Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.78

[1] About the same time of this summer, Brasidas, marching towards the cities upon Thrace with seventeen hundred men of arms, when he came to Heracleia in Trachinia, sent a messenger before him to his friends at Pharsalus, requiring them to be guides unto him and to his army. And when there were come unto him Panaerus and Dorus and Hippolochidas and Torylaus and Strophacus, who was the public host of the Chalcideans, all which met him at Melitia, a town of Achaia, he marched on.

[2] There were other of the Thessalians also that convoyed him; and from Larissa he was convoyed by Niconidas, a friend of Perdiccas. For it had been hard to pass Thessaly without a guide howsoever, but especially with an army. And to pass through a neighbour territory without leave is a thing that all Grecians alike are jealous of. Besides, that the people of Thessaly had ever borne good affection to the Athenians.

[3] Insomuch, as if by custom the government of that country had not been lordly rather than a commonwealth, he could never have gone on. For also now as he marched forward, there met him at the river Enipeus others, of a contrary mind to the former, that forbade him and told him that he did unjustly to go on without the common consent of all.

[4] But those that convoyed him answered that they would not bring him through against their wills, but that coming to them on a sudden, they conducted him as friends. And Brasidas himself said he came thither a friend both to the country and to them; and that he bore arms, not against them, but against the Athenians their enemies; and that he never knew of any enmity between the Thessalians and Lacedaemonians whereby they might not use one another's ground;

[5] and that even now he would not go on without their consent; for neither could he, but [only] entreated them not to stop him. When they heard this, they went their ways. And he, by the advice of his guides, before any greater number should unite to hinder him, marched on with all possible speed, staying nowhere by the way. And the same day he set forth from Melitia he reached Pharsalus and encamped by the river Apidanus;

[6] from thence he went to Phacium; from thence into Peraebia. The Peraebians, though subject to the Thessalians, set him at Dion in the dominion of Perdiccas, a little city of the Macedonians situate at the foot of Olympus on the side towards Thessaly.

[1] About the same time in the summer, Brasidas set out on his march for the Thracian places with seventeen hundred heavy infantry, and arriving at Heraclea in Trachis , from thence sent on a messenger to his friends at Pharsalus , to ask them to conduct himself and his army through the country. Accordingly there came to Melitia in Achaia Panaerus, Dorus, Hippolochidas, Torylaus, and Strophacus, the Chalcidian Proxenus, under whose escort he resumed his march,

[2] being accompanied also by other Thessalians, among whom was Niconidas from Larissa, a friend of Perdiccas. It was never very easy to traverse Thessaly without an escort; and throughout all Hellas for an armed force to pass without leave through a neighbour's country, was a delicate step to take. Besides this the Thessalian people had always sympathized with the Athenians.

[3] Indeed if instead of the customary close oligarchy there had been a constitutional government in Thessaly , he would never have been able to proceed; since even as it was, he was met on his march at the river Enipeus by certain of the opposite party who forbade his further progress, and complained of his making the attempt without the consent of the nation.

[4] To this his escort answered that they had no intention of taking him through against their will; they were only friends in attendance on an unexpected victor. Brasidas himself added that he came as a friend to Thessaly and its inhabitants; his arms not being directed against them but against the Athenians, with whom he was at war, and that although he knew of no quarrel between the Thessalians and Lacedaemonians to prevent the two nations having access to each other's territory, he neither would nor could proceed against their wishes; he could only beg them not to stop him.

[5] With this answer they went away, and he took the advice of his escort, and pushed on without halting, before a greater force might gather to prevent him. Thus in the day that he set out from Melitia he performed the whole distance to Pharsalus , and encamped on the river Apidanus; and so to Phacium, and from thence to Perrhaebia.

[6] Here his Thessalian escort went back, and the Perrhaebians, who are subjects of Thessaly , set him down at Dium in the dominions of Perdiccas, a Macedonian town under Mount Olympus , looking towards Thessaly .

