Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 7.86

[1] The Syracusians and their confederates, being come together, returned with their prisoners, all they could get, and with the spoil into the city.

[2] As for all the other prisoners of the Athenians and their confederates, they put them into the quarries as the safest custody. But Nicias and Demosthenes they killed, against Gylippus' will. For Gylippus thought the victory would be very honourable if, over and above all his other success, he could carry home both the generals of the enemy to Lacedaemon.

[3] And it fell out that one of them, Demosthenes, was their greatest enemy for the things he had done in the island and at Pylus; and the other, upon the same occasion, their greatest friend. For Nicias had earnestly laboured to have those prisoners which were taken in the island to be set at liberty by persuading the Athenians to the peace.

[4] For which cause the Lacedaemonians were inclined to love him; and it was principally in confidence of that that he rendered himself to Gylippus. But certain Syracusians, as it is reported, some of them for fear (because they had been tampering with him) lest being put to the torture he might bring them into trouble, whereas now they were well enough; and others, especially the Corinthians, fearing he might get away by corruption of one or other, being wealthy, and work them some mischief afresh, having persuaded their confederates to the same, killed him.

[5] For these, or for causes near unto these, was he put to death; being the man that, of all the Grecians of my time, had least deserved to be brought to so great a degree of misery.

[1] The Syracusans and their allies now mustered and took up the spoils and as many prisoners as they could, and went back to the city.

[2] The rest of their Athenian and allied captives were deposited in the quarries, this seeming the safest way of keeping them; but Nicias and Demosthenes were butchered, against the will of Gylippus, who thought that it would be the crown of his triumph if he could take the enemy's generals to Lacedaemon .

[3] One of them, as it happened, Demosthenes, was one of her greatest enemies, on account of the affair of the island and of Pylos ; while the other, Nicias, was for the same reasons one of her greatest friends, owing to his exertions to procure the release of the prisoners by persuading the Athenians to make peace.

[4] For these reasons the Lacedaemonians felt kindly towards him; and it was in this that Nicias himself mainly confided when he surrendered to Gylippus. But some of the Syracusans who had been in correspondence with him were afraid, it was said, of his being put to the torture and troubling their success by his revelations; others, especially the Corinthians, of his escaping, as he was wealthy, by means of bribes, and living to do them further mischief; and these persuaded the allies and put him to death.

[5] This or the like was the cause of the death of a man who, of all the Hellenes in my time, least deserved such a fate, seeing that the whole course of his life had been regulated with strict attention to virtue.

Nachdem die Syrakusaner und ihre Bundesgenossen sich
gesammelt und von den Kriegsgefangenen so viele als möglich sammt
der Waffenbeute mitgenommen hatten, zogen sie nach der Stadt
zurück. Die Uebrigen von den Athenern und deren Bundesgenossen, so
viele sie in Händen hatten, sperrten sie in die Steinbrüche, welche sie
für den sichersten Gewahrsam hielten, den Nikias aber und
Demotshenes tödteten sie gegen den Willen des Gylippos. Dieser nämlich
glaubte, es werde für ihn selbst die ruhmvollste Leistung sein, wenn er
zu den Andern auch seine Gegenseldherrn den Lakedämoniern nach
Hause bringen könne. Zufällig traf es sich auch, daß der eine der
beiden, Demotshenes nämlich, für ihren ärgsten Feind galt, wegen der
Ereignisse auf der Inselund bei Pylos, während der andere bei
eben dieser Gelegenheit sich ihnen sehr hilfreich erzeigt hatte. Nikias
nämlich hatte mit allem Eifer für die Freilassung der auf der Insel
gefangenen Lakedämonier gewirkt, indem er die Athener zu dem
Friedensvertrag beredete, wofür ihm hinwiederum die Lakedämonier
geneigt waren, was denn auch der Hauptgrund war, weßhalb er sich
dem Gylippos voll Vertrauen ergeben hatte. Aber, wie jchon erzählt
wurde, gab es unter den Syrakufanern Einige, die sich wegen der
mit ihm gepflogenen Verhandlungen zu fürchten hatten, er möchte
durch ein Geständniß auf der Folter ihnen das jetzige Glück
verderben; Andere aber, und darunter besonders die Korinther, fürchteten,
daß er bei seinem Reichthum Einige durch Geld bestechen und ibnen
so entwischen könnte, um dann von Neuem gegen sie aufzutreten.
Diese also überredeten die Bundesgenossen, und so wurde er getödtet.
AuS diesen oder doch ganz ähnlichen Ursachen mußte er das Leben
verlieren, obgleich er von allen Hellenen meiner Zeit am wenigsten ein
so unglückliches Schicksal verdiente, denn in seiner ganzen
LebenSund Handlungsweise hatte er sich dessen beflissen, was für tugendhaft
und recht galt.

