Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 3.94

[1] The same summer, and about the same time that the Athenians stayed in Melos, those other Athenians that were in the thirty galleys about Peloponnesus slew first certain garrison soldiers in Ellomenus, a place of Leucadia, by ambush. But afterwards with a greater fleet and with the whole power of the Acarnanians, who followed the army, all (but the Oeniades) that could bear arms, and with the Zacynthians and Cephalonians and fifteen galleys of the Corcyraeans, made war against the city itself of Leucas.

[2] The Leucadians, though they saw their territory wasted by them both without the isthmus and within where the city of Leucas standeth and the temple of Apollo, yet they durst not stir because the number of the enemy was so great. And the Acarnanians entreated Demosthenes, the Athenian general, to wall them up, conceiving that they might easily be expugned by a siege and desiring to be rid of a city their continual enemy.

[3] But Demosthenes was persuaded at the same time by the Messenians that, seeing so great an army was together, it would be honourable for him to invade the Aetolians, principally as being enemies to Naupactus; and that if these were subdued, the rest of the continent thereabouts would easily be added to the Athenian dominion.

[4] For they alleged that though the nation of the Aetolians were great and warlike, yet their habitation was in villages unwalled and those at great distances, and were but light-armed and might, therefore, with no great difficulty be all subdued before they could unite themselves for defense.

[5] And they advised him to take in hand first the Apodotians, next the Ophionians, and after them the Eurytanians (which are the greatest part of Aetolia, of a most strange language, and that are reported to eat raw flesh); for these being subdued, the rest would easily follow.

[1] The same summer, about the same time that the Athenians were detained at Melos , their fellow-citizens in the thirty ships cruising round Peloponnese , after cutting off some guards in an ambush at Ellomenus in Leucadia, subsequently went against Leucas itself with a large armament, having been reinforced by the whole levy of the Acarnanians except Oeniadae, and by the Zacynthians and Cephallenans and fifteen ships from Corcyra .

[2] While the Leucadians witnessed the devastation of their land, without and within the isthmus upon which the town of Leucas and the temple of Apollo stand, without making any movement on account of the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, the Acarnanians urged Demosthenes, the Athenian general, to build a wall so as to cut off the town from the continent, a measure which they were convinced would secure its capture and rid them once and for all of a most troublesome enemy.

[3] Demosthenes however had in the meanwhile been persuaded by the Messenians that it was a fine opportunity for him, having so large an army assembled, to attack the Aetolians, who were not only the enemies of Naupactus , but whose reduction would further make it easy to gain the rest of that part of the continent for the Athenians.

[4] The Aetolian nation, although numerous and warlike, yet dwelt in unwalled villages scattered far apart, and had nothing but light armour, and might, according to the Messenians, be subdued without much difficulty before succors could arrive.

[5] The plan which they recommended was to attack first the Apodotians, next the Ophionians, and after these the Eurytanians, who are the largest tribe in Aetolia , and speak, as is said, a language exceedingly difficult to understand, and eat their flesh raw. These once subdued, the rest would easily come in.

¹ Im selben Sommer und zu derselben Zeit, als die Athener
auf Melos standen, hatten die Athener auf den dreißig Schiffen in
den peloponnesischen Gewässern zuerst bei Ellomenos in Leukadien
Leute von der Besatzung in einem Hinterhalt erschlagen, dann zogen
sie mit größerer Mannschaft gegen Leukas, nämlich mit allen
Akarnanern, die mit ihrer Gesammtmacht — nur die Oeniader
ausgenommen, — sich angeschlossen hatten, mit den Zakynthiern und
Kephalle-nern und fünfzehn Schiffen der Kerkyräer. Die Leukadier nun, da ihr
Land außer und inner der Landenge, auf der die Stadt Leukas selbst
und das Heiligthum des Apollo liegen, hielten sich ruhig, von der
Menge gewältigt, die Akarnaner aber baten Demosthenes, den
athenischen Feldherrn, er solle sie durch Verschanzungen absperren, denn sie
glaubten, die Eroberung sei leicht und so würden sie einer Stadt ledig,
die ihnen immer feindlich gesinnt gewesen. Demosthenes ließ sich aber
damals von den Messeniern bereden, weil schon ein so großes Heer
versammelt wäre, so schicke es sich ihm, die Aetoler anzugreifen, die
Naupaktos' Feinde seien, und wenn er erst über diese gesiegt habe, so
könne er leicht auch den Athenern zuwenden, was sonst noch dort das
Festland bewohnt. Denn das Volk der Aetoler sei zwar zahlreich und
streitbar, aber sie wohnten in offenen Dörfern, die überdies; noch weit
von einander lägen, und man habe dort nur leichte Rüstung; so sei
es nicht schwer, bewiesen sie, sie zu unterwerfen, bevor sie sich zur
Abwehr vereinigt hätten. Zuerst solle er die Apodoter angreifen, dann
die Ophioneer und nach diesen die Eurytaner, welche den zahlreichsten
Theil der Aetoler ausmachen, aber eine ganz unverständliche Sprache
reden und das Fleisch roh'essen, wie behauptet wird.' Seien die erst
niedergeworfen, so würden die Andern leicht nachkommen.

