Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.99

[1] Amongst other causes of revolts the principal was their failing to bring in their tribute and galleys and their refusing (when they did so) to follow the wars. For the Athenians exacted strictly and were grievous to them by imposing a necessity of toil which they were neither accustomed nor willing to undergo.

[2] They were also otherwise not so gentle in their government as they had been, nor followed the war upon equal terms, and could easily bring back to their subjection such as should revolt.

[3] And of this the confederates themselves were the causes. For through this refusal to accompany the army the most of them, to the end they might stay at home, were ordered to excuse their galleys with money, as much as it came to, by which means the navy of the Athenians was increased at the cost of their confederates, and themselves unprovided and without means to make war in case they should revolt.

[1] Of all the causes of defection, that connected with arrears of tribute and vessels, and with failure of service, was the chief; for the Athenians were very severe and exacting, and made themselves offensive by applying the screw of necessity to men who were not used to and in fact not disposed for any continuous labour.

[2] In some other respects the Athenians were not the old popular rulers they had been at first; and if they had more than their fair share of service, it was correspondingly easy for them to reduce any that tried to leave the confederacy.

[3] For this the allies had themselves to blame; the wish to get off service making most of them arrange to pay their share of the expense in money instead of in ships, and so to avoid having to leave their homes. Thus while Athens was increasing her navy with the funds which they contributed, a revolt always found them without resources or experience for war.

Die wichtigsten Ursachen des Abfalls waren außer einigen
anderen die Rückstände in der. Einzahlung deS PhorosTBeitragS^
und in der Lieferung von Schiffen und Nichterfüllung der KriegS-
pflicht, wenn sie wo vorgekommen war; denn die Athener trieben scharf ^{1 2 3}
ein und waren gleich mit Zwangsmaßregeln bei der Hand, und
wurden so denen höchst lästig, welche weder gewohnt waren, fich'S sauer
werden zu lassen, noch auch den Willen dazu hatten. Aber auch in
anderer Hinsicht war ihre Oberanführung nicht mehr so beliebt, wie
sie denn auch in den gemeinschaftlichen Kriegszügen die
Bundesgenossen nicht mehr als ihres Gleichen behandelten, während es ihnen
sehr leicht wurde, die Abgefallenen sich zu unterwerfen. Daran waren
jedoch die Bundesgenossen selbst Schuld, denn wegen ihrer Abneigung
gegen den Kriegsdienst hatten sich die Meisten in Geld schätzen lassen
anstatt der SchiffSlieferung, um nur zu Hause bleiben zu können, und
bezahlten lieber die auf sie entfallende Summe. Und während die
Athener von diesen Geldbeiträgen ihre Flotte vermehrten, waren jene,
wenn sie abfielen, zum Kriege weder gerüstet, noch besaßen sie
Erfahrung darin.

XCIX. Les motifs de défection ne manquaient pas ; au premier rang étaient le défaut de paiement des redevances en argent et en vaisseaux et le refus de service ; car les Athéniens agissaient avec rigueur et excitaient des mécontentements par l’imposition forcée de charges qu’on n’avait ni l’habitude ni la volonté de supporter. Sous bien d’autres rapports leur domination s’était appesantie ¹ : dans les expéditions communes, ils ne traitaient plus les alliés sur le pied de l’égalité ; et d’ailleurs, il leur était devenu facile de réduire ceux qui les abandonnaient. La faute en était aux alliés eux-mêmes ; car, par suite de leur répugnance pour le service militaire, la plupart d’entre eux, pour ne pas quitter leurs foyers, stipulaient une redevance en argent, équivalente au contingent de vaisseaux auquel ils étaient tenus. La marine athénienne s’accroissait de leur contribution, et ensuite, lorsqu’euxmêmes tentaient quelque défection, ils s’engageaient dans la guerre sans préparatifs et sans expérience.