LXXXVI. Les Syracusains et leurs alliés, après s’être réunis, prirent avec eux le plus possible de prisonniers et 'de dépouilles, et retournèrent à la ville. Ils descendirent tous les prisonniers faits sur les Athéniens et leurs alliés au fond des carrières, comme dans le lieu où il était le plus facile de les garder. Quant à Nicias et à Démosthènes, on les égorgea, malgré Gylippe. Celui-ci eût regardé comme un beau triomphe ajouté à tous ses succès d’amener aux Lacédémoniens les généraux ses adversaires. Démosthènes se trouvait être l’homme qu’ils détestaient le plus, à cause des événements de Sphactérie et de Pylos. Ces mêmes événements avaient valu à Nicias toute leur bienveillance; car il avait té-

Les Syracusains et leurs alliés se réunirent, retournèrent à la ville avec leurs prisonniers et leur butin. Tous ceux des Athéniens et des alliés qu'ils avaient pris, ils les descendirent dans les Latomies ¹ , lieu de détention qu'ils regardaient comme le plus sûr. Pour ce qui est de Nicias et de Démosthène, ils les égorgèrent, malgré l’opposition de Gylippe, qui eût voulu couronner glorieusement ses exploits en amenant aux Lacédémoniens les chefs de l'armée ennemie. L'un d'eux, Démosthène, s’était attiré leur haine à cause des événements de Sphactérie et de Pylos ; l’autre leur amitié pour îe même motif : car c’était à l’instigation de Nicias que les Athéniens avaient fait la paix et relâché les prisonniers de l’île ; aussi les Lacédémoniens lui étaient-ils affectionnés, et de là vint la confiance avec laquelle il se rendit à Gylippe. Mais les Syracusains, sachant que Nicias avait eu des intelligences clandestines avec quelques-uns d'entre eux, craignirent, dit-on, que, mis à la question pour ce sujet, iljie troublât pour eux la joie de la victoire ; d’autres, et surtout les Corinthiens, qu'à l'aide de ses richesses il ne réussît à s’évader et à leur susciter de nouveaux embarras ; ils persuadèrent donc à leurs alliés de le faire périr. Telles ou à peu près furent les causes de la mort de Nicias, celui des Grecs de nos jours qui, par la réunion de ses vertus, méritait le moins cet excès d’infortune.

[1] When the forces of the Syracusans and their allies had been brought together, they took with them as many of the captives as they could and the booty and returned to the city.

[2] All the rest of the prisoners they had taken of the Athenians and their allies they sent down into the stone-quarries, thinking it the safest way to keep them; but Nicias and Demosthenes they put to the sword, though against the wish of Gylippus. For he thought that it would be a glorious achievement if, in addition to his other successes, he could also bring the generals of the enemy home to the Lacedaemonians.

[3] And it so happened that the one, Demosthenes, was regarded by the Lacedaemonians as their bitterest foe, on account of what had taken place on the island of Sphacteria and at Pylos; the other, for the same reason, as a very good friend; for Nicias had eagerly desired ¹ that the Lacedaemonian prisoners taken on the island should be released, when he urged the Athenians to make peace.

[4] For these reasons the Lacedaemonians were friendly towards him, and it was not least on that account that he trusted in Gylippus and surrendered himself to him. But it was said that some of the Syracusans were afraid, seeing that they had been in communication with him, lest, if he were subjected to torture on that account, he might make trouble for them in the midst of their success; and others, especially the Corinthians, were afraid, lest, as he was wealthy, ² he might by means of bribes make his escape and cause them fresh difficulties; they therefore persuaded their allies and put him to death.

[5] For this reason, then, or for a reason very near to this, Nicias was put to death—a man who, of all the Hellenes of my time, least deserved to meet with such a calamity, because of his course of life that had been wholly regulated in accordance with virtue.

[1] When the Syracusans and allies were assembled together, they took with them as many prisoners as they could, with the spoils, and returned to the city.

[2] All the rest of the Athenians and the allies that they had taken, they sent down into the quarries, thinking this the safest way of keeping them: but Nicias and Demosthenes they executed, against the wish of Gylippus. For he thought it would be a glorious distinction for him, in addition to all his other achievements, to take to the Lacedaemonians even the generals who had commanded against them.

