Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.30

[1] The Lacedaemonians, perceiving this stir to begin in Peloponnesus, and that the Corinthians were both the contrivers of it and entered themselves also into the league with Argos, sent ambassadors unto Corinth with intention to prevent the sequel of it: and accused them both for the whole design and for their own revolt in particular, which they intended to make from them to the league of the Argives, saying that they should therein infringe their oath and that they had already done unjustly to refuse the peace made with the Athenians; forasmuch as it is an article of their league that what the major part of the confederates should conclude, unless it were hindered by some god or hero, the same was to stand good.

[2] But the Corinthians, those confederates which had refused the peace as well as they being now at Corinth (for they had sent for them before), in their answer to the Lacedaemonians did not openly allege the wrongs they had received; as that the Athenians had not restored Solium nor Anactorium nor anything else they had in this war lost; but pretended not to betray those of Thrace, for that they had in particular taken an oath to them, both when together with Potidaea they first revolted and also another afterwards.

[3] And therefore, they said, they did not break the oath of their league by rejecting the peace with Athens. For having sworn unto them by the gods, they should in betraying them offend the gods. And whereas it is said unless some god or hero hinder it, this appeareth to be a divine hindrance.

[4] Thus they answered for their old oath. Then, for their league with the Argives, they gave this answer:

[5] that when they had advised with their friends, they would do afterwards what should be just. And so the ambassadors of Lacedaemon went home. At the same time were present also in Corinth the ambassadors of Argos to invite the Corinthians to their league, and that without delay. But the Corinthians appointed them to come again at their next sitting.

[1] In the meantime the Lacedaemonians perceiving the agitation going on in Peloponnese , and that Corinth was the author of it and was herself about to enter into alliance with the Argives, sent ambassadors thither in the hope of preventing what was in contemplation. They accused her of having brought it all about, and told her that she could not desert Lacedaemon and become the ally of Argos , without adding violation of her oaths to the crime which she had already committed in not accepting the treaty with Athens , when it had been expressly agreed that the decision of the majority of the allies should be binding, unless the gods or heroes stood in the way.

[2] Corinth in her answer, delivered before those of her allies who had like her refused to accept the treaty, and whom she had previously invited to attend, refrained from openly stating the injuries she complained of, such as the non-recovery of Sollium or Anactorium from the Athenians, or any other point in which she thought she had been prejudiced, but took shelter under the pretext that she could not give up her Thracian allies, to whom her separate individual security had been given, when they first rebelled with Potidaea , as well as upon subsequent occasions.

[3] She denied, therefore, that she committed any violation of her oaths to the allies in not entering into the treaty with Athens ; having sworn upon the faith of the gods to her Thracian friends, she could not honestly give them up. Besides, the expression was, ‘unless the gods or heroes stand in the way.’ Now here, as it appeared to her, the gods stood in the way.

[4] This was what she said on the subject of her former oaths. As to the Argive alliance she would confer with her friends, and do whatever was right.

[5] The Lacedaemonian envoys returning home, some Argive ambassadors who happened to be in Corinth pressed her to conclude the alliance without further delay, but were told to attend at the next congress to be held at Corinth .

Als die Lakedämonier nun merkten, daß solches Gerede
durch den Peloponnes gehe und die Korinther hiezu die Weise
angäben und auch für sich selbst beabsichtigten, mit den Argivern in
Bund zu treten, so schickten sie Gesandte nach Korinth um dem
vorzubauen, und beschuldigten sie, daß sie das Ganze angegeben hätten;
und wenn sie von ihnen abfallen und der Argiver Bundesgenossen
werden wollten, so würden sie damit ihre Eide verletzen. Und schon
damit thäten sie Unrecht, daß sie den Vertrag mit den Athenern nicht
annähmen, da doch ausgemacht worden wäre, daß für Alle
verbindlich sei, was die Mehrzahl der Bundesgenossen beschließen würde,'es
sei denn, daß von den Göttern oder Heroen ein Verbot käme.