Um dieselbige Zeit in diesem Sommer marschirte
Brasidas mit taufend und siebenhundert Schwerbewaffneten gegen die
diesseitige Gränzlandschaft von Thrakien, und als er in dem Trachinischen
Hcraklea angekommen war und einen Boten an seine Freunde
nach Pharsalos geschickt hatte, mit der Bitte, ihn und sein Heer durch
das Land zu geleiten, kamen zu ihm nach dem Achaischen Melitia
Panäros und Doros und Hippolochidas und Torylaos und
Strophakos, der Staats-Gastfreund der Chalkidier, und dann setzte er seinen
Marsch fort. Aber auch noch andere Thessaler und unter diesen
Nikonidas aus Larissa, Freund des Perdikkas, gaben ihm das Geleite.
Denn durch Thessalien ist auch sonst überhaupt nicht leicht
durchzukommen ohne Geleitsmann, geschweige denn gar bewaffnet, wie denn
auch bei sämmtlichen Hellenen sich Jeder wohl bedenken würde,
fremdes Gebiet zu durchziehen, ohne die Erlaubniß dazu erwirkt zu haben;
auch war die große Masse der Thessaler immer den Athenern zugeneigt.
Wenn also bei den Thessalern im Lande nicht die Gewaltherrschaften
in größerer Zahl bestünden, als Staaten mit Rechtsgleichheit für
Alle, so wäre er gar nicht vorwärts gekommen, zumal sogar unter
diesen Umständen Leute von der Gegenpartei seiner Freunde sich am
EnipeuSflusse, seinen Marsch aufhaltend, in den Weg stellten und ihm
sagten, daß er Unrecht thue, so ohne Erlaubniß ihrer Oberbehörde ^{1 2}
daherzumarfchiren. Seine Geleitsmänner gaben zur Antwort, sie ³
würden auch gegen den Willen jener gar nicht das Geleit übernom- y
men haben, aber er sei ganz plötzlich erschienen, und so geleiteten sie
ihn eben, weil sie seine Gastsreunde seien. AuchBrasidas selbst redete
ihnen zu, er komme als ihr und Thessaliens Freund und trage die
Waffen gegen seine Feinde, die Athener, und nicht gegen sie, und er
wisse auch gar Nichts davon, daß zwischen Thessalern und
Lakedämoniern Feindschaft herrshce, so daß Einer das Land des Andern nicht
betreten dürfe; und auch jetzt wolle er seinen Marsch nicht gegen ihren
Willen fortsetzen und er könne es auch nicht; doch erwarte er auch
nicht, daß sie ihn hindern wollten. Jene nun zogen, nachdem sie dieß
gehört hatten, wieder ab, er aber setzte aus den Rath seiner
Geleitsmänner, bevor ein neues größeres Hinderniß einträte, seinen Weg
ohne Aufenthalt im Eilmarsch fort. An demselben Tage, an welchem
er von Melitia aufgebrochen war, kam er auch noch bis PharsaloS,
wo er sich am Flusse Apidanos lagerte, und von hier nach Phakion
und von da weiter nach Perrhäbia. Hier gingen die Thessalischen
Geleitsmänncr wieder zurück, und nun brachten ihn die Petr heber,
Unterthanen derThessaler, nach Dion im Gebiet des Perdikkas, einem
Makedonischen Städtchen gegen die Thessalische Gränze hin am Fuß
des Olumpos gelegen.