[3] And it so happened, that one of these, namely Demosthenes, was regarded by them as their most inveterate enemy, in consequence of what had occurred on the island and at Pylus; the other, for the same reasons, as most in their interest; for Nicias had exerted himself for the release of the Lacedaemonians taken from the island, by persuading the Athenians to make a treaty.

[4] On this account the Lacedaemonians had friendly feelings towards him; and indeed it was mainly for the same reasons that he reposed confidence in Gylippus, and surrendered himself to him. But certain of the Syracusans (as it was said) were afraid, some of them, since they had held communication with him, that if put to the torture, he might cause them trouble on that account in the midst of their success; others, and especially the Corinthians, lest he might bribe some, as he was rich, and effect his escape, and so they should again incur mischief through his agency;

[5] and therefore they persuaded the allies, and put him to death. For this cause then, or something very like this, he was executed; having least of all the Greeks in my time deserved to meet with such a misfortune, on account of his devoted attention to the practice of every virtue.

[1] Congregati autem Syracusani et socii assumptis quam plurimis poterant captivis et spoliis in urbem redierunt.

[2] Et ceteros quidem Atheniensium et sociorum, quoscumque ceperant, in lapicidinas demiserunt, eam custodiam tutissimam esse ducentes; Niciam vero et Demosthenem, invito Gylippo, necaverunt. Gylippus enim praeclarum sibi certamen post celera fore putabat, si ipeos etiam hostium duces ad Lacedaemonios portaret.

[3] Contingebat autem, ut alter quidem, Demosthenes, esset iis invisissimus propter res in insula et ad Pylum gestas, Nicias vero ob has ipsas res amicissimus; illi enim qui ex insula de Lacedaemoniis capti erant, Nicias studiose contenderat inductis Atheniensibus ad foedera cum Lacedaemoniis facienda , ut dimitterentur.

[4] Pro quibus rebus et Lacedaemonii in ejus amorem erant propensi, et ipse idcirco praecipue confisus Gylippo se dediderat. Sed Syracusanorum quidam, ut ferebatur, alii veriti, ne ille, quod colloquia cum eo habuissent, ob eam rem quaestione habita felicem rerum suarum statum perturbaret; alii, et praecipue Corinthii, ue aliquibus pecunia adductis, quia dives erat, aufugeret, atque rursus aliquid rerum novarum in ipsos moliretur, sociis inductis, eum interfecerunt.

[5] Atque hic quidem ob talem aut huic quam proximam causam perierat, vir profecto omnium mea quidem aetate Graecorum minime dignus , qui eo infelicitatis deveniret, propter omne studium, quo observandis legibus institutisque et quidquid inter homines jus esset, virtutem colebat.

I Siracusani e gli alleati riunitisi insieme , e preso il più che poterono di prigionieri e di bottino, ritornarono alla città, fecero scendere i prigioni tanto ateniesi che confederati nelle cave delle pietre , giudicando sicurissimo il guardarli colà ; e scannarono Nicia e Demostene, a malgrado di Gilippo, siccome quegli che reputava trionfo a se stesso onorevole il condurre ai Lacedemoni, oltre alle altre spoglie , anche i capitani dell’oste nemica. Senza di che si dava il caso che Demostene era odiatissimo a Sparta a cagione de’ fatti della Sfatteria e di Pilo, e Nicia accettissimo pel motivo medesimo ; avvegnaché egli si fosse adoprato moltissimo pei Lacedemoni ritenuti peli’ isola, eoa aver persuaso gli Ateniesi a far le tregue per cui i prigioni erano stati rilasciati. Laonde era benvoluto dai Lacedemoni, e con grandissima fiducia si era reso a Gilippo. Ma alcuni fra i Siracusani (come correva voce) sospettando , per aver tenuto delle pratiche con lui che, se per questo fosse messo alla tortura , non arrecasse loro qualche disturbo in mezzo a quella felicità ; altri, e principalmente i Corintii, che corrompendo qualcuni col denaro (perchè era ricco) non iscappasse, e procurasse loro qualche altra novità, tirarono a sè gli animi dei confederati e lo uccisero. Tale, o presso a poco altrettale , fu la cagione onde restò ucciso Nicia , il meno meritevole certamente fra tutti i Greci, non che altro de’miei tempi, di venire a tanta sciagura, per la sua costante pietà verso gli Dei.