Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.29

[1] First of all, therefore, came in the Mantineans and their confederates, which they did for fear of the Lacedaemonians. For a part of Arcadia, during the war of Athens, was come under the obedience of the Mantineans, over which they thought the Lacedaemonians, now they were at rest, would not permit them any longer to command; and therefore they willingly joined with the Argives, as being, they thought, a great city, ever enemy to the Lacedaemonians, and governed as their own by democracy.

[2] When the Mantineans had revolted, the rest of Peloponnesus began also to mutter amongst themselves that it was fit for them to do the like; conceiving that there was somewhat in it more than they knew that made the Mantineans to turn; and were also angry with the Lacedaemonians, amongst many other causes, for that it was written in the articles of the Attic peace that it should be lawful to add unto or take away from the same, whatsoever should seem good to the two cities of the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians.

[3] For this was the article that the most troubled the Peloponnesians and put them into a jealousy that the Lacedaemonians might have a purpose, joining with the Athenians, to bring them into subjection; for in justice, the power of changing the articles ought to have been ascribed to all the confederates in general.

[4] Whereupon, many, fearing such an intention, applied themselves to the Argives, every one severally striving to come into their league.

[1] The Mantineans and their allies were the first to come over through fear of the Lacedaemonians. Having taken advantage of the war against Athens to reduce a large part of Arcadia into subjection, they thought that Lacedaemon would not leave them undisturbed in their conquests, now that she had leisure to interfere, and consequently gladly turned to a powerful city like Argos , the historical enemy of the Lacedaemonians, and a sister democracy.

[2] Upon the defection of Mantinea the rest of Peloponnese at once began to agitate the propriety of following her example, conceiving that the Mantineans would not have changed sides without good reason, besides which they were angry with Lacedaemon among other reasons for having inserted in the treaty with Athens that it should be consistent with their oaths for both parties, Lacedaemonians and Athenians, to add to or take away from it according to their discretion.

[3] It was this clause that was the real origin of the panic in Peloponnese , by exciting suspicions of a Lacedaemonian and Athenian combination against their liberties: any alteration should properly have been made conditional upon the consent of the whole body of the allies.

[4] With these apprehensions there was a very general desire in each state to place itself in alliance with Argos .

Zuerst traten zu ihnen die Mantineer^) und deren
Bundesgenossen, ans Furcht vor den Lakedämoniern; denn die Mantineer
batten sich noch während des Krieges gegen die Athener einen Theil
Arkadiens unterworfen, und sie dachten nun, die Lakedämonier
würden sie nicht ruhig darüber herrshcen lassen, wenn sie nur erst selbst
Muße fänden. Es war ihnen deßhalb erwünscht, sich an Argos
anschließen zu können; denn sie hielten dieß für einen mächtigen Staat,
der mit den Lakedämoniern von jeher in Feindschaft gelebt habe und
wie sie selbst eine demokratische Verfassung besitze. Als die
Mantineer abgefallen waren, begann auch im übrigen Peloponnes das ¹
Gerede, daß man es ihnen nachthun müsse; denn man glaubte, jene ²
wüßten etwas mehr und seien darum abgefallen. Dann waren sie
auch aus die Lakedämonier erbittert, sowohl aus andern Ursachen als
auch weil es in dem Attischen Vertrage hieß, es solle dem Eid nicht
schaden, wenn beide Staaten, die Lakedämonier und Athener, an dem
Vertrage nach beiderseitigem Gutdünken etwas zu- oder abthun
wollten. Diese Bestimmung machte im Peloponnes viel böses Blut und
erregte den Verdacht, die Lakedämonier möchten in Verbindung mit
den Athenern sie unterjochen wollen; denn es wäre gerecht gewesen,
daß die Erlaubniß zu Abänderungen auf alle Bundesgenossen
ausgedehnt worden wäre. Deßhalb also schwebten die Meisten in Furcht
und waren geneigt, sowohl mit den Argivern als auch unter einander
einen Waffenbund zu schließen.