LXXVIII. Vers la même époque de l’été, Brasidas partit pour l’Épithrace ¹ avec dix-sept cents hoplites. Arrivé à Héraclée de Trachinie ² , il envoya en avant un messager à Pharsale, pour demander à ses partisans de lui faciliter le passage avec son armée. Rejoint à Mélitia ³ , en Achaïe, par Panerus, Dorus, Hippolochidas, Torylaüs et Strophacus, proxène des Chalcidiens, il se mit en marche avec eux. Il avait aussi pour guides d’autres Thessaliens et Niconidas, de Larisse, ami de Perdicas ; car il était complètement impossible de traverser la Thessalie sans guides, surtout en armes. Du reste, il était généralement reçu chez tous les Grecs que le passage sans autorisation sur le territoire d’autrui était chose suspecte. Enfin la plupart des Thessaliens étaient de tout temps favorables aux Athéniens ; de sorte que si la Thessalie avait eu un gouvernement vraiment égalitaire, au lieu d’être en réalité soumise à des chefs, jamais Brasidas n’eût ainsi marché en avant ; car, même avec cet état de choses, des Thessaliens d’un parti opposé à celui de ses guides vinrent à sa rencontre, lui barrèrent le passage sur les bords du fleuve Énipée, et lui déclarèrent qu’il leur manquait en s’avançant ainsi sans l’autorisation de toute la nation. Ses guides répondirent qu’il ne passerait pas contre leur gré, mais qu’il était arrivé inopinément, et qu’ils le conduisaient en qualité d’hôtes. Brasidas déclara de son côté que, s’il traversait la Thessalie, c’était comme ami du pays et leur ami à eux-mêmes ; qu’il portait les armes contre les Athéniens et non contre eux, et qu’il ne savait pas qu’il y eût entre les Thessaliens et les Lacédémoniens aucune inimitié qui pût les empêcher de voyager les uns chez les autres ; que du reste il n’irait pas plus loin contre leur gré ; que cela ne serait même pas en son pouvoir ; qu’il les priait cependant de ne pas s’opposer à sa marche. Sur ces représentations ils se retirèrent. Brasidas, sur l’avis de ses guides, s’avança à marches forcées, sans perdre un instant, avant qu’il se formât, pour l’arrêter, un rassemblement plus considérable. Le jour même où il était parti de Mélitia, il poussa jusqu’à Pharsale, et campa sur les bords de l’Apidanus ⁴ ; de là à Phacium, et de Phacium à Pérébia. A ce point les guides thessaliens le quittèrent, et les Pérébiens, sujets des Thessaliens, le conduisirent à Dium, dans les États de Perdiccas : cette place est située au pied du mont Olympe, en Macédoine, du côté de la Thessalie.

A la même époque, Brasidas partit'pour le littoral de la Thrace avec dix-sept cents hoplites. Arrivé à Heraclee en Thraehinie , il expédia un courrier à ses amis de Pharsale, pour les prier de lui faciliter la traversée de leur pays. Panéros, Doros, Hippolochidas, TorylaosetStrophacos, proxène des Chalcidéens, vinrent à sa rencontre jusqu’à Mélitie d’Achaïe ¹ . Il se mit en route avec eux. Il avait aussi pour con ducteurs d’autres Thessaliens, en particulier Niconidas de Larisse, ami de Perdiccas. En effet, il n’était pas facile de traverser la Thessalie sans guide, surtout avec des armes. D’ailleurs, dans toute la Grèce, c’était se rendre suspect que de traverser sans permission un territoire étranger. Enfin, le peuple de Thessalie a de tout temps été favorable aux Athéniens ; en sorte que si le pays eût joui de son indépendance au lieu d’être assujetti à quelques hommes puissants, jamais Brasidas n’eût passé. Même alors, des Thessaliens du parti contraire à celui de ses conducteurs se présentèrent à lui près du fleuve Énipée et lui défendirent d’aller plus loin sans l’assentiment de la nation. Ses guides répliquèrent qu’ils ne songeaient point à passer de force, mais qu’il était venu sans qu’ils l’attendissent, et qu’étant ses hôtes, ils avaient dû l’accompagner. Brasidas déclara qu’il traversait le pays des Thessaliens en qualité d’ami ; qu’il ne portait point les armes contre eux, mais contre les Athéniens ses ennemis ; qu’il ne savait pas qu’il y eût entre les Thessaliens et les Lacédémoniens aucune inimitié qui les empêchât de se prêter mutuellement passage, que pour Theure il ne pousserait pas plus avant contre leur gré, aussi bien la chose n’était-elle pas possible ; que cependant il n’estimait pas devoir être arrêté.

