Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.120

[1] About the same time, whilst they were going to and fro, Scione, a city in Pallene, revolted from the Athenians to Brasidas. The Scionaeans say that they be Pallenians descended of those of Peloponnesus, and that their ancestors, passing the seas from Troy, were driven in by a tempest, which tossed the Achaeans up and down, and planted themselves in the place they now dwell in.

[2] Brasidas, upon their revolt, went over into Scione by night; and though he had a galley with him that went before, yet he himself followed aloof in a light-horseman. His reason was this: that if his light-horseman should be assaulted by some greater vessel, the galley would defend it; but if he met with a galley equal to his own, he made account that such a one would not assault his boat, but rather the galley, whereby he might in the meantime go through in safety.

[3] When he was over and had called the Scionaeans to assemble, he spake unto them as he had done before to them of Acanthus and Torone, adding that they of all the rest were most worthy to be commended, inasmuch as Pallene, being cut off in the isthmus by the Athenians that possess Potidaea, and being no other than islanders, did yet of their own accord come forth to meet their liberty, and stayed not through cowardliness till they must of necessity have been compelled to their own manifest good; which was an argument that they would valiantly undergo any other great matter to have their state ordered to their minds; and that he would verily hold them for most faithful friends to the Lacedaemonians, and also otherwise do them honour.

[1] In the days in which they were going backwards and forwards to these conferences, Scione , a town in Pallene , revolted from Athens , and went over to Brasidas. The Scionaeans say that they are Pallenians from Peloponnese , and that their first founders on their voyage from Troy were carried in to this spot by the storm which the Achaeans were caught in and there settled.

[2] The Scionaeans had no sooner revolted than Brasidas crossed over by night to Scione , with a friendly galley ahead and himself in a small boat some way behind; his idea being that if he fell in with a vessel larger than the boat he would have the galley to defend him, while a ship that was a match for the galley, would probably neglect the small vessel to attack the large one, and thus leave him time to escape.

[3] His passage effected, he called a meeting of the Scionaeans and spoke to the same effect as at Acanthus and Torone , adding that they merited the utmost commendation in that, in spite of Pallene within the isthmus being cut off by the Athenian occupation of Potidaea and of their own practically insular position, they had of their own free will gone forward to meet their liberty instead of timorously waiting until they had been by force compelled to their own manifest good. This was a sign that they would valiantly undergo any trial, however great; and if he should order affairs as he intended, he should count them among the truest and sincerest friends of the Lacedaemonians, and would in every other way honour them.

Um dieselbe Zeit, als in jenen Tagen die Gesandten
zusammentraten, fiel Skione. eine Stadt auf Pallene, von den
Athenern zum Brasidas ab. Die Skionäer sagen, sie seien Palleneer
aus dem Peloponnes, und ans der Rückfahrt von Troja seien ihre
Alten durch jenen Sturm, welcher die Achaier'übcrfiel, an dieß Land
verschlagen wörd.en'und, hätten sich da angebaut. Da sie abfallen
wollten, fuhr BrasidaS zur Nachtzeit nach Stione hinüber, indem ein ^{1 2 3}
befreundetes Kriegsschiff voraussegelte, welchem er selbst auf einem ⁴
Boote in einiger Entfernung folgte, damit, wenn er auf ein feind-<
liches Schiff stoßen sollte, welches größer als sein Boot sei, daS
Kriegsschiff ihn schütze; würde aber ein anderer Dreiruderer von
gleicher Stärke wie das Kriegsschiff sich zeigen, so dachte er, werde
derselbe nicht auf sein kleines Fahrzeug loSgehen, sondern auf daS
große Schiff, und unterdessen könne er sich retten. Er kam übrigens
hinüber, ließ die Skionäer zusammen kommen und sagte ihnen
dasselbe; wie in AkanthoS und Torone, indem er hinzufügte, „daß sie
ihm'des größten Lobes würdig erschienendenn obgleich Pallene bei
der Landenge abgesperrt.sei, weil die Athener Potidäa im Besitz
hätten, und sie demnach sich in Nichts von Inselbewohnern
unterschieden, seien sie doch aus freier Bewegung der Freiheit beigetreten
und hätten nicht in feiger Unthätigkeit abgewartet, bis ein ihnen
offenbar zukommendes Gut mit Gewalt ihnen aufgenötbigt würde,
und daS sei ein Beweis, daß sie auch unter anderen Umständen die
größten Gefahren mannhaft bestellen würden. Wenn erst ihre
Verhältnisse ganz nach ihren Wünschen geordnet seien, so werde er sie in
Wahrheit für die treuesten Freunde der Lakedämonier halten und sie
auch im Uebrigen zu ehren wissen."