XXIX. Les Mantinéens et leurs alliés s’y rangèrent les premiers, par crainte des Lacédémoniens : ils avaient réduit sous leur obéissance une partie del’Arcadie, pendant que durait encore la guerre contre les Athéniens, et ils pensaient bien que les Lacédémoniens, maintenant tranquilles d’ailleurs, ne manqueraient pas de leur contester cette conquête. Ils se tournèrent donc avec joie vers les Argiens; car ils voyaient en eux un grand peuple, toujours ennemi des Lacédémoniens, et soumis, comme eux-mêmes, au gouvernement démocratique. Une fois la défection des Mantinéens déclarée, le reste du Péloponnèse murmura qu’il fallait les imiter : on pensait que, pour changer ainsi leurs alliances, il fallait qu’ils fussent mieux renseignés que les autres; on était d’ailleurs profondément irrité contre les Lacédémoniens; on leur reprochait, entre autres choses, la clause par laquelle les Lacédémoniens et les Athéniens se réservaient le droit de faire, sans violer leur serment, toute addition, tout retranchement mutuellement consenti par les deux peuples. Cette clause surtout inquiétait les Péloponnésiens; elle leur faisait craindre que les Lacédémoniens, d’accord avec les Athéniens, ne voulussent les asservir; car, autrement, il eût été juste d’attribuer le même droit de modification à tous les alliés. Aussi, sans qu’il y eût concert entre eux, beaucoup, sous le coup de ces inquiétudes, se tournèrent avec un égal empressement vers l’alliance d’Argos.

Les Alantinéens et leurs alliés furent les premiers à entrer dans la confédération, et cela par crainte de Lacédémone. Ayant profité de la guerre contre Athènes pour soumettre à leur domination une partie de l’Arcadie, ils pensaient bien que les Lacédémoniens, maintenant qu’ils n’avaient plus les mains liées, ne toléreraient pas une pareille usurpation. Ce lut donc avec joie qu’üs se jetèrent dans le parti d’Argos, qui leur offrait une ville puissante, ennemie constante de Lacédémone et gouvernée démocratiquement comme eux. La défection des Mantinéens mit en émoi le r^este du Péloponèse. Chacun résolut de suivre leur exemple. On se dit qu’après tout ils devaient avoir leurs raisons pour changer d’alliés. On en voulait d’ailleurs aux Lacédémoniens ; on ne pouvait leur pardonner la clause par laquelle les deux villes d’Athènes et de Lacédémone s’étaient réservé le droit d’ajouter au traité ou d’en retrancher ce qu’elles jugeraient à propos. Cet article inquiétait singulièrement le Péloponèse. On y voyait chez les Lacédémoniens l’intention de l’asservir avec l’aide des Athéniens ; autrement, disait-on, la justice eût exigé que tous les alliés eussent le même droit de modification. Aussi la plupart, sous l’empire de ces craintes, s’empressèrent de traiter avec les Argiéns.

[1] The Mantineans and their allies were the first to join them, through fear of the Lacedaemonians. For a part of Arcadia had been reduced to subjection by the Mantineans, while the war with the Athenians was still going on, and they thought that the Lacedaemonians, now that they had leisure, would not suffer them to retain their sovereignty. So they turned gladly to Argos, regarding it as a powerful state, one always at variance with the Lacedaemonians, and under a democratic form of government like themselves.

[2] And when the Mantineans had revolted, the rest of the Peloponnesus also began to mutter that they must do the like, thinking that the Mantineans had changed sides because they possessed some superior knowledge. At the same time they were angry with the Lacedaemonians on other grounds, and especially because it was written in the treaty with Athens that it would be consistent with their oaths to add or take away whatever shall seem good to both states, that is, to the Lacedaemonians and Athenians.

[3] For it was this article especially that was disturbing the Peloponnesus far and wide and causing suspicion that the Lacedaemonians wished in concert with the Athenians to reduce them all to slavery; for it would have been just, they thought, that the clause should have given the power to alter the articles to all the allies.

[4] And so most of them were afraid and were eager on their own part also to make a separate alliance with the Argives.

