreifen. Aber zugleich rüstet euch auch zum Kriege. Dies ist das Beste, was ihr beschliessen könnt, und wird bei dem Feind am meisten Eindruck machen.

Erano infatti gli Ateniesi pervenuti al primato degli affari , lo che fu mezzo ai loro avanzamenti, per questo modo. Dappoiché i Medi vinti da’ Greci per mare e per terra ritiraronsi dall’ Europa, e restarono distrutti quelli tra loro che si erano ricovrati sulle navi a Micale, Leotichida re dei Lacedemoni, condottiere dei Greri a Micale ritornò in patria conducendo seco gli alleati del Peloponneso : gli Ateniesi poi, e con loro i confederati delT Ionia e dell’Ellesponto, che già s’ erano ribellati al re, fermaronsi all’ assedio di Sesto occupato dai Medi ; ove restarono tutto P inverno, e si impadronirono della città da cui i barbari sloggiarono. Dopo ciò fatta vela dall’ Ellesponto tornarono ciascuno alle loro città ; e il comune degli Ateniesi, partiti che furono i Medi dal lor territorio , riportava subito di là , ove erano stati celatamente depositati , i figli, le mogli e le salvate masserizie. Poscia disponevansi a rifabbricar la città e le mura , poiché del circuito di queste piccoli brani rimanevano , e delle case moltissime erano rovinate, e sole quelle avanzavano ove erano alloggiati i magnati persiani.