Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.53

[1] And the great licentiousness, which also in other kinds was used in the city, began at first from this disease. For that which a man before would dissemble and not acknowledge to be done for voluptuousness, he durst now do freely, seeing before his eyes such quick revolution, of the rich dying and men worth nothing inheriting their estates.

[2] Insomuch as they justified a speedy fruition of their goods even for their pleasure, as men that thought they held their lives but by the day.

[3] As for pains, no man was forward in any action of honour to take any because they thought it uncertain whether they should die or not before they achieved it. But what any man knew to be delightful and to be profitable to pleasure, that was made both profitable and honourable.

[4] Neither the fear of the gods nor laws of men awed any man, not the former because they concluded it was alike to worship or not worship from seeing that alike they all perished, nor the latter because no man expected that lives would last till he received punishment of his crimes by judgment. But they thought there was now over their heads some far greater judgment decreed against them before which fell, they thought to enjoy some little part of their lives.

[1] Nor was this the only form of lawless extravagance which owed its origin to the plague. Men now coolly ventured on what they had formerly done in a corner, and not just as they pleased, seeing the rapid transitions produced by persons in prosperity suddenly dying and those who before had nothing succeeding to their property.

[2] So they resolved to spend quickly and enjoy themselves, regarding their lives and riches as alike things of a day.

[3] Perseverance in what men called honor was popular with none, it was so uncertain whether they would be spared to attain the object; but it was settled that present enjoyment, and all that contributed to it, was both honorable and useful.

[4] Fear of gods or law of man there was none to restrain them. As for the first, they judged it to be just the same whether they worshipped them or not, as they saw all alike perishing; and for the last, no one expected to live to be brought to trial for his offences, but each felt that a far severer sentence had been already passed upon them all and hung ever over their heads, and before this fell it was only reasonable to enjoy life a little.

Auch in andern Dingen war die Seuche für die Stadt der
Anfang vermehrter Gesetzlosigkeit. Denn womit Einer früher geheim
gethan hatte, darin ließ er jetzt schon mit größerer Frechheit seiner Lust
die Zügel schießen, weil er sah, wie schnell ein Glückswechsel eintrat,
wie die Reichen plötzlich dahinstarben, und solche, die früher Nichts
besessen, jener Hab und Gut in Besitz nahmen. So trachteten sie also
ihre Genüsse zu beschleunigen und deren Süßigkeit zu erhöhen, denn
Leib und Gut sahen sie beides gleich schnell vergänglich. Und um des
Guten und Rühmlichen wegen sich einer Mühe zu unterziehen, war
Keiner geneigt, da er es für ungewiß hielt, ob er nicht zu Grunde
gehen werde, bevor er das Ziel erreicht habe. Was aber schon an sich
selbst angenehm war oder irgendwie dem Genuß förderlich schien, das
galt auch sür schön und nützlich. Weder Furcht der Götter noch
menschliches Gesetz hielt da Einen zurück, denn weil man Alle in gleicher Weise
umkommen sah, so urtheilte man auch, daß es gleichgültig sei, ob man
die Götter fürchte oder nicht fürchte, und Keiner hoffte so lange zu
leben, bis er wegen seiner Verbrechen vor Gericht gestellt und gestraft
würde; vielmehr sah er eine bereits fest verhäugte und viel größere
Strafe über seinem Haupte schweben, und bevor diese hereinbreche, sei
es doch billig, daß man seines Lebens noch in etwas genieße.