[1] The Mantineans and their allies were the first to join them, through fear of the Lacedaemonians. For a certain part of Arcadia had been reduced to subjection by the Mantineans, while the war with the Athenians was still going on; and they thought that the Lacedaemonians would not allow their sovereignty over it, since they had now ¹ leisure to interfere; so that they gladly turned to the Argives, considering them to be a powerful state, and one which was always at variance with the Lacedaemonians, and under a democratical government like themselves.

[2] When the Mantineans had revolted, the rest of the Peloponnese also was thrown into commotion, with the idea that they too ought to do the same; as they thought that they had changed sides through knowing more than the rest. At the same time they were angry with the Lacedaemonians, both on other grounds, and because it had been mentioned in the treaty with Athens, that it should be consistent with their oaths to add to it, or take from it, whatever might seem fit to both states, the Lacedaemonians and Athenians.

[3] For it was this clause, above all, that caused the excitement in the Peloponnese, and set them on suspecting that the Lacedaemonians, in concert with the Athenians, might wish to reduce them to slavery: for it was only just, they thought, that the alteration should have been referred to all the allies.

[4] The majority therefore, through fear, were eager to conclude the alliance with the Argives on their own part, respectively, as the Mantineans had done.

[1] Mantinei vero eorumque socii, quia Lacedaemonios metuebant, primi se iis adjunxerunt Mantinei eoim quandam Arcadiae partem subegerant, quae iis adhuc obediebat, dum bellum cum Atheniensibus gerebatur, et existimabant, Lacedaemonios, praesertim otiosos, sibi non permissuros, ut imperium retinerent; libenter igitur ad Argivos se converterunt, quod illorum civitatem potentem esse ducerent, et Lacedaemoniis semper inimicam, et popularis status administratione utentem, quemadmodum et ipsi.

[2] Quum autem Mantinei defecissent, cetera etiam Peloponnesus mussare coppit, idem sibi quoque faciendum esse, quippe quod existimarent, accuratiore aliqua rerum cognitione illos defecisse, simul etiam quod Lacedaemoniis essent iniensi quum aliis de causis, tum etiam quod in foederibus Atticis scriptum erat, fas esse addere et demere quicquid utrique civitati visum esset, Lacedaemoniis et Atheniensibus.

[3] Haec enim conditio adscripta Peloponnesios maxime perturbabat, et in suspicionem adducebat, ne Lacedaemonii una cum Atheniensibus se in servitutem redigere vellent; aequum enim fuisse, ut haec immutandarum conditionum facultas omnibus sociis adscriberetur.

[4] Quamobrem metu commoti plerique animum ad Argivos appulerant, ut et ipsi pro se quique societatem cum iliis facerent.

E per tema dei Lacedemoni primi ad essi si accostarono i Mantineesi co’ suoi alleati ; perchè avendo essi recato a loro soggezione parte dell’Arcadia durante la guerra contro Atene, stimavano che Sparta sciolta ornai da ogni briga non permetterebbe che più vi comandassero. Però di buon animo si rivolsero ad Argo, credendo quella Repubblica potente e sempre avversa ai Lacedemoni, e democratica com’essi. Ribellatisi appena i Mantineesi, levossi un bisbiglio anche tra gli altri Peloponnesi dovere essi pure seguirne l’esempio ; sì perchè pensavano che mire più alte avessero mosso i Mantineesi a staccarsi da Sparta , sì ancora perchè avevano a sdegno i Lacedemoni i quali tra l’altre avevano nel trattato attico inserita la clausola, che le due Repubbliche di Sparta e di Atene potessero, senza violare il giuramento, aggiungervi o togliervi quel che credessero. Quest’articolo più che altro turbava i Peloponnesi, e induceva sospetto che i Lacedemoni intendendosela con gli Ateniesi , non volessero metterli in servaggio ; stantechè la giustizia richiedeva che la formula di far cambiamenti fosse espressa per tutti gli alleati. Laonde impauriti generalmente, ciascuna città da per sé ardeva di stringer lega con gli Argivi»