CXX. Dans le temps même où l’on négociait la trêve, Scione, ville de l’isthme de Pallène, se détacha des Athéniens pour se donner à Brasidas. Les Scioniens prétendent être des Pallènes originaires du Péloponnèse ; leurs ancêtres, au retour de Troie, auraient été jetés dans cette contrée par la tempête qu’essuyèrent les Grecs, et s’y seraient établis. Après leur défection, Brasidas cingla de huit vers Scione. Il s’était fait précéder par une trirème amie ; lui-même suivait à distance sur un bâtiment léger, afin que, s’il rencontrait quelque bâtiment plus grand que le sien, la trirème pût le défendre ; que si au contraire il survenait une autre trirème de même force, il comptait qu’elle se tournerait plutôt contre le vaisseau que contre le bâtiment le plus faible, et qu’il aurait alors la possibilité d’échapper. Il fit heureusement la traversée, convoqua les Scioniens à une assemblée, et leur parla comme à ceux d’Acanthe et de Torone. Il ajouta qu’ils méritaient les plus grands éloges ; car, quoique les Athéniens, maîtres de Potidée ¹ , sur l’isthme, isolassent Pallène du continent, et les réduisissent à la con- dition d’insulaires, ils avaient couru d’eux-mêmes au-devant de la liberté, sans attendre lâchement que la nécessité les obligeât à chercher ce qui était évidemment leur bonheur ; que c’était la preuve qu’ils sauraient supporter avec courage les plus grandes épreuves, une fois les affaires réglées suivant leurs désirs ; qu’il les regarderait comme les amis les plus sincèrement dévoués aux Lacédémoniens, et leur témoignerait tous les égards possibles.

Dans le temps même qu’avait lieu l’échange des ratifications , Scione, ville située dans lia Pallène, se détacha des Athéniens pour se donner à Brasidas. Les Scionéens se prétendent originaires de Pellène dans le Péîoponèse ¹ . A les entendre, leurs ancêtres, à leur retour de Troie , furent assaillis par la tempête qui dispersa les Grecs , et jetés sur la côte où ils s’établirent. Après leur défection, Brasidas passa de nuit dans leur ville. Il était précédé par une trirème amie, et lui-même suivait à distance dans un bngantin. C’était afin que, s’il rencontrait un bâtiment plus grand que le sien, la trirème prît sa défènse ; et que, s’il se présentait un navire de force égale, il s’attaquât de préférence à la trirème en permettant au brigantin de s’échapper. Arrivé heureusement à Scione, il convoqua les habitants et leur adressa les mêmes discours qu’aux Acanthiens et aux Toronéens. Il ajouta qu’ils méritaient les plus grands éloges, eux qui, enfermés dans la Pallène par les Athéniens qui occupaient Potidée, et réduits pour ainsi dire à l'état d’insulaires, n’avaient pas laissé dé courir au-devant de la liberté, sans attendre timidement que la nécessité les poussât vers leur avantage manifeste; que c’était l’indice du courage avec lequel ils sauraient soutenir les épreuves les plus fortes, une fois leurs affaires réglées selon leurs vœux ; qu’il les regarderait comme les plus fidèles amis de Lacédémone, et qu’il ne manquerait aucune occasion de les honorer.

[1] About the very time when they were performing the rites of confirmation, ¹ Scione, a city in Pallene, revolted from the Athenians and went over to Brasidas. The Scionaeans assert that they came originally from Pellene ² in the Peloponnesus, and that the first settlers in Scione were driven to this place on their way back from Troy by the storm ³ which the Achaeans encountered, and settled here.

[2] On their revolt, Brasidas crossed over ⁴ by night to Scione, a friendly trireme sailing ahead and he himself following in a skiff at some distance behind. His idea was that, if he should meet with any boat larger than a skiff, the trireme would protect him, but if another trireme of equal strength should come along it would turn, not against the smaller boat, but against the ship, and in the meantime he could get safely across.

[3] He succeeded in crossing, and having called a meeting of the Scionaeans repeated what he had said at Acanthus and Torone, adding that their own conduct had been most praiseworthy of all because, when Pallene was cut off at the isthmus by the Athenians who held Potidaea and when they were nothing but islanders, they had not supinely awaited the compulsion of necessity in a matter that was manifestly for their own good, but had of their own free will taken the side of freedom; and that, he said, was a proof that they would endure like men any other peril however great; and if things should be settled according to his wish, he would consider them in very truth most loyal friends of the Lacedaemonians and would honour them in other respects.