Die Korinther nun in Gegenwart derjenigen Bundesgenossen,
welche gleichfalls den Vertrag nicht angenommen hatten — sie hatten
dieselben nämlich schon vorher selbst eingeladen — widersprachen den
Lakedäinoniern. Doch sagten sie ihnen nicht gerade in's Gesicht,
worin sie wirklich übervortheilt worden waren, nämlich daß sie von
den Athenern weder Sellion noch Anaktorion zurück erhalten hätten,
oder wodurch sie sonst benachtheiligt zu sein glaubten, sondern sie
nahnien sich zur Ausrede, daß sie die Bundesgenossen in den
Thrakischen Gränzlanden nicht verrathen wollten. Denn sie hätten
denselben damals besondere Eide geshcworen, als sie mit den Potidäern
ihren Abfall in's Werk setzten, und später noch andere. Sie
verletzten also, sagten sie, damit die Eide gegen ihre Bundesgenossen nicht, ¹
daß sie dem Vertrag mit den Athenern nicht beitreten wollten; denn
nachdem sie ihnen bei den Göttern Trene zugeschworen, so wäre das
ein schlechtes Eidhalten, wenn sie dieselben jetzt preisgeben wollten.
Es sei ja vereinbart worden: „wenn nicht von den Göttern oder
Heroen ein Verbot ausgehe", und das scheine ihnen eben ein
göttliches Verbot zu sein. So viel sagten sie in Betreff der früheren
Eidschwüre; über das Bündniß mit den Argivern, erklärten sie,
würden sie mit ihren Freunden Rathes pflegen und thun, was Recht sei.
Damit kehrten dann die Lakedämonischen Gesandten nach Hause
zurück. Es waren aber auch Abgeordnete der Argiver zu Korin^
anwesend, welche die Korinther aufforderten in ihren Bund einzutreten
und nicht zu zaudern, worauf diese sie aufforderten sich zu der auf
später bei ihnen anberaumten Versammlung einzufinden.

XXX. Les Lacédémoniens, sachant que le Péloponnèse était en proie à cette agitation, que le signal en était parti des Corinthiens, et que ceux-ci se disposaient eux-mêmes à traiter avec Argos, leur envoyèrent des députés afin de tâcher de prévenir cet événement. Ils les accusaient d’avoir organisé tout ce trouble et d’être sur le point d’abandonner leur alliance pour celle d’Argos. Ils ajoutaient que ce serait là une violation de leurs serments, qu’ils étaient même déjà coupables de n’avoir pas adhéré à la paix avec les Athéniens, lorsqu’il était formellement stipulé ¹ que les décisions prises par la majorité des alliés sortiraient leur entier effet, à moins d’empêchement de la part des dieux et des héros ² ! Les Corinthiens répondirent aux Lacédémoniens en présence de tous ceux des alliés qui n’avaient pas adhéré au traité, car ils les avaient convoqués précédemment. Ils ne se prévalurent pas des griefs qui leur étaient personnels; ils ne parlèrent ni de Sollion ³ qui ne leur avait pas été restituée par les Athéniens, ni d’Anactorion ⁴ , ni d’aucun des points sur lesquels ils se croyaient lésés; ils affectèrent à dessein d’alléguer pour unique motif qu’ils ne pouvaient trahir les peuples de l’Épithrace, avec lesquels ils s’étaient engagés par serments, en leur propre nom, aussitôt après leur défection avec les ^{5 6 7 8} Potidéates, serments renouvelés depuis ⁹ . Ils ne manquaient donc pas, disaient-ils, à leurs serments comme membres de la ligue, en refusant d’entrer dans le traité avec Athènes; car, ayant pris les dieux à témoin de leurs engagements avec les villes de Thrace, ils seraient parjures s’ils les trahissaient. Qu’il était stipulé dans les traités : « A moins d’empêchement de la part des dieux et des héros; » et que le motif qu’ils invoquaient ¹⁰ leur paraissait un empêchement divin. Telle fut leur réponse au sujet des anciens serments. Quant à l’alliance avec Argos, ils dirent qu’ils se consulteraient avec leurs amis, et feraient ce qui serait juste. Les députés lacédémoniens se retirèrent. Il se trouvait aussi à Corinthe, en ce moment, des députés d’Argos qui invitèrent les Corinthiens à entrer sans différer dans leur alliance. Les Corinthiens les engagèrent à venir au prochain congrès qui se tiendrait chez eux.

