Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.28

[1] These men of Argos having heard them and reported their proposition both to the magistrates and to the people, the Argives ordered the same accordingly and elected twelve men with whom it should be lawful for any Grecian to make the league that would, except the Lacedaemonians and Athenians, with neither of which they were to enter into any league without the consent of the Argive people.

[2] And this the Argives did the more willingly admit, as well for that they saw the Lacedaemonians would make war upon them (for the truce between them was now upon expiring), as also because they hoped to have the principality of Peloponnesus. For about this time Lacedaemon had but a bad report and was in contempt for the losses it had received. And the Argives in all points were in good estate, as not having concurred in the Attic war, but rather been at peace with both, and thereby gotten in their revenue.

[3] Thus the Argives received into league all such Grecians as came unto them.

[1] The persons with whom they had communicated reported the proposal to their government and people, and the Argives passed the decree and chose twelve men to negotiate an alliance for any Hellenic state that wished it, except Athens and Lacedaemon , neither of which should be able to join without reference to the Argive people.

[2] Argos came in to the plan the more readily because she saw that war with Lacedaemon was inevitable, the truce being on the point of expiring; and also because she hoped to gain the supremacy of Peloponnese . For at this time Lacedaemon had sunk very low in public estimation because of her disasters, while the Argives were in a most flourishing condition, having taken no part in the Attic war, but having on the contrary profited largely by their neutrality.

[3] The Argives accordingly prepared to receive into alliance any of the Hellenes that desired it.

Die Beamten der Argiver aber hatten ihnen Gehör
geschenkt, und als sie die Sache vor die Obrigkeit und die
Volksversammlung brachten, nahmen die Argiver die Vorschläge durch
allgemeinen Beschluß an und wählten zwölf Männer, mit welchen Wer
von den Hellenen immer wolle, mit Ausnahme der Athener und
Lakedämonier, ein Waffenbündniß abschließen könne; von diesen beiden
aber solle Keiner ohne die Entscheidung der Argivischen
Volksversammlung dem Bunde beitreten können. Solche Vorschläge nahmen
aber die Argiver hauptsächlich aus dem Grunde an, weil sie sahen,
daß ihnen ein Krieg mit den Lakedämoniern bevorstehe; denn ihr
Waffenstilltsandsvertrag mit denselben ging seinem Ende zu, und
dann hofften sie auch, die Oberleitung des Peloponnes zu gewinnen,
denn um jene Zeit hatte der Ruf Lakedämons sehr gelitten und es
wurde schon seiner Unfälle wegen über die Achsel angesehen; die
Argiver andererseits tsanden sich aber damals von Allen am besten, weil
sie an der Last des Attischen Krieges nicht mitgetragen hatten und
als mit beiden Theilen im Frieden lebend ihre Einkünfte
ungeschmälert genossen. Die Argiver also nahmen auf diese Weise in ihren
Waffenbund auf, wer von den Hellenen nur wollte.

XXVIII. Ceux des Argiens qui avaient reçu ces propositions les ayant rapportées aux magistrats et au peuple, les Argiens les décrétèrent, et choisirent douze citoyens autorisés à contracter alliance avec tous ceux des Grecs qui le voudraient, excepté les Athéniens et les Lacédémoniens, avec lesquels il ne pourrait être traité sans la participation du peuple. Ces mesures furent accueillies avec d’autant plus de faveur par les Argiens, qu’ils se voyaient sur le point d’entrer en guerre avec les Lacédémoniens, le traité avec eux touchant à sa fin. Ils aspiraient, d’ailleurs, à la suprématie dans le Péloponnèse; car Lacédémone était extrêmement décriée, à cette époque; ses revers l’avaient déconsidérée ¹ . Les Argiens, au contraire, étaient dans une situation florissante à tous égards : restés en de- ^{2 3 4} hors de la guerre avec Athènes, en paix avec les deux peuples, ils avaient recueilli les fruits de cette situation. Ce fut ainsi que les Argiens admirent à leur alliance tous ceux des Grecs qui voulurent y entrer.

