Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.66

[1] "That not only our former acts have been honourable, but that we are to fight now also for further honour, men of Syracuse and confederates, the most of you seem to know already; for else you never would so valiantly have undergone it; and if there be any man that is not so sensible of it as he ought, we will make it appear unto him better.

[2] For whereas the Athenians came into this country with design first to enslave Sicily and then, if that succeeded, Peloponnesus and the rest of Greece, and whereas already they had the greatest dominion of any Grecians whatsoever, either present or past, you, the first that ever withstood their navy, wherewith they were everywhere masters, have in the former battles overcome them, and shall in likelihood overcome them again in this.

[3] For men that are cut short where they thought themselves to exceed become afterwards further out of opinion with themselves than they would have been if they had never thought so; and when they come short of their hope in things they glory in, they come short also in courage of the true strength of their forces. And this is likely now to be the case of the Athenians.

[1] ‘Syracusans and allies, the glorious character of our past achievements and the no less glorious results at issue in the coming battle are, we think, understood by most of you, or you would never have thrown yourselves with such ardor into the struggle; and if there be any one not as fully aware of the facts as he ought to be, we will declare them to him.

[2] The Athenians came to this country first to effect the conquest of Sicily , and after that, if successful, of Peloponnese and the rest of Hellas , possessing already the greatest empire yet known, of present or former times, among the Hellenes. Here for the first time they found in you men who faced their navy which made them masters everywhere; you have already defeated them in the previous sea-fight, and will in all likelihood defeat them again now.

[3] When men are once checked in what they consider their special excellence, their whole opinion of themselves suffers more than if they had not at first believed in their superiority, the unexpected shock to their pride causing them to give way more than their real strength warrants; and this is probably now the case with the Athenians.

„Daß ruhmvoll ist, was wir schon gethan, und daß auch
weiterhin der Kampf ein solcher für ruhmvolle Dinge ist, o ihr
Syrakusaner und Bundesgenossen, das scheinen die Meisten von euch zu
wissen, denn sonst hättet ihr euch nicht mit solchem Eifer an dieser
Sache betheiligt; wenn aber Einer vielleicht die ganze Größe der
Sache noch nicht erkennt, so wollen wir ihn ausklären. Die Athener
nämlich, die in dies Land gekommen sind," um zuerst Sieilien zu
knechten, und danach, wenn sie dies glücklich erreicht, auch den
Peloponnes und das übrige Hellas, und die schon jetzt bereits von den
früheren Hellenen und den jetzigen die größte Herrschaft erlangt
haben, denen seid ihr von allen Menschen zuerst mit einer Seemacht
entgegengetreten, durch welche jene Alles beherrschten, und habt sie in
zwei.Seeschlahcten, bereits schon besiegt, undnhr werdet gewiß auch
diese gewinnen. Denn wenn erst die Menschen in einer Sache, in ¹
der sie den Vorrang beanspruchen, einen Stoß erlitten haben, so ist
dann für die Folge ihre eigene Meinung von sich noch schlechter, als
die Wirklichkeit es erlaubte, und sie halten sich für schwächer, als sie
thun würden, wenn sie von vornherein jene hohe Meinung von sich
nie gehabt hätten, und wie sie früher in ihrer kecken Zuversicht zu
ihrem Schaden zu weit gingen, so zeigen sie sich dann unter dem
wirklichen Grad ihrer Macht muthlos. Und das muß jetzt bei den
Athenern der Fall sein."

LXVI. « Syracusains et alliés, nous avons fait jusqu’ici de grandes choses, etce qui nous reste à faire dans le prochain combat ne sera pas moins grand : la plupart d’entre vous le comprennent, ce semble, à juger par l’ardeur que vous y avez apportée. Si cependant il était quelqu’un qui ne le vît pas suffisamment, voici qui Je convaincra : les Athéniens, en arrivant dans ce pays, voulaient asservir la Sicile d’abord, puis, en cas de succès, le Péloponnèse et la Grèce entière; leur puissance était la plus grande qui ait jamais été parmi les Grecs, et dans le passé et dans le présent; et c’est vous qui les premiers avez osé tenir tête à leur marine, instrument de toute leur puissance! Déjà vous les avez plusieurs fois vaincus sur mer, et vous allez vraisemblablement les vaincre encore. Car, quand on a échoué précisément sur le point où l’on croyait à sa supériorité, l’opinion qu’on avait de soi descend dès lors au-des- sous d'elle-même bien plus que si l’on n’avait pas eu cette présomption; autant on est resté en deçà de ses orgueilleuses espérances, autant on tombe par le découragement au-dessous de sa puissance réelle. Ce sentiment, les Athéniens doivent l’éprouver maintenant.

« Syracusains et alliés, vos actions précédentes ont été glorieuses, et la lutte qui se prépare ne le sera pas moins.

Vous le comprenez vous-mêmes, à en juger par votre zèle. Cependant, si quelqu’un de vous conserve encore des craintes, nous allons les dissiper.