Alarmés de cette agitation du Péloponèse et sachant qu’elle était due aux menées des Corinthiens, qui eux-mêmes n’étaient pas éloignés d’entrer dans la ligue d’Argos, les Laoé-démoniens envoyèrent des députés à Corinthe, afin de prévenir μη événement qu’ils redoutaient. Ces députés se plaignirent des Corinthiens, qui avaient fomenté tous ces troubles et qui étaient sur le point d’abandonner l’alliance de Lacédémone pour celle d’Argos. Ce serait, dirent-ils, une violation delà foi jurée, un nouveau tort ajouté à celui de n’avoir pas adhéré à la paix faite avec Athènes, quoiqu’il fût expressément stipulé ¹ que toute décision prise par la majorité des alliés serait exécutoire, à moins d’empêchement de la part des dieux ou des héros. Les Corinthiens avaient eu soin de convoquer tous ceux des alliés qui, à leur exemple, n’avaient pas accédé au traité de paix. Ils répondirent en leur présence aux Lacédémoniens ; et, sans articuler aucun grief personnel, sans dire un mot de Sollion ni d’Anactorion que les Athéniens ne leur avaient pas rendus, non plus que de leurs autres sujets de plainte, ils se retranchèrent derrière l’impossibilité où ils étaient de trahir leurs alliés du littoral de la Thrace. Ils s’étaient, disaient-ils, engagés envers eux par des serments particAiers, aussitôt après leur défection et celle des Potidéates, et ces serments avaient été renouvelés dès lors plus d’une fois. Ce n’était point violer la foi jurée que de ne pas souscrire au traité fait avec Athènes; car, après avoir solennellement promis fidélité aux peuples de Thrace, on ne pouvait les abandonner sans parjure. On avait dit : « A moins d’empêchement de la part des dieux ou des héros; » eh bien, c’était à leurs yeux un empêchement divin. Telle fut leur réponse au sujet des anciens serments; quant à l’alliance avec Argos, ils dirent qu’ils se consulteraient avec leurs amis, et ne feraient rien que de juste. Les députés lacédémoniens s’en retournèrent chez eux.

Il se trouvait aussi à Corinthe des envoyés d’Argos, qui sollicitaient les Corinthiens d’entrer sans délai dans leur alliance. Les Corinthiens les invitèrent à se trouver à la première réunion qui aurait lieu dans leur ville.

[1] The Lacedaemonians, aware of this murmuring that was going on in the Peloponnesus, and that the Corinthians had been the instigators in this matter and were themselves going to make a treaty with Argos, sent envoys to Corinth, wishing to forestall what was about to happen. And they charged them with starting the whole movement, and said that if they should revolt from them and become allies of the Argives, they would be violating the explicit terms of their oaths, and indeed were already doing wrong in not accepting the treaty with the Athenians, inasmuch as it had been declared that whatever the majority of the allies decreed should be binding, unless there should be some hindrance on the part of gods or heroes.

[2] But the Corinthians, in the presence of all their allies who had not themselves accepted the treaty—for they had on their own responsibility summoned them beforehand— in reply to the Lacedaemonians said in what respects they had been wronged, not stating outright that the Lacedaemonians had failed to recover from the Athenians for them Sollium ¹ or Anactorium, ² nor mentioning any other matter in which they thought they were getting less than their rights, but making a pretext that they could not give up their allies in Thrace; for they said they had given their oaths to these people, both privately, when they had first revolted along with the Potidaeans, ³ and afterwards.

[3] They were therefore, they said, not violating their oaths to their allies by refusing to join in the treaty with the Athenians; for since they had bound themselves to those allies by pledges sworn in the name of the gods, it would not be consistent with their oaths to betray them.

[4] Besides, the words of the agreement were, “if there be no hindrance on the part of gods or heroes”; and it seemed to them that this was a hindrance on the part of the gods.

[5] So much they said in regard to their ancient oaths, but as to the Argive alliance they would consult with their friends and do whatever was right. So the envoys of the Lacedaemonians returned home. But there happened to be at Corinth Argive envoys, who urged the Corinthians to come into the alliance without delay; the latter, however, told them to come to their next assembly.

[1] When the Lacedaemonians perceived this commotion which had arisen in the Peloponnese, and that the Corinthians were the advisers of it, and were themselves about to enter into treaty with Argos, they sent ambassadors to Corinth, wishing to prevent what was going to happen. They charged them therefore with suggesting the whole business; and said that if they withdrew from them, and became allies of the Argives, they would violate their oaths; and that they were already doing wrong in not accepting the treaty with the Athenians, when it had been declared, that whatever the majority of the allies decreed, should be binding, unless there were some impediment on the part of gods or heroes.

[2] The Corinthians, in the presence of all the allies who, like themselves, had not acceded to the treaty, (for they had themselves previously invited them thither,) spoke in reply to the Lacedaemonians; not indeed directly stating the injuries they had received, namely, that they had not recovered Sollium from the Athenians, nor Anactorium—with any other point on which they considered themselves to be aggrieved; but urging as a pretext their determination not to betray the Thrace-ward Greeks; for they had taken oaths to them, both by themselves, when in the first instance they revolted, in concert with the Potidaeans, and others afterwards.

[3] They were not then, they said, violating their oaths to the allies by refusing to accede to the treaty with the Athenians; for since they had sworn to their Thrace-ward friends, with appeals to the gods, they should not show a proper regard for their oaths, if they betrayed them. Besides, it had been expressly mentioned,

[4] this, then, they considered an impediment on the part of the gods. Thus much they said on the subject of their former oaths: with regard to the Argive alliance, they would consult with their friends, and do whatever was right.

