Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.80

[1] Thus was the peace and league concluded; and whatsoever one had taken from the other in the war, or whatsoever one had against another otherwise, was all acquitted. Now, when they were together settling their business, they ordered that the Argives should neither admit herald nor ambassage from the Athenians till they were gone out of Peloponnesus and had quit the fortification, nor should make peace or war with any without consent of the rest.

[2] And amongst other things which they did in this heat, they sent ambassadors from both their cities to the towns lying upon Thrace and unto Perdiccas, whom they also persuaded to swear himself of the same league. Yet he revolted not from the Athenians presently, but intended it, because he saw the Argives had done so, and was himself also anciently descended out of Argos. They likewise renewed their old oath with the Chalcideans and took another besides it. The Argives sent ambassadors also to Athens, requiring them to abandon the fortification they had made against Epidaurus.

[3] And the Athenians, considering that the soldiers they had in it were few in respect to the many others that were with them in the same, sent Demosthenes to fetch them away. He, when he was come and had exhibited for a pretence a certain exercise of naked men without the fort, when the rest of the garrison were gone forth to see it, made fast the gates; and afterwards having renewed the league with the Epidaurians, the Athenians by themselves put the fort into their hands.

[1] The treaty and above alliance concluded, each party at once released everything whether acquired by war or otherwise, and thenceforth acting in common voted to receive neither herald nor embassy from the Athenians unless they evacuated their forts and withdrew from Peloponnese , and also to make neither peace nor war with any, except jointly.

[2] Zeal was not wanting: both parties sent envoys to the Thracian places and to Perdiccas, and persuaded the latter to join their league. Still he did not at once break off from Athens , although minded to do so upon seeing the way shown him by Argos , the original home of his family. They also renewed their old oaths with the Chalcidians and took new ones:

[3] the Argives, besides, sent ambassadors to the Athenians, bidding them evacuate the fort at Epidaurus . The Athenians, seeing their own men outnumbered by the rest of the garrison, sent Demosthenes to bring them out. This general, under color of a gymnastic contest which he arranged on his arrival, got the rest of the garrison out of the place, and shut the gates behind them. Afterwards the Athenians renewed their treaty with the Epidaurians, and by themselves gave up the fortress.

So lautete der Vertrag und der geschlossene Waffenbund.
Was nun beide Theile im Kriege, einander abgenommen oder sonst
im Besitz hatten, darüber verglichen sie sich. Und da sie nun alle ihre
Angelegenheiten im gemeinsamen Wege abmachten, so beschlossen, sie,
von den Athenern weder einen Herold noch Gesandtschaften
anzunehmen, wenn diese nicht aus dem Peloponnes abzögen und die
Festungen räumten; und auch weder Frieden, schließen noch Krieg führen
mit irgend Einem wollten He anders als gemeinsam..Und auch allem
Uebrigen unterzogen sie sich mit Eifer, und schickten auch Beide
Gesandtschaften nach den Thrakischen Gränzlanden und zum Perdikkas
und beredeten diesen, zu ihrem Bunde zu schwören. Er fiel jedoch
nicht sogleich von den Athenern ab, obwohl er den Entschluß schon
damals faßte, als er die Argiver es thun sah; er stammte nämlich
von Alters her auch' aus Argos ab. Auch mit den Chalkidiern
bekräftigten sie die alten Eide'bs^und schwuren ihnen neue dazu. Zu ^{1 2}
den Athenern aber schickten die Argiver Gesandte und verlangten,
sie sollten aus der Festung von Epidauros abziehen. >Da diese nun
sahen, daß sie gegenüber der zahlreicheren Mitbesatzung im Nachtheil
seien, so schickten sie den Demosthenes dahin >. um ihre Leute
abzuführen. Der nun veranstaltete zum Schein bei seiner Ankunft ein
Ringwettspiel außerhalb der Mauern,'und als die übrigen
Besatzungstruppen deßhalb in's Freie strömten, so ließ er hinter ihnen'die Thore
schließen, und später übergaben sie selbst die Festung an die
Epidauriet, nachdem sie mit ihnen den Vertrag erneuert hatten. ' '