Sur cette réponse, les Thessaliens se retirèrent. Alors Brasidas, d’après l’avis de ses guides, partit sans perdre un instant, et s’avança à marches forcées, avant qu’un rassemblement plus considérable ne lui barrât le chemin. Le jour même de son départ de Mélitie, il atteignit Pharsale et campa au bord du fleuve Apidanos. De là il gagna Phacion et finalement la Per-, rhébie. En cet endroit, ses guides thessaliens le quittèrent. Les Perrhèbes, sujets des Thessaliens, le conduisirent jusqu’à Dion, dans les États de Perdiccas. Cette ville est située au pied de l’Olympe, dans la partie de la Macédoine qui confine à la Thes-salie.

[1] About the same time in the course of this summer, Brasidas, who was on his way to Thrace with one thousand seven hundred hoplites, reached Heracleia in Trachis and sent forward a messenger to his friends at Pharsalus requesting them to conduct him and his army through. Accordingly he was met at Meliteia in Achaia by Panaerus, Dorus, Hippolochidas, Torylaüs, and Strophacus, who was proxenus of the Chalcidians, and then proceeded on his march. He was conducted by several Thessalians also, among whom were Niconidas of Larisa, a friend of Perdiccas.

[2] Indeed, Thessaly was not in any case an easy country to traverse without an escort, and especially with an armed force; and among all the Hellenes alike to traverse the territory of neighbours without their consent was looked on with suspicion. Besides, the common people of Thessaly had always been well disposed to the Athenians. If, therefore, the Thessalians had not been under the sway of a few powerful men, as is usual in that country, rather than under a free democracy, Brasidas would not have made headway;

[3] even as it was, he was confronted on his march, when he reached the river Enipeus, by other Thessalians belonging to the opposite party. These tried to stop him, warning him that he was doing wrong in proceeding without the consent of the whole people.

[4] But his conductors reassured them, saying that, it they were unwilling, they would not conduct him further, and that they were merely playing the part of hosts in escorting an unexpected visitor. Brasidas himself explained that he came as a friend to Thessaly and its inhabitants and was bearing arms against the Athenians, who were enemies, and not against them; moreover, he was not aware of any such hostility between the Thessalians and the Lacedaemonians as to debar them from access to each other's territory, but if in this instance they were unwilling, he would go no further, nor indeed could he do so;

[5] he hoped, however, that they would not bar his progress. On hearing this the Thessalians departed; but Brasidas, taking the advice of his escort, before a larger force could be collected to hinder him, set out at full speed and without making any halt. In fact, he finished the journey to Pharsalus on the same day on which he had set out from Meliteia, and encamped on the river Apidanus;

[6] thence he proceeded to Phacium, and from there to Perrhaebia. Here his Thessalian escort at length turned back, and the Perrhaebians, who are subjects of the Thessalians, brought him safely to Dium in the dominions of Perdiccas, a small town in Macedonia at the foot of Mt. Olympus, facing Thessaly.

[1] About the same part of the summer, when Brasidas, being on his march with one thousand seven hundred heavy-armed to the Thrace-ward countries, had come to Heraclea in Trachinia; and when, on his sending before him a messenger to his partisans in Pharsalus, and requesting them to conduct himself and his army through the country, there came to Melitia, in Achaia, Panaerus, Dorus, Hippolochidas, Torylaus, and Strophacus, who was proxenus to the Chalcidians; upon that he proceeded on his march, being conducted both by other Thessalians, and especially by Niconidas of Larissa, who was a friend of Perdiccas.

[2] For on other grounds it was not easy to pass through Thessaly without an escort, and with an armed force, especially, to pass through a neighbour's country without having obtained his consent, was regarded with suspicion by all the Greeks alike. Besides, the great mass of the Thessalians had always been on friendly terms with Athens;

[3] so that, had not Thessaly, by the constitution of their country, been under the dominion of a few individuals, rather than in the enjoyment of civil equality, he would never have made his way; since even as it was, another party, of contrary views to those who have been named, met him on his march on the river Enipeus, and tried to stop him, telling him that he did wrong in advancing without the national consent.

