Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.36

[1] In the beginning of winter (for now there were other ephores in office; not those in whose time the peace was made, but some of them that opposed it), ambassadors being come from the confederates, and the Athenian, Boeotian, and Corinthian ambassadors being [already] there, and having had much conference together but concluded nothing, Cleobulus and 36enares, ephores that most desired the dissolution of the peace, when the rest of the ambassadors were gone home, entered into private conference with the Boeotians and Corinthians, exhorting them to run both the same course; and advised the Boeotians to endeavour first to make a league themselves with the Argives and then to get the Argives together with themselves into a league with the Lacedaemonians, for that they might by this means avoid the necessity of accepting the peace with Athens; for the Lacedaemonians would more regard the friendship and league of the Argives than the enmity and dissolution of the peace with the Athenians; for they knew the Lacedaemonians had ever desired to have Argos their friend upon any reasonable conditions, because they knew that their war without Peloponnesus would thereby be a great deal the easier.

[2] Wherefore they entreated the Boeotians to put Panactum into the hands of the Lacedaemonians, to the end that, if they could get Pylus for it in exchange, they might make war against the Athenians the more commodiously.

[1] Next winter, however, the Ephors under whom the treaty had been made were no longer in office, and some of their successors were directly opposed to it. Embassies now arrived from the Lacedaemonian confederacy, and the Athenians, Boeotians, and Corinthians also presented themselves at Lacedaemon , and after much discussion and no agreement between them, separated for their several homes; when Cleobulus and Xenares, the two Ephors who were the most anxious to break off the treaty, took advantage of this opportunity to communicate privately with the Boeotians and Corinthians, and advising them to act as much as possible together, instructed the former first to enter into alliance with Argos , and then try and bring themselves and the Argives into alliance with Lacedaemon . The Boeotians would so be least likely to be compelled to come in to the Attic treaty; and the Lacedaemonians would prefer gaining the friendship and alliance of Argos even at the price of the hostility of Athens and the rupture of the treaty. The Boeotians knew that an honorable friendship with Agros had been long the desire of Lacedaemon ; for the Lacedaemonians believed that this would considerably facilitate the conduct of the war outside Peloponnese .

[2] Meanwhile they begged the Boeotians to place Panactum in her hands in order that she might, if possible, obtain Pylos in exchange for it, and so be more in a position to resume hostilities with Athens .

Im folgenden Winter, — da schon andere Ephoren als
die, unter welchen der Vertrag zu Stande gekommen war, die
Negierungsgewalt hatten und unter ihnen auch einige Gegner des
Friedens, — kamen Gesandte der Bundesgenossenschaft (nach Lakedämon)
und auch Athener, Böoter und Korinther waren zugegen, und sie
verhandelten da viel unter einander, kamen aber zu keinem Ziel; als
nun die Andern schon wieder abgereist waren, knüpften Kleobulos
und Lenares, diejenigen unter den Ephoren, welche am meisten den
Vertrag zu beseitigen wünschten, mit den Böotern und Korinthern
besonders Unterhandlungen an und forderten sie auf, mit einander
nur dasselbe Ziel im Auge zu haben; die Böoter sollten versuchen,
zuerst für sich selbst Bundesgenossen der Argiver zu werden und dann
sich selbst sammt den Argivern mit den Lakedämoniern zu verbünden;
so würden sich die Böoter am besten davor schützen, zur Annahme
des Attischen Vertrages gezwungen zu werden; denn die etwaige
Feindschaft der Athener und eine Auflösung des Vertrages sei für
die Lakedämonier nicht von der Bedeutung wie Freundschaft und
Wassenbündniß mit den Argivern; sie wußten nämlich wohl, wie die ¹
Lakedämonier von jeher den Wunsch hegten, es möge zwischen ihnen ²
und Argos auf ehrenvolle Weise ein freundschaftliches Verhältniß,
hergestellt werden, weil sie dafür hielten, daß in diesem Fall ein Krieg
außerhalb des Peloponnes ihnen weniger drückend falle. Was
Panakton betrifft, so baten sie die Böoter, dasselbe an die Lakedämonier
zu übergeben, damit sie wo möglich Pylos dafür eintauschen könnten,
und so für den Krieg gegen die Athener um so besser gestellt wären.