LXXX. Tel fut ce traité de paix et d’alliance : les conquêtes furent restituées de part et d’autre et tous les différends terminés. Il y eut dès lors entre eux communauté d’action : ils décrétèrent de ne recevoir des Athéniens ni héraut ni ambassadeurs, que ceux-ci n’eûssent quitté le Péloponnèse et évacué les forteresses; et de ne faire ni paix ni guerre que d’un commun accord. De part et d’autre on témoignait une égale ardeur. Des ambassadeurs furent envoyés de Sparte et d’Argos aux villes de Thrace et à Perdiccas. Perdiccas, sollicité par eux d’entrer dans leur alliance, ne rompit pas sur-le-champ avec les Athéniens; mais déjà il y songeait en voyant la défection des Argiens; car il était lui-même originaire d’Argos. Quant aux Chalcidiens les anciens serments furent renouvelés avec eux ¹ et on en prêta de nouveaux. Les Argiens envoyèrent aussi des ambassadeurs aux Athéniens pour leur enjoindre d’évacuer la forteresse élevée près d’Épidaure. Ceux-ci, ne se sentant pas en forces, — car ils ne formaient qu’une faible partie de la garnison,— envoyèrent Démosthènes pour ramener leur contingent; mais, une fois arrivé, Démosthènes attira hors de la place les autres troupes de la garnison, sous prétexte d’un combat gymnique qu’il donna hors des ² murs, et ferma ensuite les portes. Plus tard, les Athéniens renouvelèrent leur traité avec les Épidauriens et leur rendirent ce fort.

Ainsi fut conclu ce traité de paix et d’alliance. On se restitua réciproquement les conquêtes et l’on régla les différends. Les deux peuples, faisant dès lors cause commune, décrétèrent de ne recevoir ni héraut ni ambassadeur de la part des Athéniens, que ceux-ci n’eussent évacué le Péloponèse et les forts qu'ils y avaient construits; enfin de ne faire ni la pair ni la guerre que d’un commun accord. Déployant une extrême activité en toutes choses, ils envoyèrent de concert une députation aux villes du littoral de la Thrace, ainsi qu’à Perdiccas, qu'ils parvinrent à entraîner dans leur ligue. Toutefois ce prince n’eut garde de rompre immédiatement avec les Athéniens ; mais il en conçut le projet, lorsqu’il vit l’exemple donné par la ville d’Argos, dont il tirait son origine ¹ . Finalement ils renouvelèrent avec les Chalcidéens leurs anciens serments et en ajoutèrent de nouveaux. Les Argiens députèrent aussi ami Athéniens pour leur demander l’évacuation du fort construit a Épidaure. Ceux-ci, considérant que leurs soldats étaient bien inférieurs en nombre au reste de la garnison, chargèrent Dé-mosthène de les ramener. A son arrivée, ce général simula des jeux gymniques, attira ainsi hors des murs la partie étrangère de la garnison, et fît ensuite fermer les portes ² . Plus tard les Athéniens renouvelèrent leur traité avec les Épidauriens ³ et leur rendirent le fort.

[1] Such was the treaty and alliance that was concluded; and all the places which either side had acquired from the other in war they restored, or if there was any other ground of difference between them, they came to an agreement about it. Acting now in concert in their affairs, they voted not to receive herald or embassy from the Athenians, unless they evacuated their forts and withdrew from the Peloponnesus;

[2] also not to make peace or carry on war with anyone except together. And not only did they prosecute other matters with energy, but both of them sent envoys to the places in Thrace and to Perdiccas. And they persuaded Perdiccas to swear alliance with them. He, however, did not desert the Athenians at once, but was thinking of it, because he saw the Argives had done so; for he was himself of Argive descent. ¹

[3] With the Chalcidians, too, they renewed their ancient oaths, and swore new ones. The Argives also sent envoys to the Athenians bidding them evacuate the fortress at Epidaurus; ² and these, seeing that their contingent was small in comparison with the rest, sent Demosthenes to bring away their men. On his arrival he made a pretext of some gymnastic contest outside the fort, and when the rest of the garrison had gone out closed the gates behind them. Afterwards the Athenians renewed the treaty with the Epidaurians and of their own accord gave up the fortress.