[4] But his conductors said that they would not escort him against their will, and that they were only attending him as friends, on his unexpectedly coming to them. Brasidas himself also told them that he came as a friend both to the country of the Thessalians and to themselves, and was bringing his forces against the Athenians, who were at war with his country, and not against them; nor did he know of any enmity existing between the Thessalians and the Lacedaemonians, to prevent their having access to each other's territory:

[5] and now he would not advance against their will (for neither indeed could he); but yet he claimed not to be obstructed After hearing this, they went away; and he, without halting at all, pushed on at a rapid pace, according to the advice of his conductors, before a greater force might be collected to stop him. And so on the day of his setting out from Melitia he performed the whole distance to Pharsalus, and encamped on the river Apidanus;

[6] thence to Phacium, and thence to Peraebia. At that point his Thessalian escort returned; but the Peraxbians, who were subject to the Thessalians, brought him to Dium, in the dominions of Perdiccas, a town of Macedonia lying under Mount Olympus, on the side of Thessaly.

[1] Brasidas autem per hoc ipsum aestatis tempus cum mille et septingentis gravis armaturae militibus ad obeundas res Thraciae pergens quum pervenisset Heracleam, quae est in agro Trachinio, et, praemisso Pharsalum ad amicos nuncio cum mandato, ut se exercitumque suum per Thessaliam deducerent, accessissent ad eum Melitiam Achaiae oppidum Panaerus et Dorus et Hippolochidas et Torylaus et Strophacus Chalcidensium publicus hospes, ita demum tunc ire perrexit.

[2] Deducebant eum autem quum alii Thessali, tum ex Larissa Niconidas, Perdiccae amicus. Nam et alioqui Thessaliam sine duce pertransire difficile erat, et cum armis quidem etiam omnibus pariter Graecis res erat suspecta, per finitimorum regionem venia non impetrata transire; perpetuoque Thessalorum plebs Atheniensibus erat benivola. Quare nisi Thessali ex patrio instituto paucorum dominatu potius, quam juris aequabilitate usi essent, profecto nunquam ulterius processisset,

[3] siquidem vel tunc alii contrariae factionis Thessali ei iter facienti ad flumen Enipeum obviam facti obstabant et injuste facere dicebant, quod sine publica totius gentis auctoritate transiret.

[4] Ii vero, qui deducebant, dixerunt, se nec ipsis invitis eum traducturos, et quum ad se repente advenisset, se pro hospitii necessitudine, quae sibi cum eo intercederet, eum deducere. Dicebat etiam Brasidas ipse, se Thessalorum agro ipsisque amicum transire, et Atheniensibus hostibus suis, non autem illis arma inferre, nec ullas scire inter Thessalos et Lacedaemonios inimicitias esse, propter quas alteri alterorum solo non uterentur; seque nunc invitis ipsis non progressurum (nec etiam ejus rei sibi facultatem fore), neque tamen aequum putare, si prohiberetur.

[5] Atque illi quidem his auditis abierunt, ipse autem hortatu ductorum, ante quam plures ad prohibendum convenirent, nusquam subsistens cursu pergebat. Et hoc quidem die, quo Melitia discesserat, Pharsalum pervenit, et ad flumen Apidanum castra posuit; illinc vero ad Phacium et inde in Peraebiam.

[6] Hinc vero jam Thessalorum quidem ductores domum reverterunt, Peraebi vero, qui Thessalorum imperio parent, ad Dium usque eum deduxerunt, quod oppidum in Perdiccae ditione sub Olympo Macedoniae monte Thessaliam versus est situm.

