Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.97

[1] Now using their authority at first in such manner as that the confederates lived under their own laws and were admitted to common council, by [the] war and administration of the common affairs of Greece from the Persian war to this, what against the barbarians, what against their own innovating confederates, and what against such of the Peloponnesians as chanced always in every war to fall in, they effected those great matters following.

[2] Which also I have therefore written both because this place hath been pretermitted by all that have written before me (for they have either compiled the Grecian acts before the invasion of the Persians or that invasion only, of which number is Hellanicus, who hath also touched them in his Attic history, but briefly and without exact mention of the times), and also because they carry with them a demonstration of how the Athenian empire grew up.

[1] Their supremacy commenced with independent allies who acted on the resolutions of a common congress. It was marked by the following undertakings in war and in administration during the interval between the Median and the present war, against the barbarian, against their own rebel allies, and against the Peloponnesian powers which would come in contact with them on various occasions.

[2] My excuse for relating these events, and for venturing on this digression, is that this passage of history has been omitted by all my predecessors, who have confined themselves either to Hellenic history before the Median war, or to the Median war itself. Hellanicus, it is true, did touch on these events in his Athenian history; but he is somewhat concise and not accurate in his dates. Besides, the history of these events contains an explanation of the growth of the Athenian empire.

Was nun die Athener als Oberanführer der
Bundesgenossen — welche anfangs noch ihre eigenen Gesetze behielten und auch
in den gemeinschaftlichen Versammlungen mitberiethen — im'Kriege
und in der Leitung der Staatsgeschäfte zwischen diesem
^peloponnesischen^ und dem persischen Kriege, sei eS nun gegen den Barbaren, sei
es gegen ihre eigenen abgefallenen Bundesgenossen und die
Peloponnesier, welche dabei jedes Mal im Spiel waren, ausgeführt haben, ^{1 2 3}
wird im Folgenden erzählt. Zu diesen Aufzeichnungen und zu der
Abschweifung von meiner eigentlichen Erzählung finde ich mich aber
deshalb veranlaßt, weil dieses Stück Geschichte bei meinen Vorgängern
noch ganz fehlt, da sie entweder nur die Hellenische Geschichte vor
den Perserkriegen, oder die Perserkriege selbst beschrieben haben, und
auch Hellanikos der in seiner Attischen Geschichte diese Dinge
berührt, ihrer nur kurz und nicht in der richtigen Zeitfolge
Erwähnung thut. Zugleich gibt diese Erzählung auch eine Vorstellung
davon , in welcher Weise sich die Herrschaft der Athener allmälig
befestigt hat.

XCVII. Commandant à des alliés d’abord indépendants et admis à délibérer dans les assemblées communes, les Athéniens accrurent leur puissance et par les armes et par le maniement des affaires, dans l’in- tervalle qui sépare la guerre rnédique de celle-ci. Voici le précis de ces accroissements successifs, au milieu de leurs démêlés soit avec les barbares et avec leurs alliés révoltés, soit avec les peuples du Péloponnèse, toujours mêlés, l’un ou l’autre, à ces querelles. Je me suis permis une digression ¹ à ce sujet, parce que tous ceux qui m’ont précédé ont négligé cette partie, pour se borner à l’histoire de la Grèce avant la guerre médique, ou à la guerre médique elle-même. Le seul qui ait touché ce point, Hellanicus ² , dans son histoire de l’Attique, l’a traité brièvement et laisse à désirer pour l’exactitudé chronologique. C’est d’ailleurs par ces faits qu’on peut voir comment s’est établie la domination athénienne.