« Ces Athéniens, venus dans nos parages pour asservir la Sicile et, en cas de succès, le Péloponèse et la Grèce entière; ces Athéniens, maîtres déjà du plus vaste empire que jamais Grecs aient possédé ou possèdent aujourd’hui, vous êtes les premiers qui les ayez vaincus sur l’élément où ils s’estimaient invincibles, et vous les vaincrez encore aujourd’hui. L’homme qui a été frappé sur le terrain où il se croyait maître perd la haute opinion qu'il avait de lui-même ; et, l’orgueil une fois humilié, le découragement achève de paralyser les forces. Telle doit être aujourd’hui la situation des Athéniens.

[1] "That the deeds which have already been achieved are glorious and that the contest will be for glories still to come, you, Syracusans and allies, seem to us most of you to be aware—otherwise you would not have laid your hands to the task so zealously; but if anyone has not perceived this as clearly as he should, we will make it plain.

[2] The Athenians came against this country in the first place for the enslavement of Sicily, and after that, if they should be successful, for that of the Peloponnesus also and the rest of Hellas, having already acquired a dominion greater than that of any Hellenes either of the past or of the present time; but you, the first men who ever withstood their fleet, with which they had obtained the mastery everywhere, have already defeated them on the sea and in all probability will defeat them in this present battle.

[3] For when men have once suffered abatement just where they claim to be superior, what is left of their self-esteem is weaker than it ever was —than if they had never thought themselves superior at all—and their pride being mortified by the disappointment, ¹ they give way out of all proportion to their actual strength. And at the present moment this is what the Athenians have probably suffered.

[1] "That our former achievements have been glorious ones, Syracusans and allies, and that this struggle will be for glorious results in future, most of you seem to us to be aware, (for you would not else have devoted yourselves so eagerly to it,) and if any one is not as sensible of it as he ought to be, we will prove it to him.

[2] For when the Athenians had come to this country, for the subjugation of Sicily in the first place, and then, if they succeeded, for that of the Peloponnese also, and the rest of Greece; and when they possessed the largest empire enjoyed hitherto, either by Greeks of former times or of the present, you were the first men in the world who withstood their navy, with which they had borne down every thing, and have already conquered them in some sea-fights, and will now, in all probability, conquer them in this.

[3] For when men have been put down in that in which they claim to excel, their opinion of themselves in future is far lower than if they had never entertained such an idea at first; and failing through the disappointment of their boasting, they give way even beyond the degree of their power. And such, probably, is now the feeling of the Athenians.

[1] « Praeclaras quidem esse res au te gestas et de praeclaris rebus mox etiam certamen futurum, Syracusani et socii, et plerique nobis intelligere videmini (nec enim tanto studio res illas gerendas suscepissetis), et si quis non in quantum debet, intellexit, nos declarabimus.

[2] Athenienses enim in hanc regionem profectos primum quidem, ut Siciliam subigerent, deinde vero, si rem feliciter gessissent, ut Peloponnesum etiam ceteramque Graeciam, et imperium jam nunc maximum omnium tam sujierioris quam nostra memoriae Graecorum obtinentes, vos mortalium primi sustinuistis classe, qua iUi cuncta obtinuerunt, et eos ceteris quidem navalibus proeliis jam vicistis, Jioc vero, ut verisimile videtur, nunc vincetis.

[3] Homines enim, postquam eorum vires in ea re, qua praestare putant, fractae fuerint, multo minorem in posterum de se ipsis opinionem concipiunt, quam si nunquam antea quicquam de se tale sensissent, et praeter spem superbiae suae frustrati etiam infra potentia; vires succumbunt; id quod nunc Atheniensibus accidisse credibile est.

« Che belli fossero i passati fatti, o Siracusani ed alleati, e che per belle cagioni or or verremo a battaglia , ci pare che la maggior parte di voi il sappiate ; essendoché non vi ci sareste messi con animo sì pronto. Se poi alcuno noi sa quanto bisogna, noi glielo dimostreremo. Diciamo adunque che gli Ateniesi, padroni di un imperio senza dubbio il più grande dei passati Greci e dei presenti, venuti essendo contro questo paese primieramente per soggettarsi la Sicilia, e poi, se vi fossero riasciti, il Peloponneso e il rimanente di Grecia , voi primi tra i mortali vi opponeste loro sulla flotta colla quale aveano essi occupato tutto, e li vinceste in diverse battaglie navali ; e probabilmente li vincerete ora anche in questa. Imperciocché quando gli uomini si trovano repressi in ciò di che pretendono il primato, allora la opinione che loro resta di sé è minore di quello che se prima non avessero neppure avuto tal concetto ; e viste inaspettatamente andare a vuoto le loro giattanze, si avviliscono anche più che non vorrebbero le forze che hanno. E questo pare ora il caso degli Ateniesi.