Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.99

[1] To this the Boeotians answered that if the dead were in Boeotia, they should quit the ground and take with them whatsoever was theirs; but if the dead were in their own territory, the Athenians themselves knew best what to do. For they thought that though Oropia, wherein the dead lay (for the battle was fought in the border between Attica and Boeotia), by subjection belonged to the Athenians, yet they could not fetch them off by force; and for truce that the Athenians might come safely on Athenian ground, they would give none, but conceived it was a handsome answer to say that if they would quit the ground, they should obtain whatsoever they required. Which when the Athenian herald heard, he went his way without effect.

[1] The Boeotians replied that if they were in Boeotia , they must evacuate that country before taking up their dead; if they were in their own territory, they could do as they pleased: for they knew that, although the Oropid where the bodies as it chanced were lying (the battle having been fought on the borders) was subject to Athens , yet the Athenians could not get them without their leave. Besides, why should they grant a truce for Athenian ground? And what could be fairer than to tell them to evacuate Boeotia if they wished to get what they asked? The Athenian herald accordingly returned with this answer, without having accomplished his object.

Die Böoter gaben hierauf zur Antwort: „wenn die Athe­ ¹
ner auf Böotischem Gebiete stünden, so sollten sie abziehen und mit- ²
nehmen, was ihnen gehöre; stünden sie aber auf eigenem Grund und«
Boden, so müßten sie ja selbst wissen, was sie zu thun hätten."
Damit gaben sie zu verstehen, daß die Oropische Landschaft, wo zufällig
die Todten lagen, da die Schlacht auf den Gränzen stattgefunden hatte,
dem Unterthanenverhältniß nach den Athenern gehöre, daß diese sich
aber doch nicht wider ihren Willen der Todten bemächtigen würden,
und sie könnten ja auch gar keinen Waffenstilltsandsvertrag über ein
Gebiet abschließen, das ihnen nicht gehören solle. Jene Antwort aber,
„daß sie gegen den Abzug aus Böotischem Gebiete das Verlangte
erhalten könnten", hielten sie für ganz passend. Der Herold der
Athener ging mit dieser Antwort unverrichteter Sache wieder zurück.

XCIX. Les Béotiens répondirent que, s’ils étaient sur le territoire de la Béotie, ils eussent à l’évacuer en emportant ce qui leur appartenait ; que s’ils se croyaient chez eux, c’était à eux de voir ce qu’ils avaient à faire. Ils sentaient bien que l’Oropie, sur les confins de laquelle avait eu lieu le combat, et où se trouvaient les morts, étant de droit sous la dépendance des Athéniens, ceux-ci ne commettaient aucune violence en les enlevant ; aussi se gardaient-ils bien de stipuler ¹ pour un territoire qui relevait d’Athènes ; par cette réponse au contraire : « Sortez de notre pays, et emportez ce que vous réclamez, » ils éludaient toute difficulté. Sur cette réponse, le héraut des Athéniens se retira sans avoir rien fait.

Les Béotiens répondirent que si les Athéniens étaient en Béotie, ils eussent à se retirer en emportant ce qui était à eux; mais que s’ils se croyaient dans leur pays, c’était à eui d’aviser à ce qu’ils devaient faire. Ils regardaient bien le territoire d’Oropos, sur les limites duquel s’éiait donnée la bataille, comme faisant partie de la domination des Athéniens; néanmoins ils ne croyaient pas que les Athéniens pussent enlever les morts malgré eux. Aussi ne voulaient-ils pas traiter pour un territoire dépendant d’Athènes; ils préféraient répondre évasivement qu’ils eussent à sé retirer en emportant ce qu’ils réclamaient. Sur cette réponse, le héraut athénien s’en retourna sans avoir rien conclu.

[1] The Boeotians made answer, if they were in Boeotia, they might carry off their dead on quitting their land; but if they were in their own territory, they could determine themselves what to do. For they thought that though Oropia, in which the bodies happened to be lying—for the battle occurred on the boundaries—belonged to the Athenians by right of its subjection, yet that they could not get possession of the bodies without their leave (nor indeed were they going to make a truce, forsooth, about territory belonging to the Athenians); but they thought it was fair to answer, “when they had quitted Boeotian territory they could get back what they asked for.” And the herald of the Athenians, on hearing this, went away without accomplishing his object.

[1] The Boeotians replied, that considering that the Oropian territory, in which the bodies happened to be lying, (for the battle was fought on the borders,) was indeed subject to Athens, and yet that the Athenians could not get possession of them without their consent. Nor, again, were they disposed, they said, to grant any truce for a country belonging to Athens; but they thought it was a fair answer to give, that So the herald of the Athenians, after hearing their answer, returned without effecting his object.

[1] Boeoti vero responderunt, siquidem Athenienses in Boeotia essent, ex suo agro discederent et res suas absporta-rent; sin in illorum, ipsos scire quid laciendum sit, rati illi agrum Oropium, in quo contigerat, ut iliorum milites, pugna in confiniis commissa, caesi jacerent, Atheniensium quidem esse, quod illorum imperio subjectus esset, neque tamen eos unquam, se invitis, suorum cadaveribus potiri posse; pro agro autem, qui illorum scilicet esset, nullas inducias faciendas censebant; honestam vero speciem habere, si responderent: ex suo agro si illi abirent, et recepturos ea, quae repeterent. Atheniensium autem caduceator his auditis re infecta discessit.

I Beozii, credendo che Oropia (su’ confini della quale giacevano per avventura i cadaveri, essendo ivi accaduta la pugna) fosse per titolo di vassallàggio degli Ateniesi , i quali però non potrebbero riprendere i morti, s’e’ non lo permettessero , risposero : che se gli Ateniesi erànó in Beozia se ne andassero da un paese beozio portando seco le robe loro ; se poi erano in paese loro proprio, dovevano essi ben sapere quello che era da fare : che a loro non toccava certo a dare salvocondotto in terra altrui ; ma che ove si trattasse di uscire da una terra dei Beozii il decoro esigeva si rispondesse, che partissero , e riprendessero le cose richiedevano. A questa risposta l’araldo degli Ateniesi parti senza nulla concludere.