Les Argiens qui avaient reçu ces ouvertures les communiquèrent aux magistrats et au peuple fl’Argos. Il fut décidé qu’on élirait douze citoyens, autorisés à conclure une alliance avec tous ceux, des Grecs qui le voudraient, excepté toutefois les Athéniens et les Lacédémoniens, qui ne seraient admis que sut un arrêté du peuple. Ces mesures furent accueillies par les Argiens avec d’autant plus de faveur qu’ils se voyaient à la veille d’une guerre avec Lacédémone, leur traité avec cette ville touchant à sa fin. D’ailleurs , ils aspiraient à se placer à la tête du Péloponèse. Lacédémone à cette époque était complètement déconsidérée à cause de ses revers ; les Argiens au contraire jouissaient d’une prospérité parfaite , ayant su demeurer étrangers à la guerre contre Athènes et recueillir les fruits de cette neutralité. C’est ainsi que les Ar-giens ouvrirent leur alliance à tous les Grecs qui voulurent y entrer.

[1] The Argive magistrates, on hearing the proposals, reported them to their government and people, and the Argives passed the decree and chose twelve men with whom any of the Hellenes who pleased might conclude an alliance, except the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians; neither of these should be allowed to make a treaty with Argos without the express consent of the Argive people.

[2] These proposals the Argives accepted the more readily, in the first place because they saw that they should have war with the Lacedaemonians—for the treaty with them was on the point of expiring—and, moreover, because they had hoped to secure the hegemony of the Peloponnesus. For at this time Lacedaemon had fallen into very ill repute and was despised on account of its misfortunes, while the Argives had attained an excellent position in all respects, having had no part of the burden of the war with Athens, but rather, as they were at peace with both parties, having reaped a harvest from it.

[3] Thus the Argives were ready to receive into their alliance any of the Hellenes that were so inclined.

[1] When those of the Argives who heard their proposals had reported them to the government and the people, the Argives passed the decree, and chose twelve men, with whom any one of the Greeks who wished should conclude an alliance, except the Athenians and Lacedaemonians, neither of whom should have liberty to enter into treaty without the consent of the Argive people.

[2] The Argives acceded the more readily to these proposals, because they saw that they should have the war with the Lacedaemonians, (for their treaty with them was on the point of expiring,) and also because they hoped to gain the supremacy of the Peloponnese. For at that time Lacedaemon was in very bad repute, and was despised in consequence of its misfortunes; while the Argives were in an excellent condition in all respects, as they had taken no part in the war against Athens, but had rather reaped the good fruits of having been in treaty with both sides.

[3] Thus, then, the Argives were admitting into alliance such of the Greeks as wished it.

[1] Argivorum aotem viri, qui haec abdi verant, quum sermonem illum ad magistratus populumque retulissent , decretam fecerunt Argivi, et duodecim viros delegerunt, cum quibus societatem faceret de Graecis,quisquis vellet, praeter Athenienses et Lacedaemonios; cum borum autem neutris injussu populi Argivi foedus fecere licere.

[2] Argivi autem haec eo facilius admiserunt, quod et Lacedaemoniorum bellum sibi impendere viderent (nam foedera cum illis inita jam exibant) et simul quod se Peloponnesi principatum adepturos sperarent; hoc enim tempore et Lacedaemon pessime audiebat, et propter acceptas clades contemnebatur, et Argivi omnibus rebus optime se habebant, quod cum ceteris bellum Atticum ηφο susceperant , sed potius foedere cum utrisque conjuncti fructus percepissent.

[3] Sic igitur Argivi Graecos, quicumque volebant, in societatem recipiebant;

Intesa la cosa dai primari d’Argo , la rapportarono ai magistrati e al popolo ; e gli Argivi fecero il decreto , e destinarono dodici cittadini co’ quali dovevano trattare dell’alleanza quei Greci che la gradissero, eccettuati gli Ateniesi e i Lacedemoni ; che con nessuno di questi due avrebbero potestà di pattuire senza il consenso del popolo argivo. E tanto meglio accostaronsi gli Argivi a questo trattato, in quanto che vedevano imminente la guerra coi Lacedemoni (essendo presso al termine la tregua con loro), ed insieme speravano di diventare il capo del Peloponneso. Imperocché in codesti tempi soprattutto sì si parlava male di Sparta caduta in discredito per le sue sconfitte ; dove gli Argivi non essendosi mescolati uella guerra attica , e tenutisi d’accordo con le due potenze De avevano raccolto il frutto, e si trovavano floridissimi in ogni cosa. Così dunque gli Argivi ricevevano in alleanza qualunque de’Greci il volesse.