Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.17

[1] Chalcideus and Alcibiades, when they had chased Strombichides into Samos, armed the mariners that were in the galleys of Peloponnesus and left them in Chios, instead of whom they manned with mariners of Chios both those and twenty galleys more; and with this fleet they went to Miletus with intent to cause it to revolt.

[2] For the intention of Alcibiades, that was acquainted with the principal Milesians, was to prevent the fleet which was to come from Peloponnesus and to turn these cities first, that the honour of it might be ascribed to the Chians, to himself, to Chalcideus, and (as he had promised) to Endius that set them out, as having brought most of the cities to revolt with the forces of the Chians only and of those galleys that came with Chalcideus.

[3] So these, for the greatest part of their way undiscovered, and arriving not much sooner than Strombichides and Thrasycles (who now, chancing to be present with [those] twelve galleys from Athens, followed them with Strombichides), caused the Milesians to revolt. The Athenians following them at the heels with nineteen galleys, being shut out by the Milesians, lay at anchor at Lada, an island over against the city.

[4] Presently upon the revolt of Miletus was made the first league between the king and the Lacedaemonians by Tissaphernes and Chalcideus, as followeth:

[1] Meanwhile Chalcideus and Alcibiades, after chasing Strombichides into Samos , armed the crews of the ships from Peloponnese and left them at Chios , and filling their places with substitutes from Chios and manning twenty others, sailed off to effect the revolt of Miletus .

[2] The wish of Alcibiades, who had friends among the leading men of the Milesians, was to bring over the town before the arrival of the ships from Peloponnese , and thus, by causing the revolt of as many cities as possible with the help of the Chian power and of Chalcideus, to secure the honour for the Chians and himself and Chalcideus, and, as he had promised, for Endius who had sent them out.

[3] Not discovered until their voyage was nearly completed, they arrived a little before Strombichides and Thrasycles (who had just come with twelve ships from Athens , and had joined Strombichides in pursuing them), and occasioned the revolt of Miletus . The Athenians sailing up close on their heels with nineteen ships found Miletus closed against them, and took up their station at the adjacent island of Lade.

[4] The first alliance between the king and the Lacedaemonians was now concluded immediately upon the revolt of the Milesians, by Tissaphernes and Chalcideus, and was as follows:—

Chalkideus aber und Nlkibiades,'nachdem sie den
Strombichides bis nach Samos verfolgt hatten, nahmen die Matrosen aus
ihren peloponnesischen Schiffen, gaben ihnen schwere Bewaffnung und
ließen sie in Chios zurück ^); ihre Schiffe bemannten sie dafür, mit
Chiern, und noch zwanzig andere dazu, und segelten gegen Milet:
um die Stadt zum Abfall zu bewegen. Alkibiades nämlich, der mit
den Stadtvorstehern von Milet befreundet war, wollte'den vom
Pelöponnes abgegangenen Schiffen zuvorkommen und die Stadt selber
zum Beitritt bewegen, um für die Chiet'und sich selbst und den Chal­ ^{1 2}
kideus und zugleich auch für den Endlos, der ihn abgeschickt hatte,
seinem Versprechen gemäß, den Ruhm , zu gewinnen ^ eine möglichst
große Zahl von Städten mit der Macht der Chier und des, Chalki?
deuS zum Abfall von den Athenern gebracht zu haben. Ohne bez
merkt zu werden, legten sie den größeren Theil der Fahrt zurück und
kamen um ein Kurzes dem Strombichides und Thrasykles zuvor,
welcher eben von Athen aus mit zwölf Schiffen erschienen war und
mit jenem die Verfolgung antrat, und brachten so Milet zum Abfall.
Die Athener mit neunzehn Schiffen kamen ihnen dicht aus der
Ferse nach; als aber die Milesier sie nicht aufnahmen, so gingen sie
bei der nahliegenden Insel Lade vor Anker. Sogleich nach dem
Abfall Milets kam durch Vermittelung des TissapherneS und des
ChalkideuS der erste Bundesvertrag zwischen dem Perscrkönig und den
Lakedämoniern zu Stande. Derselbe lautete: , .

