Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.82

[1] "Though our coming were to renew our former league, yet seeing we are touched by the Syracusian, it will be necessary we speak something here of the right of our dominion.

[2] And the greatest testimony of this right he hath himself given, in that he said the Ionians were ever enemies to the Dorians. And it is true. For being Ionians, we have ever endeavoured to find out some means or other how best to free ourselves from subjection to the Peloponnesians, that are Dorians, more in number than we and dwelling near us.

[3] After the Medan war, having gotten us a navy, we were delivered thereby from the command and leading of the Lacedaemonians, there being no cause why they should rather be leaders of us than we of them save only that they were then the stronger. And when we were made commanders of those Grecians which before lived under the king, we took upon us the government of them, because we thought that, having power in our hands to defend ourselves, we should thereby be the less subject to the Peloponnesians. And to say truth, we subjected the Ionians and islanders (whom the Syracusians say we brought into bondage being our kindred) not without just cause;

[4] for they came with the Medes against ours, their mother city, and for fear of losing their wealth durst not revolt, as we did, that abandoned our very city. But as they were content to serve, so they would have imposed the same condition upon us.

[1] ‘Although we came here only to renew the former alliance, the attack of the Syracusans compels us to speak of our empire and of the good right we have to it.

[2] The best proof of this the speaker himself furnished, when he called the Ionians eternal enemies of the Dorians. It is the fact; and the Peloponnesian Dorians being our superiors in numbers and next neighbours, we Ionians looked out for the best means of escaping their domination.

[3] After the Median war we had a fleet, and so got rid of the empire and supremacy of the Lacedaemonians, who had no right to give orders to us more than we to them, except that of being the strongest at that moment; and being appointed leaders of the king's former subjects, we continue to be so, thinking that we are least likely to fall under the dominion of the Peloponnesians, if we have a force to defend ourselves with, and in strict truth having done nothing unfair in reducing to subjection the Ionians and islanders, the kinsfolk whom the Syracusans say we have enslaved.

[4] They, our kinsfolk, came against their mother country, that is to say against us, together with the Mede , and instead of having the courage to revolt and sacrifice their property as we did when we abandoned our city, chose to be slaves themselves, and to try to make us so.

„Wir sind hieher gekommen, um die früher bestandene
Bundesgenossenschaft zu.erneuern; weil uns aber der Syrakusaner
angreift, so bin ich gezwungen, auch über unsere Herrschaft zu reden,
um zu zeigen, daß wir sie mit Recht besitzen. Den stärksten
Vertheidigungsgrund hat er selber beigebracht, daß nämlich die Joner
allezeit Feinde der Dorer seien. Und so ist es auch in der That. Wir
Athener nämlich, die wir Joner sind, mußten gegenüber den
Peloponnesiern, die Dorer sind und, an Zahl überlegen, in unserer
nächsten Nähe wohnen, nach Mitteln und Wegen suchen, um uns vor ihrer
Herrschaft so sicher als möglich zu stellen, und als wir nach den
Perserkriegen im Besitz einer Flotte waren, haben wir uns von der
Herrschaft und Führung der Lakedämonier frei gemacht, da doch jene
durchaus nicht mehr berechtigt waren, uns zu befehlen, als wir ihnen,
wenn sie nicht eben im Augenblicke die Stärkeren waren. So traten
wir denn auf als Führer der Hellenen, die früher dem Perserkönig
gehorcht, und haben unsere Staatseinrichtungen getroffen, von der
Ueberzeugung ausgehend, daß wir vor der Herrschaft der
Peloponnesier am sichersten seien, wenn wir selber die Macht besäßen, um sie
abzuwehren. Und will man genau zusehen, so haben wir die Joner
und Inselbewohner nicht einmal mit Unrecht uns unterworfen,
obgleich die Syrakusaner sagen, daß wir sie trotz der
Stammverwandtschaft mit Gewalt geknechtet hätten. Denn sie sind im Bunde mit
den Medern gegen uns, ihren Mutterstaat, zu Feld gezogen und
haben eS nicht gewagt abzufallen und ihr Haus und Gut preiszugeben,
wie wir gethan, die unsere Stadt verließen, sondern die Knechtschaft
zogen sie vor und wollten auch uns dieselbe aufzwingen."

