Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.27

[1] The same winter also came to Athens a thousand and three hundred targetiers, of those called Machaerophori of the race of them that are called Dii, and were to have gone with Demosthenes into Sicily.

[2] But coming too late, the Athenians resolved to send them back again into Thrace, as being too chargeable a matter to entertain them only for the war in Deceleia; for their pay was to have been a drachma a man by the day.

[3] For Deceleia, being this summer fortified first by the whole army and then by the several cities maintained with a garrison by turns, much endamaged the Athenians and weakened their estate, both by destroying their commodities and consuming of their men, so as nothing more.

[4] For the former invasions, having been short, hindered them not from reaping the benefit of the earth for the rest of the time. But now, the enemy continually lying upon them, and sometimes with greater forces, sometimes of necessity with the ordinary garrison making incursions and fetching in booty, Agis, the king of Lacedaemon, being always there in person and diligently prosecuting the war, the Athenians were thereby very grievously afflicted.

[5] For they were not only deprived of the fruit of the land, but also above twenty thousand of their slaves fled over to the enemy, whereof the greatest part were artificers; besides they lost all their sheep and oxen. And by the continual going out of the Athenian horsemen, making excursions to Deceleia and defending the country, their horses became partly lamed through incessant labour in rugged grounds and partly wounded by the enemy.

[1] This same summer arrived at Athens thirteen hundred targeteers, Thracian swordsmen of the tribe of the Dii, who were to have sailed to Sicily with Demosthenes.

[2] Since they had come too late, the Athenians determined to send them back to Thrace , whence they had come; to keep them for the Decelean war appearing too expensive, as the pay of each man was a drachma a day.

[3] Indeed since Decelea had been first fortified by the whole Peloponnesian army during this summer, and then occupied for the annoyance of the country by the garrisons from the cities relieving each other at stated intervals, it had been doing great mischief to the Athenians; in fact this occupation, by the destruction of property and loss of men which resulted from it, was one of the principal causes of their ruin.

[4] Previously the invasions were short, and did not prevent their enjoying their land during the rest of the time: the enemy was now permanently fixed in Attica ; at one time it was an attack in force, at another it was the regular garrison overrunning the country and making forays for its subsistence, and the Lacedaemonian king, Agis, was in the field and diligently prosecuting the war; great mischief was therefore done to the Athenians.

[5] They were deprived of their whole country: more than twenty thousand slaves had deserted, a great part of them artisans, and all their sheep and beasts of burden were lost; and as the cavalry rode out daily upon excursions to Decelea and to guard the country, their horses were either lamed by being constantly worked upon rocky ground, or wounded by the enemy.

Es kamen in diesem Sommer auch leichte Schildträger
von den Thrakern diakischen Stammes, die mit Schwertern
bewaffnet sind, nach Athen, ein tauen drei hundert an der Zahl, die mit
Demosthenes hätten nach Sieilien fahren sollen. Da sie nun aber zu
spät gekommen waren, so dachten die Athener, sie wieder nach
Thraten zurückzuschicken, woher sie gekommen; denn sich ihrer für den
Krieg gegen Dekeleia zu bedienen, erschien zu kostspielig, da der Mann
täglich eine Drachme Sold erhielt. Dekeleia nämlich war im Laufe
dieses Sommers zuerst von der ganzen Armee befestigt worden und
wurde dann abwechselnd von Truppen der einzelnen Städte besetzt,
welche das Land bedrängten und den Athenern großen Schaden
thaten, vornämlich an Hab und Gut und durch Menschenverlust. Denn
während die früheren Einfälle immer nur kurze Zeit gedauert und
für die übrigen Theile des Jahres die Benützung des Landes nicht
gehindert hatten, so saßen ihnen die Feinde jetzt ununterbrochen auf
dem Nacken und machten zuweilen Angriffe in größerer Zahl, oder es
fiel die gewöhnliche Besatzung, von Noth gedrängt, in die Landschaft
ein und raubte und plünderte; auch war der Lakedämonier König
Agis anweend, der den Kr^g durchaus nicht als Nebensache be
andelte, und so erlitten die Athener große Verluste. DaS ganze Land
blieb ihrer Benutzung entzogen, und mehr als zwanzig tausend
Skla nen, meist Handwerker, liefen zum. Feind über, und alle Schafe und ¹
Lastthiere gingen zu Grunde. , Auch die Pferde, weil die Reiterei,
täglich ausfallen und Dekeleia angreifen und das Land bewachen
mußte, wurden auf dem rauhen Boden bei der beständigen
Anstrengung zum Theil lahm, zum Theil aber verwundet. '