[5] So the envoys of the Lacedaemonians returned home. But there happened to be in Corinth at that time some ambassadors from the Argives also, who urged the Corinthians to enter at once into their confederacy, and not delay. They, however, told them to come to the next congress which was to be held in their city.

[1] Lacedaemonii vero quum intellexissent hunc rumorem per Peloponnesum pervagatum esse, et Corinthios auctorep fuisse, ipsosque cum Argivis foedus facere parare, legatos Corinthum miserunt, ut id, quod futurum erat, anteverterent, et expostulabant quum de eo, quod totius rei auctores fuissent, tum de eo, quod a se deficere, et cum Argivis societatem facere statuissent, eosque jusjurandum violaturos dicebant, atque jam nunc injuste facere, quod foedera cum Atheniensibus percussa non acciperent, quum dictum sit, ut id ratum habeatur, quod major sociorum pars decreverit, nisi vel deorum vel heroum aliquod impedimentum intercesserit.

[2] Corinthii vero praesentibus apud eos sociis, quotquot et ipsi fuedera non admiserant (hos enim ipsi prius advocaverant), Lacedaemoniis contradicebant, injurias quidem, quibus afficerentur, palam non declarantes, quod neque Sollium ab Atheniensibus recepissent, neque Anactorium, et si qua alia re se fraudari putabant, sed speciosam causam praetendentes, se non prodituros eos, qui erant in Thracia; se enim et privatim jurejurando interposito suam iidem ipsis dedisse, quo tempore primum una cum Potidaeatis ab Atheniensibus defecerant, et iterum postea.

[3] Negabant igitur, se sociorum jusjurandum violaturos, quod foedera cum Atheniensibus inire nollent; quum enim jurejurando interposito, cujus dii testes fuissent, illis (idem dedissent, non bene jusjurandum servaturos, si illos proderent. Dictum autem esse, nisi vel deorum, vel heroum impedimentum intercederet; hoc autem sibi divinum impedimentum videri.

[4] Atque de veteri quidern jurejurando haec tantum responderunt, de societate autem cum Argivis ineunda se cum amicis deliberaturos, et quicquid justum esset, facturos.

[5] Et Lacedaemoniorum quidem legati domum redierunt. Corinthi vero forte praesentes erant et Argivorum legati, qui Corin. thios ad societatem secum ineundam, et ad omnem cunctationem abjiciendam adhortabantur; illi vero lis responde-derunt, ut ad proximum concilium apud se habendum venirent.

Informati i Lacedemoni ohe si era levato romore nel Peloponneso, e che i Corintii stati i primi motori di quello erano essi stessi per istringer lega con Argo, mandano ambasciatori a Corinto, volendo prevenire quel che poteva succedere. Accusavano i Corintii d’essere stati gli autori di tutte le turbolenze , e dicevano che staccandosi da loro per legarsi con gli Argivi, trapasserebbero i giuramenti, e oprerebbero ingiustamente non accettando le tregue degli Ateniesi, ove era detto dovere esser fermo e rato ciò che la maggior parte dei confederati decretasse , tranne il caso di qualche ostacolo dalla parte degli Dei c degli Eroi. I Corintii in presenza di tutti i confederati che non avevano accettato le tregue e che erano stati da loro anticipatamente chiamati, non dichiararono apertamente le ingiurie che soffrivano, come di non aver ricevuto dagli Ateniesi uè Solio nè Anactorio , nè se in qualche altra cosa si credevano soverchiati. Ma rispondevano ai Lacedemoni adducendo per pretesto non voler tradire i Greci di Tracia; essersi con loro obbligati con giuramenti particolari , quando d’accordo co9 Potidcati si ribellarono la prima volta da Atene , e con altri giuramenti di poi. Adunque ricusando le tregue degli Ateniesi dicevano, che non verrebbe a violarsi il giuramento dei confederati ; che peccherebbero contro di esso , se dopo la fede giurata ai Tracii in nome degli Dei li tradissero ; che nell’accomodamento vi era espresso questa clausola : « tranne il caso di qualche ostacolo dalla parte degli Dei o degli Eroi » ; c che questo pareva loro essere un ostacolo divino» Così risposero quanto agli antichi giuramenti : quanto poi all’alleanza con gli Argivi ; che terrebbero prima consiglio con gli amici per fare ciò che fosse giusto. Gli ambasciatori lacedemoni tornarono a casa : quei degli Argivi, che per avventura si trovavano a Corinto , sollecitavano i Corintii ad entrare nella loro lega senza perder tempo ; ma ebbero in risposta di venire alla prossima adunanza clic si terrebbe in quella città.