LXXXII. « Nous sommes venus pour le renouvellement de l’ancienne alliance; mais, provoqués par les attaques du Syracusain, nous sommes dans la nécessité de parler de notre empire et d’en démontrer la légitimité. Il en a donné lui-même la meilleure preuve en disant qu’il y a éternelle inimitié entre les Ioniens et les Doriens, ce qui est en effet. Nous, qui sommes loniens, placés en présence des Péloponnésiens, nation dorienne, plus nombreux que nous, nos voisins, nous avons cherché les moyens d’échapper entièrement à leur domination. Après la guerre médique, en possession d’une flotte, nous nous sommes soustraits à l’empire et au commandement des Lacédémoniens; car, à part leur puissance alors prépondérante, ils n’avaient pas plus le droit de nous dicter des lois que nous de leur en imposer. Placés nous-mêmes à la tête des peuples auparavant soumis au Roi, nous administrons leurs affaires, parce que nous avons pensé que le meilleur moyen de nous soustraire à l’empire des Péloponnésiens était d’avoir une force pour nous défendre. Et, pour parler vrai, il n’y a eu aucune injustice de notre part à sou mettre ces Ioniens et ces insulaires, que les Syracusains nous accusent d’avoir asservis malgré les liens d’une commune origine : car ils ont marché contre la métropole, contre nous, d’accord avec le Mède; ils n’ont point osé émigrer en détruisant leurs propriétés, comme nous l’avons fait lors de l’abandon de notre ville; ils ont choisi pour eux la servitude, et ils ont voulu nous l’apporter également.

« Nous sommes venus pour le renouvellement de l'ancienne alliance ; mais, puisque nous sommes attaqués par l'orateur syracusain, il faut bien que nous démontrions la légitimité de notre empire.

« Le meilleur de tous les arguments est celui qu'il a donné lui-même, lorsqu’il a parlé du vieil antagonisme entre Ioniens et Doriens. Nous Ioniens, placés en regard des Do riens du Péloponèse, nation beaucoup plus nombreuse que la nôtre, nous avons cherché dès l’abord les moyens de nous soustraire à leur domination. Après la guerre Médique, nous trouvant en possession d’une marine, nous avons secoué le joug des Lacédémoniens ; car il n’y avait pas plus de raison à eux de nous l’imposer qu’à nous de le leur faire subir, si ce n’est que leurs forces alors étaient supérieures aux nôtres. Devenus chefs des peuples auparavant soumis au roi, nous avons établi sur eux notre suprématie , parce que pour nous la seule manière d’échapper à Fascendant des Péloponésiens était de posséder une puissance imposante.

« D’ailleurs, il faut le dire, ce n’est pas sans motif que nous avons fait la loi à ces Ioniens et à ces insulaires, qu’oh nous reproche d’avoir subjugués au mépris des liens du sang. Ces peuples avaient marché avec le Mède contre nous, contre leur métropole. Ils n’avaient pas eu le courage de rompre avec lui et de ruiner leurs propriétés, comme nous le fîmes nous-mêmes en abandonnant notre ville. Esclaves, ils nous apportaient leur propre esclavage.

[1] "We had come here for the renewal of the alliance ¹ which formerly existed, but as the Syracusan has attacked us it is necessary to speak also about our empire, showing how rightly we hold it.

[2] Now the strongest proof of this the speaker himself stated--that Ionians have always been enemies to the Dorians. It is even so. Accordingly, we, being Ionians, considered in what we way we should be least subject to the Peloponnesians who are Dorians and not only more numerous than we but our near neighbors. ²

[3] And after the Persian wars we acquired a fleet and rid ourselves of the rule and supremacy of the Lacedaemonians, it being not in any way more fitting that they give orders to us than we to them, except in so far as they at the time were stronger. Having, then, ourselves become leaders of those who were before subject to the King, we so continue, thinking that we should in this way be least subject to the Peloponnesians, because we have power with which to defend ourselves. And to say the exact truth, not unjustly, either, did we subdue both the Ionians and the islands, whom the Syracusans say we have enslaved though they are our kinsmen.

[4] For they came against us, their mother-city, along with the Persians, and had not the courage to revolt and sacrifice their homes, as we did when we abandoned our city, but chose slavery for themselves and wished to impose the same condition on us.