[1] This then was the treaty and alliance that was concluded; and whatever belonging to each other they had taken in the war, or whatever other ground of difference existed between them, they came to a settlement of all such matters. And as they now arranged their measures in concert, they adopted a resolution not to receive any herald or embassy from the Athenians, unless they withdrew from the Peloponnese, and evacuated their forts;

[2] and neither to make peace nor carry on war with any, except conjointly. And besides conducting their other measures with vehemence, they both of them sent ambassadors to the Thrace-ward towns, and to Perdiccas, whom they persuaded to join their league. He did not, however, immediately separate from the Athenians, but purposed doing so, because he saw that the Argives had also; for he himself was originally from Argos. They likewise renewed their former oaths with the Chalcidians, and bound themselves by new ones.

[3] Moreover, the Argives sent ambassadors to the Athenians, commanding them to evacuate their fortress in Epidaurus. They therefore, seeing themselves to be but few against many who joined in garrisoning it, sent Demosthenes to lead their men out of it; who having arrived, and instituted, by way of pretext, a gymnastic contest outside the fortress, when the rest of the garrison had gone out, shut the gates upon them. Afterwards, having renewed their treaty with the Epidaurians, the Athenians by themselves gave up the fortress.

[1] Haec igitur foedera atque haec societas inito erat, et quaecunque alteri alterorum bello capto, aut si quid aliud habebant, diluerunt. Jamque communiter res administrantes decreverant caduceatorem et legationem ab Atheniensibus non recipiendam, nisi ex Peloponneso excederent relictis munitionibus, neque cum ullo compositionem laciendam aut bellum gerendum, nisi communiter.

[2] Et quum alia impetu quodam animi administrabant, tum etiam utri-qoe legatos in Thraciam et ad Perdiccam miserant, eique persuaserant, ut societatem jurejurando interposito secum iniret. Non tamen statim ab Atheniensibus defecit, sed in animo liabebat, quod et ArgivorOm exemplum videret; erat autem et ipse antiquitus ex Argivorum urbe oriundus. Praeterea vetustum jusjurandum cum Chalcidensibus renovarunt, et aliud jurarunt.

[3] Argivi etiam legatos ad Athenienses miserunt, imperantes, ut munitionem in agro Epidaurio factam relinquerent. Illi vero, quum animadverterent , suos paucos esse prae ceteris ejus loci praesidiariis militibus, quorum numerus major erat, Demosthenem miserunt, ut suos educeret Ille vero quum eo pervenisset et quoddam gymnicum certamen extra munitionem se edituram simu lasset,, ubi reliquum praesidium egressum est, portas clausit; et postea Athenienses ipsi foedere renovato munitionem illam Epidauriis restituerunt.

Così fermarono il concordato e l’alleanza, e cosi accomodaronsi su ciò che gli uni degli altri avevano preso in guerra, e su qualunque altra differenza. E fin d’allora disponendo di concordia le cose loro, decretarono di non ammettere nè araldo nè ambasceria degli Ateniesi, se non uscissero dal Peloponneso e abbandonassero le fortificazioni; e di non fare convenzione o guerra con veruno, fuor che unitamente. E adirati ancora per le altre cose, spediscono entrambi ambasciatori alle terre di Tracia ed a Perdicca, il quale persuasero ad unirsi con loro. Ei non volle però staccarsi subito dagli Ateniesi, ma ne aveva bensì il pensiero, al vedere che Argo, d’onde egli pure veniva, ab antico avea fatto lo stesso. Di più rinnovarono co’ Calcidesi gli antichi giuramenti, e ne aggiunsero degli altri. Gli Argivi spedirono ancora ambasciatori agli Ateniesi, ordinando che abbandonassero le fortificazioni di Epidauro : i quali vedendosi pochi al paragone di quei più che erano alla difesa del forte , mandarono Demostene a condur via la gente loro. Arrivato egli colà prese il pretesto di voler dare un certame ginnico fuori del forte ; e quando le altre truppe di guarnigione furono uscite, serrò le porte. Quindi gli Ateniesi da sè soli rinnuovata la tregua con gli Epidaurii fecero la resa del castello.