[1] Akanthier! Die Absicht Spartas bei Aussendung meines Heeres ist keine andere, als den Zweck unseres Krieges mit Athen, als welchen wir in der Kriegserklärung die Befreiung Griechenlands angekündigt, zur Wirklichkeit zu machen. An unserm späten Erscheinen aber ist die durch die bisherigen Feldzüge getäuschte Hoffnung schuld, euch den Kampf zu ersparen und in kurzer Zeit allein mit Athen fertig zu werden; und es kann uns dasselbe um so weniger zum Vorwurf gemacht werden, da wir jetzt die erste Gelegenheit ergreifen, hieher zu kommen und auch euch zur Theilnahme an dem Vernichtungskampfe einzuladen. Um so mehr befremdet es mich, aus dem Sperren der Thore auf eine unfreundliche Stimmung bei euch schliessen zu müssen. In dem guten Glauben, in euch längst, vor unserer Ankunft schon, entschiedene Bundesgenossen zu finden, denen wir nur willkommen sein würden, haben wir Lacedämonier die Gefahr nicht angesehen, die mit einem so weiten Marsch durch fremdes Gebiet verbunden war, und jedes mögliche Opfer gebracht, — und wie, ihr solltet ganz andere Gesinnungen hegen, solltet eurer eigenen und aller Griechen Befreiung euch widersetzen wollen? Denn nicht allein, dass ihr zu dem Feinde stehet, es müsste auch alle folgenden Städte zurückhaltend und besorgt machen, wenn gleich anfangs eine so ansehnliche und einflussreiche Stadt wie die eurige mich abwiese. Der Glaube an meine Sendung wäre dahin ¹ , man argwohnte nur Böses in der Freiheit, die ich bringe ² , oder sähe in meinem Heere einen zu schwachen und nichtssagenden Schutz gegen Athens drohende Rache. Zwar es war dasselbe Heer, mit dem ich vor Nisäa zog, wo die Athener trotz ihrer Uebermacht keinen Angriff wagten, und ein so zahlreiches Heer wie das nisäische würden sie ohnehin in keinem Fall gegen euch über's Meer schicken. ³

Circa il medesimo tempo di questa estate Brasida con mille settecento di grave armatura messosi in cammino per la sua impresa di Tracia, non prima pervenne ad Eraclea della Trachiniache spedì innanzi un messaggio in Farsalo, pregando i suoi fautori a dover concedere il passaggio per la Tessaglia a lui ed alle sue genti. Vennero di igiiizetf by CiOO^Ic falli a Melizia dellAcaia Panerò, Doro, Ippolochide, Torilao e Strofaco pubblico ospite dei Calcidesi ; e allora egli riprese il suo cammino accompagnato, tra gli altri Tessali, da Leonida larisseo che era molto innanzi con Perdicca ; avvegnaché non sia facile traversar la Tessaglia senza scorta in specie per gente armata; anzi suole generalmente presso tutti i Greci esser preso in sospetto chi passi su quel di altrui senza consenso. Siarroge di più che la moltitudine dei Tessali era mai sempre bene affetta agli Ateniesi ; di modo che se invece d’esser retti da una balìa dominante si fossero governati con uguaglianza popolare di diritto, Brasida non sarebbe potuto passare avanti. Imperciocché anche quando egli s’era messo in via essendoglisi fatti incontro sul fiume Enipeo quei della fazione contraria alle sue guide, volevano contrastargli il passaggio chiamandosi offesi perché ei passasse innanzi senza il consenso di tutto il comune. Rispondevano le scorte che non intendevano di condurlo a malgrado di essi, ma solo per titolo di ospitalità da che era comparso repentinamente. E Brasida diceva di propria hocca esser venuto amico al suolo tessalo ed ai Tessali ; portare le armi contro gli Ateniesi suoi nemici, non già contro loro ; non vedere alcuna inimicizia fra' Tessali ei Lacedemoni per cui dovessero scambievolmente impedirsi l’uso del territorio ; non volere proseguire il cammino a loro dispetto (né quando il volesse potrebbe farlo), ma solo pregarli che non dovessero impedirglielo. Costoro udito ciò partirono; e Brasida, ad istanza de’suoi conduttori prima che si adunasse più gente a contrastargli il’passo,senza punto trattenersi marciò con tanta fretta, che il giorno medesimo che s’era mosso da Melizia fece capo a Parsalo, e si pose ad oste sul fiume Apidano. Di lì passò a Facio, e quindi a Perebia, donde finalmente i suoi conduttori tessali tornarono indietro. Ed i Perebii vassalli degli stessi Tessali lo fecero passare a Dio cittadella del regio di Perdicca, posta alle falde dell’Olimpo di Macedonia inverso la Tessaglia.