LIII. Sous d’autres rapports encore cette maladie inaugura à Athènes un redoublement d’iniquités : les voluptés qu’on ne recherchait autrefois qu’en secret, on s’y abandonnait maintenant sans honte, au spectacle de tant de vicissitudes subites, à la vue des riches enlevés en un moment, et des pauvres de la veille succédant tout à coup à leur fortune. On voulait jouir sans retard ¹ et on ne visait qu’au plaisir du moment, en songeant que les biens et la vie étaient également éphémères. Nul ne daignait se fatiguer à poursuivre un but honnête, dans la pensée qu’on n’était pas assuré de ne point mourir avant d’y atteindre. La volupté du moment et tout ce qui pouvait y conduire, à quelque titre que ce fût, voilà ce qui était devenu beau et utile. Ni la crainte des dieux, ni aucune loi humaine ne retenait personne ; car, en voyant mourir indistinctement tout le monde, on jugeait la piété et l’impiété également indifférentes ; d’ailleurs, on ne comptait pas vivre assez pour atteindre le jour du jugement et de la punition ; on regardait comme beaucoup plus terrible l’arrêt déjà prononcé et suspendu sur sa tête ; et, avant d’en être frappé, on trouvait naturel de jouir un peu de la vie.

Cette maladie donna dans la ville le signal d’un autre genre de désordres. Chacun se livra plus librement à des excès qu’il cachait naguère. A la vue de si brusques vicissitudes, de riches qui mouraient subitement, de pauvres subitement enrichis, on ne pensait qu’à jouir et à jouir vite ; la vie et la fortune paraissaient également précaires. Nul ne prenait la peine de poursuivre un but honorable ; car on ne savait si on vivrait assez pour y parvenir. Allier le plaisir et le profit, voilà ce qui devint beau et utile. On n’étaiç retenu ni par la crainte des dieux ni par celle des lois. Depuis qu’on voyait tant de monde périr indistinctement, on ne mettait plus aucune différence entre la piété et l’impiété ; d’ailleurs personne ne croyait prolonger ses jours jusqu’à la punition de ses crimes. Chacun redoutait bien davantage l’arrêt déjà prononcé contre lui et suspendu sur sa tête ; avant d’ètre atteint, on voulait goûter au moins de la volupté.

[1] In other respects also the plague first introduced into the city a greater lawlessness. For where men hitherto practised concealment, that they were not acting purely after their pleasure, ¹ they now showed a more careless daring. They saw how sudden was the change of fortune in the case both of those who were prosperous and suddenly died, and of those who before had nothing but in a moment were in possession of the property of the others.

[2] And so they resolved to get out of life the pleasures which could be had speedily and would satisfy their lusts, regarding their bodies and their wealth alike as transitory.

[3] And no one was eager to practise self-denial in prospect of what was esteemed honour, ² because everyone thought that it was doubtful whether he would live to attain it, but the pleasure of the moment and whatever was in any way conducive to it came to be regarded as at once honourable and expedient.

[4] No fear of gods or law of men restrained; for, on the one hand, seeing that all men were perishing alike, they judged that piety and impiety came to the same thing, and, on the other, no one expected that he would live to be called to account and pay the penalty of his misdeeds. On the contrary, they believed that the penalty already decreed against them, and now hanging over their heads, was a far heavier one, and that before this fell it was only reasonable to get some enjoyment out of life.

[1] In other respects also the plague was the origin of lawless conduct in the city, to a greater extent [than it had before existed]. For deeds which formerly men hid from view, sc as not to do them just as they pleased, they now more readily ventured on; since they saw the change so sudden in the case of those who were prosperous and quickly perished, and of those who before had had nothing, and at once came into possession of the property of the dead.

[2] So they resolved to take their enjoyment quickly, and with a sole view to gratification; regarding their lives and their riches alike as things of a day.

[3] As for taking trouble about what was thought honourable, no one was forward to do it; deeming it uncertain whether, before he had attained to it, he would not be cut off; but every thing that was immediately pleasant, and that which was conducive to it by any means whatever, this was laid down to be both honourable and expedient.

[4] And fear of gods, or law of men, there was none to stop them; for with regard to the former they esteemed it all the same whether they worshipped them or not, from seeing all alike perishing; and with regard to their offences [against the latter], no one expected to live till judgment should be passed on him, and so to pay the penalty of them; but they thought a far heavier sentence was impending in that which had already been passed upon them; and that before it fell on them, it was right to have some enjoyment of life.