XXXVI. L’hiver suivant ¹ , il se trouva que les éphores en charge n’étaient plus ceux sous lesquels avait été conclu le traité; quelques-uns d’entre eux y étaient même opposés. Des députations des pays alliés vinrent à ² Lacédémone, et s’y rencontrèrent avec des ambassadeurs d’Athènes, de la Béotie et de Corinthe : de nombreuses conférences eurent lieu entre eux, mais sans amener aucun accord. Comme ils se retiraient, Cléobule et Xenarès, ceux des éphores qui étaient le plus prononcés pour la rupture du traité, prirent à part les députés béotiens et corinthiens; ils leur demandèrent de marcher d’accord autant que possible; puis d’amener les Béotiens, d’abord, à entrer dans l’alliance d’Argos, et ensuite à entraîner avec eux les Argiens dans celle de Lacédémone. C’était pour les Béotiens le meilleur moyen, disaient-ils, de ne pas subir les traités athéniens; car les Lacédémoniens désiraient par-dessus tout, même au prix de la haine des Athéniens et de la rupture des traités, l’amitié et l’alliance des Argiens; en effet, ajoutaient-ils, les Lacédémoniens ont de tout temps désiré une amitié avec Argos, persuadés qu’alors ils seraient dans de meilleures conditions pour faire la guerre hors du Péloponnèse. Du reste ils prièrent les Béotiens de remettre Panacton aux Lacédémoniens, afin de l’échanger, s’il était possible, contre Pylos, dont la restitution leur faciliterait la guerre avec Athènes.

L’hiver suivant, les éphores sous lesquels le traité avait eu lieu se trouvaient sortis de charge et remplacés par d’autres, dont quelques-uns étaient opposés à la paix. Des députations des villes alliées vinrent à Lacédémone et s’y rencontrèrent avec des ambassadeurs athéniens, béotiens et corinthiens. Il y eut beaucoup de paroles échangées, sans aucune solution. Comme ces députés se disposaient à repartir, ceux des éphores qui étaient partisans de la guerre, savoir, Cléo-boulos et Xénarès, prirent à part les Béotiens et les Corinthiens. Ils les engagèrent fortement à se mettre d’accord et à faire en sorte que les Béotiens entrassent dans l’alliance d’Argos, afin d’entraîner ensuite les Argiens dans celle de Lacédémone. C’était, disaient-ils, pour la Béotiele meilleur parti à prendre afin de se soustraire au traité conclu avec les Athéniens. Et quant aux Lacédémoniens, ils craignaient moins une rupture avec Athènes qu’un conflit avec Argos ; car ils ont toujours eu pour principe de rechercher l’amitié de cette dernière ville, comme un moyen de leur faciliter la guerre au dehors du Péloponèse. En même temps ils prièrent les Béotiens de leur remettre Panacton, afin de l’échanger, s’il se pouvait, contre Pylos, ce qui rendrait plus facile la guerre avec Athènes.

[1] The following winter the ephors who ¹ happened to be in office at Sparta were other than those under whom the treaty had been made, and some of them were even opposed to it. Embassies had come from their allies, and there were present also Athenians, Boeotians, and Corinthians; and after much discussion, without coming to an agreement, as the envoys were on the point of departing for home, Cleobulus and Xenares, the ephors who most desired to annul the treaty, made private proposals to the Boeotians and Corinthians, advising them to adopt as far as possible the same policy, and that the Boeotians should first become allies of the Argives and then try to make the Argives along with themselves allies of the Lacedaemonians. For in this way the Boeotians would be least likely to be forced to come into the treaty with Athens, since the Lacedaemonians would prefer gaining the friendship and alliance of the Argives, counting that more important than the enmity of the Athenians and the disruption of the treaty. For they knew that the Lacedaemonians were always desirous that Argos should be friendly to them on fair terms, thinking that war outside of the Peloponnesus would then be an easier matter

[2] for them. Panactum, however, they begged the Boeotians to give up to the Lacedaemonians, in order that they might, if possible, get back Pylos in exchange for it, and so be in a safer position for renewing the war with the Athenians.