XCIV. Le même été, dans le temps même où les Athéniens étaient occupés à Mélos, ceux d’entre eux qui, avec trente vaisseaux, croisaient autour du Péloponnèse, après avoir tué dans une embuscade quelques soldats de la garnison d’Ellomène, en Leucadie, se portèrent sur Leucade avec des forces plus considérables. Tous les Acarnanes en masse, à l’exception des OEniades, les suivirent, ainsi que les Zacynthiens, les Céphalléniens et quinze vaisseaux de Corcyre. Ils ravagèrent le pays, tant au delà de l’isthme qu’en deçà, dans la partie où sont situés Leucade et le temple d’Apollon. Les Leucadiens, contenus par la su- périorité du nombre, ne firent aucun mouvement. Les Acarnanes prièrent Démosthènes, général des Athéniens, d’investir la place au moyeu d’un mur fortifié ; ils espéraient la réduire aisément et se débarrasser d’une ville qu’ils avaient toujours eue pour ennemie ; mais, dans le même temps, les Messéniens persuadèrent à Démosthènes qu’il serait digne de lui, ayant sous la main des forces considérables, d’attaquer les Étoliens. Ils lui représentèrent que ce peuple était ennemi de Naupacte ; que, s’il les subjuguait, il lui serait facile de soumettre aux Athéniens le reste de l’Épire de ce côté ; que les Étoliens étaient à la vérité un peuple nombreux et brave, mais qu’habitant des bourgades sans murailles et fort éloignées les unes des autres, armés seulement à la légère, ils seraient aisément vaincus avant d’avoir pu se prêter un mutuel secours. Ils lui conseillaient d’attaquer d’abord les Apodoles, ensuite les Ophioniens, et après eux les Eurytanes ¹ . Ces peuples forment la portion la plus considérable des Étoliens, parlent une langue tout à fait inconnue, et se nourrissent, dit-on, de chair crue. Une fois qu’on les aurait réduits, le reste se rendrait aisément.

Le même été, pendant que les Athéniens séjournaient à Mélps, ceux d’entre eux qui, avec les trente vaisseaux, faisaient le tour du Péloponèse, arrivèrent d’abord à Ellomène, place appartenant aux Leucadiens. Là ils tuèrent, à la faveur d’une embuscade, quelques soldats de la garnison ; ensuite ils se portèrent avec toutes leurs forces contre Leucade elle-même. Ils avaient avec eux la levée en masse des Acarnaniens, sauf les OEniades, un certain nombre de Zacynthiens et de Céphallé-niens, enfin quinze vaisseaux de Corcyre. Levant une agression si formidable, les Leucadiens ne firent aucun mouvement, bien que leurs terres fussent ravagées, soit au delà de l’isthme, soit en deçà, dans la partie où se trouvent la ville de Leucade et le temple d’Apollon. Les Acarnaniens pressaient le général athénien Démosthène d'investir la place, dans l’espoir de la réduire sans peine et d’être ainsi délivrés d’irréconciliables ennemis. Mais quelques Messéniens représentèrent à Démosthène que, disposant de si grandes forces, il serait beau pour lui d’attaquer les Étoliens, peuples ennemis de Naupacte, et dont la'Soumission entraînerait celle de tonte cette partie du continent. Les Ëtoliens, disaient-ils, sont une nation brave et nombreuse ; mais, comme ils sont armés à la légère et qu’ils habitent des villages non fortifiés, à une grande distance les uns des autres, il serait aisé de les battre isolément, avant qu’ils fussent parvenus à se rassembler. Ils lui conseillaient d’attaquer en premier lieu les Apodotes, puis les Ophionéens et enfin les Eury-tanes ¹ . Ceux-ci forment la portiou la plus considérable de l’Étolie, parlent une langue tout à fait ignorée et se nourrissent, dit-on, de chair crue. Ces peuples une fois réduits, le reste suivrait de près.