XXVII. Le même été arrivèrent à Athènes treize cents peltastes thraces armés de coutelas, de la tribu des Diens, destinés à accompagner Démosthènes en Sicile. Comme ils arrivèrent trop tard, on résolut de les renvoyer chez eux; car chaque homme recevant une drachme par jour, il parut trop onéreux de les garder, surtout avec les charges de la guerre de Décélie. Cette ville, fortifiée dans le cours de l’été par toute l’armée péloponnésienne, occupée ensuite par des garnisons des différentes villes qui faisaient périodiquement des incursions dans la campagne, causait un mal infini aux Athéniens; rien ne compromit plus leurs affaires que les pertes d’hommes et d’argent qui en résultèrent : jusque-là les incursions avaient été de peu de durée, et n’empêchaient pas l’exploitation du territoire pendant le reste du temps; mais alors l’occupation continue du pays par l’ennemi, les incursions accidentelles de troupes plus nombreuses, celles de la garnison régulière que la nécessité obligeait à courir la campagne et à vivre de butin, enfin la présence d’Agis, roi des Lacédémoniens, qui donnait à la guerre une vigoureuse impulsion, firent aux Athéniens un mal extrême. La jouissance de tout le pays leur échappait; plus de vingt mille esclaves, la plupart artisans, avaient déserté; tous les bestiaux périssaient ainsi que les bêtes de somme; les chevaux, épuisés par des sorties continuelles, par des pointes sur Décélie, et par la garde du pays, étaient ou boiteux ou blessés à la suite de fatigues incessantes sur un terrain rocailleux.

Ce même été , arrivèrent à Athènes treize cents pel-tastes thraces armées d’épées, de la tribu des Diens. Ils auraient dû accompagner Démosthène enSicile; mais, comme üs étaient venus trop tard, on décida de les renvoyer chez eux. Leur paje était d’une drachme par jour et par tête ; or il semblait dispendieux de les garder alors qu’il fallait déjà subvenir aux frais de la guerre de Décélie.

Cette place, fortifiée dans le cours de l’été par toute l’armée, fut ensuite occupée par des garnisons qûe fournissaient les États confédérés, et qui se relevaient alternativement. Rien ne fut plus funeste aux Athéniens, par les pertes énormes, en hommes et en argent, qui en résultèrent. Jusqu’alors les incursions avaient été de courte durée, et n'avaient pas empêché d’exploiter le pays le reste du temps; mais, une fois que l’ennemi se fut établi en permanence, que les campagnes furent dévastées, tantôt par des troupes nombreuses ¹ , tantôt par la garnison ordinaire qui vivait du pillage ; une fois qu’Agis, roi de Lacédémone, constamment sur place, fit de la guerre son unique occupation, alors les Athéniens éprouvèrent des dommages incalculables. Ils perdirent d’un seul coup la jouissance de leurs terres, leurs troupeaux, leurs bêtes de somme; ils virent déserter plus de vingt mille esclaves, artisans pour la plupart ² ; enfin, comme les cavaliers faisaient journellement des patrouilles, soit vers Décélie, soit dans le reste de la contrée, leurs chevaux recevaient des blessures ou s'estropiaient, en parcourant sans relâche un sol hérissé d’aspérités.

[1] During this same summer there arrived at Athens thirteen hundred peltasts of the dirk-bearing Thracians of the tribe of Dii, who were to have sailed to Sicily with Demosthenes. But since they came too late, the Athenians were disposed to send them back to Thrace whence they had come.

[2] To keep them for the war that was being carried on from Deceleia seemed too expensive, since each received as pay a drachma a day.

[3] It should be explained regarding Deceleia that, from the time when it was first fortified during this summer by the entire army and was then regularly occupied for the annoyance of the country by garrisons furnished by the several allied states and succeeding each other at fixed intervals of time, its occupation did much harm to the Athenians, and by destruction of property and wastage of men was one of the chief causes that brought ruin to their cause.

[4] For before this summer the enemy's invasions, being of short duration, did not prevent the Athenians from making full use of the land during the rest of the year; but at this time, the occupation being continuous, the enemy sometimes invading the country with a larger force and at others the regular garrison overrunning the country, as it was compelled to do, and carrying off booty, while Agis, the king of the Lacedaemonians, who was present in person, carried on the war in no desultory fashion, the Athenians were suffering great damage.

[5] For they were deprived of their whole territory, more than twenty thousand slaves had already deserted, a large proportion of these being artisans, and all their small cattle and beasts of burden were lost; and now that the cavalry were sallying forth every day, making demonstrations against Deceleia and keeping guard throughout the country, some horses were constantly going lame because of the rocky ground and the incessant hardships they had to endure, and some were continually being wounded.