[1] "Though we are come hither for the purpose of renewing our former alliance, yet, as the Syracusan orator has attacked us on that head, we must also address you on the subject of our empire, to show that we enjoy it on just grounds.

[2] The strongest proof, then, of this he himself has mentioned, in his assertion that the Ionians have ever been hostile to the Dorians. And such too is the case. For we, who are Ionians, considered, with regard to the Peloponnnesians. who are Dorians, and more numerous than ourselves, and living near us, in what way we might be least subject to them.

[3] And after the Median invasion, having got a fleet, we released ourselves from the empire and supremacy of the Lacedaemonians; since they had no more right to command us than we them, except so far as they were at present more powerful. Thus having been ourselves appointed leaders of those who were before under the king, we so continue; considering that in this way we should least fall under the power of the Peloponnesians, by having a force with which to defend ourselves; and, to speak accurately, not having unjustly, either, reduced the Ionians and islanders to subjection, whom the Syracusans say that we have enslaved, though our kinsmen.

[4] For they came against their mother-country, against us, I mean, in company with the Mede; and could not bring themselves to revolt from him, and to sacrifice their property-as we did, when we evacuated our city-but chose slavery themselves, and to bring the same on us also.

[1] « Veneramus quidem, ut pristinam societalem renovaremus, sed quoniam Syracusanus nos incessit, ne-Gessarium esteliam de imperio nostro verba facere, ut hoc a nobis jure obtineri demonstremus.

[2] Maxitnum igitur hujus rei testimonium ipse dixit hoc, quod Iones Doriensium hoetes semper sint. Et vero res ita se habet : nos enim, qui sumus Iones, rationem iniimus, qua Peloponnesiis , qui sunt Dorienses et plures, quam.nos, et iidem accola·, minime obediremus,

[3] et post Medicum bellum parata classe Lacedaemoniorum imperio et principatu liberati sumus, quia non magis decebat illos nobis, quam etiam nos illis imperare, nisi quatenus id temporis nobis potentiores erant, et contra nos ipsi eorum, qui regis imperio prius parebarant, duces extitimus et sic nunc agimus, existimantes, ita nos in Peloponnesiorum potestatem minime venturos esse, quum potentiam habeamus, qua vim propulsemus, et, ut dicam quod res est, non injuria in nostram potestatem Iones et insularum incolas redegerimus, quos Syracusani a nobis in servitutem redactos aiunt, quamvis iis simus cognati.

[4] Nam adversus nos, melropolin suam, cum Medo venerant, nec ausi erant defectione a Medo facta res domesticas profligare, quemadmodum nos, qui urbem deseruimus, sed et ipsi servitutem pati, et nobis idem imponere volebant.

c« Noi certamente eravamo venuti qua per rinnovare l’alleanza di prima : ma sentendoci tocchi dal Siracusano, ci è forza parlare anche intorno al nostro impero, mostrando che giustamente lo abbiamo. Egli pertanto ne ha addotta la più gran testimonianza col dire che gli Ionii sono mai sempre nemici ai Doriesi. E la cosa sta pur così. Imperciocché noi che siamo Ionii abbiamo sempre studiato il modo di non obbedire in nulla ai Peloponnesi che Doriesi sono, e in più numero di noi e confinanti. E dopo la guerra de’Medi, essendoci procacciata una flotta, ci liberammo dal dominio e dalla capitaneria de’Lacedemoni che non avean diritto di comandare a noi , più che noi a loro ; se non in quanto erano allora più forti. Divenuti poi duci dei Greci stati prima sotto il re, ne ritenghiamo il governo, perchè credemmo che avendo così forze da resistere, non ci troveremmo in balìa de’ Peloponnesi. E a parlare rigorosamente, non abbiamo soggiogato a torto gli Ionii e gli isolani, cui i Siracusani dicono aver noi assoggettati benché parenti. No, perchè insiem col Medo eran venuti contro noi, città madre, e non aveano avuto il cuore di ribellarsi a lui, e di disestare le cose domestiche, siccome noi che abbandonammo la città; e non coutenti della loro servitù, voleano imporre anco a noi lo stesso giogo.