[1] During the same summer, and at about the time when the Athenians were detained at Melos, the troops of the thirty Athenian ships that were cruising round the Peloponnesus first set an ambush at Ellomenus in Leucadia and killed some of the garrison, and then, later on, went against Leucas with a greater armament, which consisted of all the Acarnanians, who joined the expedition with their entire forces (with the exception of the people of Oeniadae), some Zacynthians and Cephallenians, and fifteen ships from Corcyra.

[2] The Leucadians, finding themselves outnumbered, were obliged to remain quiet, although their lands were being ravaged both without and within the isthmus, ¹ where stands Leucas and the temple of Apollo; but the Acarnanians tried to induce Demosthenes, the Athenian general, to shut them in by a wall, thinking they could easily reduce them by siege and thus rid themselves of a city that was always hostile to them.

[3] But just at this time Demosthenes was persuaded by the Messenians that it was a fine opportunity for him, seeing that so large an army was collected, to attack the Aetolians, because they were hostile to Naupactus, and also because, if he defeated them, he would find it easy to bring the rest of the mainland in that region into subjection to the Athenians.

[4] The Aetolians, they explained, were, it was true, a great and warlike people, but as they lived in unwalled villages, which, moreover, were widely separated, and as they used only light armour, they could be subdued without difficulty before they could unite for mutual defence.

[5] And they advised him to attack the Apodotians first, then the Ophioneans, and after them the Eurytanians. These last constitute the largest division of the Aetolians, their speech is more unintelligible than that of the other Aetolians, and, according to report, they are eaters of raw flesh. If these tribes were subdued, they said, the rest would readily yield.

[1] The same summer, and about the same time that the Athenians were detained at Melos, the forces on board the thirty ships that were cruising about the Peloponnese first of all laid an ambush at Ellomenus in Leucadia, and cut off some garrison troops; and afterwards came against Leucas with a larger force, and with all the Acarnanians, who accompanied them in a body, except the Aeniadae, and with the Zacynthians and Cephallenians, and fifteen ships of the Corcyraeans.

[2] The Leucadians, on the wasting of their territory, both without and within the isthmus, on which stands Leucas and the temple of Apollo, being overpowered by such numbers, remained quiet; while the Acarnanians requested Demosthenes, the general of the Athenians, to cut them off by a wall, thinking that they might then easily take them by storm, and so be rid of a city which was always hostile to them.

[3] But Demosthenes was persuaded at the same time by the Messenians that it was a fine opportunity for him, with so large an army collected together, to attack the Aetolians, who were hostile to Naupactus, and by reducing whom he would easily win for Athens the rest of the continent in these parts.

[4] For they represented to him that the nation of the Aetolians, though numerous and warlike, were yet not difficult to subdue before succours reached them, as they lived in unfortified villages, and those far apart, and used but light armour.

[5] And they advised him to attack in the first place the Apodotians, next the Ophioneans, and after them the Eurytanians, which are the largest division of the nation, speaking, it is said, the most unintelligible language, and being cannibals; for if these were subdued, the rest would readily surrender.

[1] Eadem aestate et sub idem tempus, quo A thenien-ses in Melo detinebantur, ilii quoque Athenienses, qui cum triginta navibus circa Peloponnesum erant, primum quidem ad Ellomenum Leucadiae quosdam cx praesidiariis per insidias interfecerunt; deinde vero cum majore classis apparatu et cum omnibus Acarnanibus, qui cum universis copiis, exceptis (Eniadis, eos comitabantur, praeterea cum Zacynthiis et Cephalleniis et quindecim Corcyraeorum navibus adversus Leucadem iverunt.

[2] Atque Leucadii quidem, quum eorum ager tam extra isthmum vastaretur, quam intra , ubi et ipsa Leucas est sita et Apollinis templum, ob militum multitudinem necessario quiescebant; Acarnanes vgro exigebant a Demosthene Atheniensium duce, ut eos circumvallaret, rati et facile urbem expugnari posse, seque civitate sibi semper inimica liberatum iri.

[3] Sed Demosthenes hoc ipso tempore verbis Messeniorum adductus est, ut crederet e dignitate sua esse, tanto exercitu coacto, iEtolis bellum inferre, quod et Naupacto hostes essent, et si hos superasset, reliquas quoque civitates, quas in illis Epiri partibus erant, in Atheniensium potestatem facile redacturum.