Les défections provenaient de plusieurs causes, en particulier de la difficulté qu’éprouvaient la plupart des alliés à fournir régulièrement l’argent, les vaisseaux et même les hommes. Les Athéniens usaient de rigueur, et se faisaient haïr en employant la contrainte envers des gens qui n’avaient ni l’habitude ni la volonté d’endurer les fatigues de la guerre ¹ . Leur commandement avait cessé d’être accepté avec plaisir; dans les expéditions communes, ils ne traitaient plus les alliés en égaux, et il leur était facile de réprimer les rébellions. La faute en était aux alliés eux-mêmes ; la plupart, dans leur répugnance à porter les armes et à s’éloigner de leurs foyers, s’étaient imposé, en place des vaisseaux à fournir, une somme d’argent équivalente Ainsi la marine athénienne s’accroissait avec les fonds fourn s parles alliés; et lorsque ceux-ci venaient à se révolter, ils se trouvaient engagés dans la guerre sans avoir ni l’expérience ni les forces nécessaires pour la soutenir.

[1] Now while there were other causes of revolts, the principal ones were the failures in bringing in the tribute or their quota of ships and, in some cases, refusal of military service; for the Athenians exacted the tribute strictly and gave offence by applying coercive measures to any who were unaccustomed or unwilling to bear the hardships of service.

[2] And in some other respects, too, the Athenians were no longer equally agreeable as leaders; they would not take part in expeditions on terms of equality, and they found it easy to reduce those who revolted.

[3] For all this the allies themselves were responsible; for most of them, on account of their aversion to military service, in order to avoid being away from home got themselves rated in sums of money instead of ships, which they should pay in as their proportionate contribution, and consequently the fleet of the Athenians was increased by the funds which they contributed, while they themselves, whenever they revolted, entered on the war without preparation and without experience.

[1] Now there were other reasons for the revolts, but the principal were arrears of tribute and ships, and failing (if any did so) in military service: for the Athenians strictly exacted these things, and were offensive by usingcompulsion to men who were neither accustomed nor willing to do hard work.

[2] In some other respects also they were no longer liked in their government, as they had been; and while they did not join in the service on an equal footing, at the same time it was easy for them to bring to subjection those who revolted.

[3] And for this the allies themselves were to blame; for owing to this aversion to expeditions, the greater part of them, to avoid being away from home, agreed to contribute money instead of ships as their quota of the expense; and so the fleet of the Athenians was increased from the funds which they contributed, while they themselves, whenever they revolted, found themselves unprepared and inexperienced for war.

[1] Defectionum vero causae quum aliae erant, tum vero praecipuae, tributorum et navium reliquationes, et militiae recusatio, si cui contigisset. Nam Athenienses haec severe exigebant, et molesti erant, quum hominibus, nec assuetis nec volentibus aerumnas perpeti, necessitatem imponerent.

[2] Erant autem etiam alioquin Athenienses non amplius pariter jucundi, postquam imperium tenebant, et neque ex aequo cum sociis militabant, et facile iis erat, eos, qui deficerent , in officium redigere.

[3] Quarum acerbitatum ipsi socii fuerunt auctores. Nam ob hanc militandi pigritiam eorum plerique, ne domo abessent, pecunias navium loc ad sumptus faciendos pro rata portione conferre staluerun* Atque Atheniensium quidem res navalis augebatur hoc sumptu, quem illi faciebant; ipsi vero, quoties defectionem facerent, imparati et imperiti bellum suscipiebant.

[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.

Tra i varii motivi di ribellione erano i principali il rifiuto dei tributi e delle navi, e la mancanza iu dii che fosse al servigio militare. Perocché gli Ateniesi erano rigorosi esattori, e rendevansi odiosi costringendo alle militari fatiche gente non usatavi e non volenterosa. Erano ancora per altre cagioni non più come prima aggraditi nel loro comando , e nelle spedizioni non concorrevano con soldatesca egualmente che gli altri ; tanto per essi era facile assoggettare i ribelli. Ma di queste soperchierie erano cagione gli alleati stessi, la più parte dei quali, attesa questa ritrosia al servigio militare per non dilungarsi dalla patria, invece che dare le navi, tassavansi a pagar l' equivalente in denaro. Così gli Ateniesi accrescevano la loro flotta colla pecunia contribuita da quelli, i quali ove si ribellassero, entravano in guerra poveri e scarsi d’apparecchi.