[1] There came also to Athens this same summer, to serve as targeteers, a body of Thracians who carry swords, of the tribe of the Dii, thirteen hundred in number, who were to have sailed to Sicily with Demosthenes;

[2] but as they had come too late, the Athenians determined to send them back again to Thrace, the country they had come from, as it seemed too expensive to keep them for the war carried on from Decelea. since each of them received a drachma a day.

[3] For since Decelea had been first fortified by the whole Peloponnesian army during this summer, and afterwards was occupied for the annoyance of the country by garrisons coming from the states at successive periods, it greatly injured the Athenians, and was amongst the principal things that ruined their interests, both by the destruction of property and the loss of men.

[4] For previously the invasions were but of brief duration, and did not prevent their enjoying their territory at other times; but then, when the enemy were continually stationed there for their annoyance, and sometimes attacked them with a more numerous force, while at other times the regular garrison ¹ of necessity made incursions on the land, and forayed it, Agis the Lacedaemonian king being also present, (who made no by work of the war,) the Athenians suffered severely in consequence;

[5] for they were deprived of their whole country, and more than twenty thousand slaves had deserted, a great part of them being artisans; and all their sheep and beasts of burden were lost. Their horses also, as the cavalry were daily on the move, making excursions to Decelea and keeping guard in the country, were either lamed by being worked on rocky ground, and that continually, or were disabled by wounds.

[1] Hac eadem aestate ex Thracibus etiam machaerophoris, qui sunt ex Diaco genere, mille ac trecenti peltati Athenas venerunt, quos in Siciliam cum Demosthene navigare oportuerat.

[2] Athenienses vero, quod serius venissent, eos in Thraciam, unde venerant, remittere cogitabant. Nam eos retinere illius belli causa, quod ex Decelea gerebatur, sumptuosum videbatur; singuli enim quotidie singulas drachmas accipiebant.

[3] Decelea enim postquam primum quidem hac aestate ab universis copiis hostium munita , deinde vero praesidiis a civitatibus certo temporis or- dine sibi succedentibus in ipsi regione obtinebatur, Athenienses magnis detrimentis aflidebat et in primis res iUorum afflixit et pecuniarum jactura et hominum interitu.

[4] Nam ante quidem irruptiones, quum non diuturnae essent, non impediebant, quominus reliqua anni parte fructus ex agro suo perciperent; tunc vero, quum hostes continenter assiderent, et modo cum mgjoribus copiis eam invaderent, modo cogente pari necessitate praesidium regionem incursionibus infestaret, et praedas ageret, quumque Agis, Lacedaemoniorum rex, adesset, qui non negligenter bellum adminis trabat, Athenienses magnis detrimentis afficiebantur.

[5] Nam et universo agro privati erant, et servitiorum amplios quam viginti millia ad hostes transierant, lique magnam partem opifices, et oves omnes amissae erant et jumenta; et equi, quod equites quotidie tum ad Deceleam excursiones faciebant, tum regionem custodiebant, partim quidem dandi fiebant, quum et in aspero solo et assidue vexarentur, partim vero sauciabantur.

In questa medesima estate arrivarono ad Atene mille trecento palvesari dei Traci armati di coltella, della razzaDiaca, che doveano navigare con Demostene in Sicilia. Ma gli Ateniesi, poiché costoro arrivarono troppo tardi, pensarono di rimandarli indietro in Tracia donde erano venuti. parendo loro troppo dispendioso il ritenere questi che dovevano avere ogni giorno una dramma a testa, e il sostenere a un tempo la guerra di Decelia. La quale munila hi principio da tutto l’esercito lacedemone in questa stessa estate , poiché fu col tempo occupata dai presidii spediti dalle diverse città che successivamente entravano nel territorio degli Ateniesi, era cagione ad essi di molli danni ; e guastò priucipalmente le cose loro colla dilapidazione delle ricchezze e colla morte delle persone. Conciossiaché per l’innanzi brevi erano le invasioni dei Lacedemoni, e non impedivano agli Ateniesi di godere dei frutti della campagna nel resto dell’anno; laddove allora gravi erano i danni che pativano, perché i nemici vi stavano fermi continuamente, e talvolta sopravvenivano in maggior numero di essi; tal altra la guarnigione ordinaria stretta dalla necessità scorrazzava la campagna e commetteva ladronecci; e per di più vi era presente Agide re de' Lacedemoni che certo non iacea la guerra alla leggera. Ond’è che erano rimasti privi di tutta la campagna, e più di ventimila servi erano disertati , e di questi la maggior parte manifattori, ed era perito tutto il bestiame sì minuto che da soma ; ed i cavalli giornalmente esercitati dalla gente d’arme che facevano scorrerie contro Decelia e stavano alla guardia del territorio, parte erano divenuti zoppi perchè oppressi da continua fatica in quel suolo aspro, parte erano feriti.