[1] About the time at which they were thus going backwards and forwards to each other, Scione, a town in Pallene, revolted from the Athenians to Brasidas. Now these Scionaeans say that they are Palleneans from the Peloponnese, and that their first founders, while on their voyage from Troy, were carried to this place by the storm which the Achaeans experienced, and there took up their abode.

[2] On their revolting, Brasidas crossed over to Scione by night, with a friendly trireme sailing ahead of him, and himself following at some distance in a skiff; that in case of his falling in with any vessel larger than the skiff, the trireme might come to his aid; while if another trireme of equal force came against them, he thought that it would not turn upon the smaller vessel, but upon the ship, and in the mean time he should make his escape. Having thus crossed over, and convened an assembly of the Scionaeans, he spoke to the same effect as at Acanthus and Torone:

[3] and told them, moreover, that they were most deserving of praise, inasmuch as, though Pallene within the isthmus was cut off from succours by land through the Athenians occupying Potidaea, and they were virtually nothing else but islanders, they had of their own accord joined the banner of liberty, and had not through cowardice waited for compulsion to be applied to them, in the case of what was manifestly for their own advantage. That this was a proof that they would also endure like men any other even of the greatest perils, if [by their so doing] their affairs should be arranged to their satisfaction; in short, that he should consider them as truly the most faithful allies of the Lacedaemonians, and show them all other proofs of his respect.

[1] Per hos autem dies, quibus alteri ad alteros adibant, Scione apud Pellenen civitas ab Atheniensibus ad Brasidam defecit. Dicunt autem Scionaei se Pellenenses quidem esse ex Peloponneso oriundos, sed suos majores, quum a Troja navigarent, tempestate, -qua Acbivi jactati sunt, in eum locum delatos esse, ibique sedes posuisse.

[2] Quum autem illi defecissent, Brasidas noctu Scionen trajecit, triremi quidem socia praeeunle, ipse vero celoce vectus eminus sub-sequens, ut si forte in aliquod navigium celoce majus incideret, triremis opem ipsi ferret, si vero alia pan magnitudine triremis advenisset, existimabat illam non recta venturam contra minus navigium, sed conlra triremem, et se interea saluti suae consulturum.

[3] Quum autem eo trajecisset, Scionaeorum concione advocata dixit eadem, qua? et Acanthi et Toronae, et addebat praeterea, ipsos maxima laude dignos esse, qui quum Pellene in isthmo ab Atheniensibus Potidaeam tenentibus sit intercepta, quumque nihil aliud sint, quam insulani, tamen sua sponte ad libertatem transierint, neque per ignaviam exspcctarint, ut sibi necessitas admoveretur in manifesto domestico bono. Hoc autem argumento esse, ipsos vel ad quodvis aliud summum discrimen fortiter subeundum paratos fore, si res ex animi sententia constituantur; ac re vera se fidelissimos Lacedaemoniorum amicos illos existimaturum esse et aliis lionori-bus affecturum.

Nei giorni di queste scambievoli gite Sciane, città in Pellene, si ribellò dagli Ateniesi per darsi a Brasida. Dicono gli Scionesi di essere Pelleuii oriundi del Peloponneso ; ma che i loro maggiori nel ritorno da Troia furono per tempesta sofferta dai Greci sbalzati in questo luogo, e vi presero abitazione. Brasida, per sostenere la ribellione, tragittò di notte a Scione preceduto da trireme alleata , tenendole egli dietro a qualche distanza in piccola barchetta, perchè se s’incontrasse in una nave più grossa della barchetta, lo difenderebbe la trireme ; c se altra trireme di egual forza lo sopraggiungesse, non si volterebbe al legno più piccolo, ma bensì contro la nave, ed egli intanto si salverebbe. Arrivato a Scione riunì a parlamento gli Scionesi e disse loro lo stesso che ad Acanto e a Torona : ed aggiunse, esser loro i più degni di lode, perocché, sebben Pellene fosse tagliata fuori e riserrata nell’ istmo dagli Ateniesi che tenevano Potidea, e sebbene per ciò essi potessero dirsi isolani, nondimeno erano spontaaeamente corsi a libertà, e non avevano per codardia aspettato che la necessità li obbligasse a far quello che era di evidente vantaggio alla patria : ciò mostrare che avendo lo stato quella costituzione che si desidera , essi vorranno da prodi sostenere i più grandi cimenti; ed egli per la verità U stimerebbe i più fedeli amici dei Lacedemoni , e per ogni altro conto gli averebbc in onore.