[4] iEtolorum enim gentem magnam illam quidem, et bellicosam esse; quia tamen in vicis nullo muro cinctis, iisque longo intervallo inter se distantibus habitaret, et levi armatura uteretur, eam non difficulter ab eo subigi posse demonstrabant, antequam copias contra ipsum cogerent.

[5] Suadebant autem, ut primum quidem invaderet Apodotos, deinde vero Ophionenses, post hos Eurytanes, quae est maxima iEtolorum pars; sermone autem utuntur perquam intellectu difficili, et carnibus crudis vescuntur, ut dicitur; bis enim captis ceteros etiam populos deditionem facile facturos.

[1] So wenig geben wir uns Täuschungen hin über unser wahres Interesse. Und wer könnte euch auch ausser dem Eide eine festere Bürgschaft bieten, als diejenigen, deren Handlungen nach ihren Versprechungen beurtheilt zu dem Schlusse nöthigen, dass ihre Zusagen mit ihrem Vortheil zusammenfallen? Solltet ihr jedoch meinem Ansinnen euer Unvermögen entgegenhalten, dabei aber doch Schonung ansprechen von denen, die ihr von euch stosst; die Freiheit sei für euch zu gefahrlich, man solle sie nur denen anbieten, die sie auch anzunehmen im Stande seien und sie keinem wider seineu Willen aufdrängen, so werde ich die Götter und Heroen des Landes zu Zeugen aufrufen, dass meine redlichen Absichten verkannt werden, und werde zu Zwangsmitteln greifen und euer Land verheeren. Die Schuld ist fortan nicht auf mir, den eine doppelte Notwendigkeit mehr als genug entschuldigt. Sollen die Lacedämonier, wenn ihr nicht beitreten werdet, von eurer Feindschaft den Schaden haben und eure Geldmittel den Athem zufliessen lassen? Oder sollt ihr die Befreiung Griechenlands aus seiner Knechtschaft hintertreiben dürfen? Denn freilich ohne den Rechtsgrund eines (grossen) vaterländischen Interesses dürften wir nicht so verfahren ¹ , noch würde sich Sparta berufen fühlen, ein widerstrebendes Volk zu befreien. Ja wenn wir nach Herrschaft trachteten; allein wir streben vielmehr, dem Herrscherwesen ein Ende zu machen, so dass es Unrecht an der Mehrzahl wäre, wenn wir im Bewustsein, der Welt die Freiheit zu bringen, euer Widerstreben duldeten. Erwäget dies wohl und schätzet euch glücklich, zu eurem unvergänglichen Ruhme den ersten Grundstein für Griechenlands Befreiung zu legen, was euch die Verwüstung der eigenen Habe ersparen und der Stadt den gefeiertsten Namen erwerben wird.

Nella medesima estate e quasi al tempo stesso m cui gli Ateniesi si trattenevano a Melo, gli altri Ateniesi delle trenta navi che stavano in crociata intorno al

Peloponneso primieramente sorpresero con aguati presso Ellomeno della Leucadia, ed uccisero alcune guarnigioni ; e dipoi con armata più numerosa andarono contro Leucade, unitamente a tutti gli Acarnani che, eccettuati gli Eniadi, li seguivano a pieno popolo, con gli Zacintii e i Cefalleni, più quindici navi di Corfuotti. Sopraffatti i Leucadii da tanta moltitudine non si movevano , benché vedessero darsi il guasto alla campagna si fuori che dentro l' istmo, ove è Leucade stessa ed il tempio di Apollo. Gli Acarnani pregavano Demostene generale degli Ateniesi a riserrarli con un muro, sperando che facilmente li espugnerebbero , e si disbrigherebbero dì una città sempre loro nemica. Ma nel medesimo tempo i Messenii persuadono Demostene, che avendo riunito si numeroso esercito, sarebbe per lui onorevole impresa assalire gli Etoli perchè nemici di Naupatto : vincendo i quali ridurrebbe agevolmente in potere degli Ateniesi anche il rimanente di quel tratto dell9 Epiro ; essere sì bene gli Etoli popolo grande e guerresco , ma abitando a borgate molto tra loro distanti e senza mura, ed usando solo di armatura leggera, non sarebbe difficile soggiogarli prima che potessero riunirsi a oomune soccorso a invadesse ( lo confortavano ) prima gli Apodoti, quindi gli Ofionesi, dopo loro gli Euritani ( che sono la parte più grande degli Etoli, e come è fama, hanno linguaggio ignotissimo, e si cibano di carni crude) ; perchè soggiogati costoro fa« cilmente anche gli altri calerebbero agli accordi.