[1] Atque primum aliis etiam in rebus civitati majoris improbitatis initium hic morbus fuit. Facilius enim quisque audebat facere, quae prius occultabat, quin ex animi libidine patraret, quod repentinam rerum mutationem fieri viderent, quum homines quidem fortunati repente morerentur, illi vero, qui niliil ante possidebant, statim illorum bona haberent.

[2] Itaque bonis illis celeriter perfru-endum, operamque voluptatibus dandam censebant, quod pariter et corpora et bona momentanea esse existimarent.

[3] Et ad labores ultro tolerandos rei causa, quae visa erat honesta, nemo animo promptus erat, incertum existimans num priusquam ad illam pervenisset, interiret; sed quidquid jam voluptatem praebere aut quidquid undique ad eam comparandam lucrum esse videbatur, hoc etiam honestum, et utile judicatum esf.

[4] Deorum autem metus aut horni-num lex nulla arcebat; quippe illos quidem colere perinde i esse judicabant ac non colere, quod omnes pariter mori | viderent; delictorum vero nullus se tamdiu victurum spe- rabat, dum instituto judicio poenam daret, sed multo majo-rem hanc esse, quae jam decreta sibi impenderet, quae antequam ingrueret, par utique esse vita frui.

[1] Männer von Sicilien! Ihr wisset, nicht die Ohnmacht meiner Vaterstadt oder ihre Erschöpfung durch den Krieg ist es, was mir diese Worte eingibt, sondern allein die uneigennützige Absicht, dem gesamten Sicilien den besten Rath zu ertheilen, den es nach meiner Ueberzeugung für dasselbe gibt. Ich möchte von dem Krieg und seinen Leiden anheben und über seine zahllosen Uebel mich verbreiten; indes ihr kennet sie ja. Denn so wenig Unkunde die Schuld trägt an einem aufgenöthigten Kriege, ebensowenig lässt sich die Eroberungslust durch Furcht von ihm zurückschrecken. Natürlich; ihr ¹ erscheinen die Vortheile grösser als die Gefahren, während man dort sich lieber den Kriegsgefahren aussetzen will, um einem gewissen Verlust zu entgehen. Aber eben wenn es sich ergibt, dass beide Grundsätze zur Unzeit in Anwendung gebracht werden, dann ist eine Mahnung zur Friedfertigkeit am Platze. Dies ist gerade unser Fall, und es liegt alles daran, dass wir uns davon überzeugen.

Hat uns nicht alle bisher die Erwägung unserer Sonderinteressen geleitet in diesem Kriege wie heute bei unsern Friedensvorschlägen, wo wieder hin und hergerechtet wird, und falls es nicht jedem gelingt, zu seinem Rechte zu kommen, der Wiederausbruch des Krieges in gewisser Aussicht steht?

Questo morbo fu pure nel rimanente quello che originò le più grandi nequizie nella Repubblica. Imperocché al veder le frequenti mutazioni sì dei ricchi che repentinamente morivano, sì degli altri che per l' avanti stremi essendo di tutto, entravano a possedere le cose di quelli, stimavano doversi affrettare a goderle per far quanto era loro a grado ; e riguardando la durata della vita c della ricchezza egualmente d’un giorno solo, trascorrevano più arditamente a quelle cose, la cui passione studiavano dianzi di celare. La fatica precedente il conseguimento d’un fine reputato onesto non era chi volesse imprenderla, stimando incerto se prima di giugnerlo non avesse ad esser vittima della peste ; e solo ciò che apparisse piacevole e per ogni lato vantaggioso si aveva per onesto ed utile. Niono era raffrenato dal timor degli Dei o da legge d’uomini : non dal primo, perchè vedendo tutti perire , giudicavano tutt’uno avere o no religione ; non dall’altra, perchè nessuno si aspettava di viver tanto che potesse farsi processo de' suoi delitti e pagar la pena : anzi vedendone sovrastare una più grave gih decretata dai fati, avvisavano prima di incontrarvisi doversi godere un poco la vita.