[1] But the following winter, (different ephors happening now to be in office, and not those under whom the treaty had been made, and some of them being even opposed to it,) when embassies had come from their confederacy, and the Athenians, Boeotians, and Corinthians were there, and they had held many discussions with one another, and come to no agreement; on their departing homeward, Cleobulus and Xenares—those of the ephors who most wished to break up the treaty—held a private conference with the Boeotians and Corinthians, advising them to pursue as far as possible the same policy; and that the Boeotians, after first entering into alliance with Argos themselves, should then endeavour to bring the Argives together with themselves into alliance with the Lacedaemonians. For in this way the Boeotians were least likely to be forced to accede to the Attic treaty; since the Lacedaemonians would prefer gaining the friendship and alliance of the Argives even ¹ at the risk of the enmity of the Athenians and the dissolution of the treaty. For they knew that the Lacedaemonians were always desirous that Argos should be their friend on fair terms; thinking that so the war out of the Peloponnese would be more easily conducted by them.

[2] They begged the Boeotians, however, to put Panactum into the hands of the Lacedaemonians; that by getting back Pylus, if they could, in exchange for it, they might more easily proceed to hostilities with the Athenians.

[1] Insequenle autem hieme (jam enim alii ephori magistratum gerebant, nec ii, quibus magistratum gerentibus foedera percussa erant, atque horum etiam nonnulli foederibus erant adversarii) quum legationesex sociorum terra venissent, et Athenienses et Boeoti et Corinthii praesentes adessent, et ultro citroque multa verba facta essent, nec quicquam inter eos convenisset, quum domum redirent, Cleobulos et Xenarces, ii, qui ex ephoris foedera frangere potissimum volebant, cum Boeotis et Corinthiis privatim sermones habent, admonentes, ut quam maxime et haec probarent et operam darent, ut Boeoti, ubi prius ipsi societatem cum Argivis iniissent, postea cum Boeotis Argivos Lacedaemoniis socios adjungerent; sic enim Boeotos foedus cum Atheniensibus inire minime coactum iri; Lacedaemonios enim Atheniensium inimicitiis ac foederum cum ipsis initorum violationi amicitiam et societatem Argivorum anteposituros. Habebant enim exploratum, Lacedaemonios perpetuo cupere, civitatem Argivorum recte sibi amicam esse, quod bellum extra Peloponnesum ita levius sibi fore ducerent

[2] Panactum vero rogabant Boeotos, ut Lacedaemoniis traderent, ut pro hoc, si possent, Pylo recepta ad bellum adversus Athenienses commodius descenderent.

Nel seguente inverno quegli efori, sotto i quali eransi concluse le tregue , venendo scambiati da altri che vi si erano opposti , gli ambasciatori della lega andarono a Sparta, ove già si trovavano quei degli Ateniesi, dei Beozii e de’ Corintii ; e dopo molti discorsi non convenendo in nulla tornarono a casa. Allora Cleobulo e Xenara, i più desiderosi tra gli efori di sciogliere le tregue , furono privatamente insieme coi legati de’Beozii e dei Corintii, avvertendoli di esaminare attentissimamente le cose presenti, e di far si che i Beo zìi abbracciassero prima l’alleanza degli Argivi, e quindi conducessero gli Argivi insieme con loro alla lega dei Lacedemoni. Dicevano che in questo modo i Beozii non sarebbero per nessun conto obbligati a entrare nel concordato attico; poiché i Lacedemoni preferirebbero di avere amici e confederati gli Argivi, anche a patto di romperla con Atene e sciogliere il concordato. Bene sapevano questi efori la brama continua dei Lacedemoni di farsi decorosamente amica Argo , stimando che la guerra fuori del Peloponneso riuscirebbe più facile. Pregavano poi i Beozii a voler consegnare Panacto ai Lacedemoni, perchè potendo col baratto di questo riavere Pilo , avrebbero più agevolmente onde mettersi in guerra contro gli Ateniesi.