Placés à la tête d'alliés originairement indépendants et ayant droit de suffrage dans des assemblées générales, les Athéniens étendirent peu à peu leur domination, soit par les armes, soit par des mesures administratives, dans l’intervalle compris entre la guerre Médique et celle-ci. Ils eurent tour à tour à combattre les Barbares, leurs propres alliés révoltés, et enfin les Péloponésiens, qu’ils rencontraient dans tous leurs différends. A ce propos je me suis permis une digression, parce que tous mes devanciers ont laissé cette période dans l’ombre, et se sont bornés à raconter Thistoire de la Grèce avant ou pendant les guerres Médiques. Le seul qui ait abordé ce sujet, Hellanicos, dans son histoire d’Athènes ¹ , n’a fait que l'effleurer, sans indiquer exactement la chronologie. D’ailleurs cet exposé achèvera de faire connaître comment s'établit l’empire des Athéniens.

[1] Exercising then what was at first a leadership over allies who were autonomous and took part in tle deliberations of common assemblies, the Athenians, in the interval between this war and the Persian, undertook, both in war and in the administration of public affairs, the enterprises now to be related, which were directed against the Barbarian, against their own allies when they attempted revolution, and against such of the Peloponnesians as from time to time came into conflict with them in the course of each attempt.

[2] And I have made a digression to write of these matters for the reason that this period has been omitted by all my predecessors, wlo have confined their narratives either to Hellenic affairs before the Persian War or to the Persian War itself; and Hellanicus, the only one of these who has ever touched upon this period, has in his Attic History treated of it briefly, and with inaccuracy as regards his chronology. And at the same time the narrative of these events serves to explain how the empire of Athens was established.

[1] Now they led the allies at first as possessing independence, and deliberating in common councils; and executed, both in the field and in their administration of affairs, between this war and the Median, the following undertakings; which were achieved by them against the barbarian, and against their own innovating allies, and those of the Peloponnesians who from time to time came in contact with them in each matter.

[2] I have written an account of these events, and made this digression from my history, because this subject was omitted by all before me; who either wrote the history of Greece before the Median war, or of that war itself: and Hellanicus, who did touch on them in his Attic history, mentioned them but briefly, and not accurately with regard to their chronology. Besides, they also afford ¹ an opportunity of showing in what manner the empire of the Athenians was established.

[1] Quum autem initio sociis imperarent liberis, et de communi consilio in publicis conciliis consultantibus, ad lanium imperium pervenerunt bello, rerumque inter hoc et Medicum bellum administratarum opera, quas ipsi gesserunt et contra barbarum et contra suoe socios, qui re» novas moliebantur, et contra Peloponnesios. qui in quaque re forte intererant.

[2] Res autem istas scripsi et digressionem ab instituta narratione feci liac de causa, quia hic locus ab omnibus, qui ante me scripserunt, est praetermissus ; nam illi vel res ante bellum Medicum a Graecis gestas, vel ipsum bellum Medicum conscribebant. In hoc aulcm numero est et Hellanicus, qui in Attica historia has res attigit, sed breviter, tempotibusque non accurate distinctis mentionem earum fecit. Simul etiam aperte hic demonstratur, quali modo Atheniensium imperium fuerit constitutum.

[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.

In principio gli Ateniesi governavano gli alleati, lasciando loro le proprie leggi , ed il dritto di deliberare nelle generali adunanze : ma nel tempo di mezzo a questa guerra e quella del Medo, sono pervenuti al grado presente di potenza per essersi esercitati in guerra, e per aver condotto a lieto fine le brighe avute col barbaro, coi propri alleati che mulinassero cose nuove, e con quei tra i Peloponnesi che a mano a mano prendessero parte in ciascuna di quelle controversie. Ed io ne ho scritto l’istoria , fatta digressione dal mio soggetto, avvegnaché questo punto sia stato omesso da tutti gli scrittori prima di ine, che hanno narrato o i fatti de’ Greci anteriori alla guerra dei Medi , o quelli solo della guerra con i Medi. Ed Elamico , che pur lo toccò nella storia attica , rammenta le code in succinto, e senza accurata indicazione dei tempi. Inoltre questa digressione insegna chiaramente il modo onde venne a stabilirsi l' impero degli Ateniesi.