XVII. Chalcidéus et Alcibiade, après avoir poursuivi Strombichidès jusqu’à Samos, armèrent les équipages des vaisseaux péloponnésiens et les laissèrent à Chio. Il les remplacèrent par des matelots de Chio, armèrent vingt autres bâtiments et cinglèrent vers Milet pour l'insurger. Alcibiade voulait profiter de ses liaisons avec les principaux habitants de Milet, pour rallier cette ville avant l’arrivée, de la flotte péloponnésienne; il ambitionnait pour Chio, pour lui-même, pour Chalcidéus et pour Eudios qui l’avait envoyé, la gloire d’insurger, comme il s’y était engagé, le plus grand nombre possible de villes, avec les seules forces de Chio et de Chalcidéus. Ils dérobèrent à l’ennemi la plus grande partie de leur traversée, prévinrent de peu de temps Strombichidès et Thrasyclès qui venait de se montrer dans ces parages avec douze vaisseaux de renfort envoyés d’Athènes pour les poursuivre, et insurgèrent Milet. Les Athéniens arrivèrent sur leurs traces avec dix-neuf vaisseaux; ils ne furent pas reçus à Milet et allèrent mouiller à Ladé, île adjacente. Ce fut aussitôt après la défection des Milésiens que se conclut, par l’intermédiaire de Tissaphernes et de Chalcidéus, la première alliance entre le Roi et les Lacédémoniens; en Voici les clauses :

Chalcidéus et Alcibiade, après avoir poursuivi Strombichidès jusqu’à Samos, armèrent les équipages de la flotte péloponésienne et les laissèrent à Chios. Ils les remplacèrent par des matelots de cette île, équipèrent vingt autres vaisseaux, et cinglèrent vers Milet pour l’insurger. Alcibiade voulait profiter de ses liaisons avec les principaux habitants de cette ville pour la gagner avant l’arrivée de la flotte péloponésienne. Il ambitionnait cet honneur pour Chios, pour lui-même ; pour Chalcidéus, enfin pour Endios qui l’avait envoyé et auquel il avait promis de soulever le plus de villes possible avec les seules forces de Chios et de Chalcidéus. Ils firent secrètement la plus grande partie de leur traversée , devancèrent de peu la poursuite de Strombichidès et de Thrasyclès, qui arrivait d’Athènes avec un renfort de douze vaisseaux, et firent révolter Milet. Les Athéniens les suivaient de près avec dix-neuf voiles; mais n’ayant pas été reçus par les Milésiens, ils allèrent stationner dans une île adjacente nommée Ladé.

[1] Chalcideus and Alcibiades, after pursuing Strombichides to Samos, armed the sailors from the Peloponnesian ships and left them at Chios, and replacing the crews of these ships with substitutes from Chios and manning twenty additional ships, they sailed to Miletus, with the intention of causing it to revolt.

[2] For Alcibiades wished, since he was a friend of the leading men of Miletus, to win the Milesians over before the arrival of the Peloponnesian ships, and to fulfil his promise ¹ to secure for the Chians and himself and Chalcideus and for Endius the author of the expedition the credit of having, in concert with the Chian forces and Chalcideus, brought to revolt the largest possible number of cities.

[3] Accordingly they made most of the voyage without being detected, barely anticipated the arrival of Strombichides and Thrasycles—who by chance had just come from Athens with twelve ships and joined in the pursuit—and induced Miletus to revolt. The Athenians followed at their heels with nineteen ships, and, when the Milesians would not admit them, took up their station at Lade, the island that lies off Miletus.

[4] And now, immediately after the revolt of Miletus, the first alliance between the Lacedaemonians and the King was concluded through Tissaphernes and Chalcideus, on the following conditions:

[1] Chalcideus and Alcibiades, after chasing Strombichides into Samos, armed the seamen on board the vessels from the Peloponnese, and left them at Chios; and having manned these with substitutes from Chios, and twenty besides, they sailed to Miletus to effect its revolt.

[2] For Alcibiades, being on intimate terms with the leading men of the Milesians, wished to anticipate the ships from the Peloponnese by winning them over, and so to secure that honour, as he had promised, to the Chians, himself, Chalcideus, and Endius who had sent them out, by causing the revolt of as many cities as possible in concert with the Chian forces and Chalcideus.

[3] Having made therefore the chief part of their passage unobserved, and having arrived a little before Strombichides and Thrasycles, who had just come from Athens with twelve ships, and joined in the pursuit of them, they prevailed on Miletus to revolt. The Athenians sailed up close after them with nineteen ships, and on the Milesians not admitting them, came to anchor at the adjacent island of Lade.

[4] And now the first alliance made between the king and the Lacedaemonians was concluded by Tissaphernes and Chalcideus, immediately after the revolt of the Milesians, to the following effect:

[1] Chalcideus vero et Alcibiades, quumSteombichi· dem ad Samum usque insecuti essent, nautas quidem ex Peloponneso navibus advectos armarunt, et in Chio reliquerunt; illas vero aliaeque viginti Chiis nautis, in Peloponnesiorum locum substitutis, complentes, Miletum petebant, ut eam ad defectionem faciendam inducerent;

[2] volebat enim Alcibiades, cui necessitudo, cum Milesiorum primoribus intercederet, illos ad societatem prius adducere, quam classis ex Peloponneso veniret, et Cliiis et sibi ipsi et Chalcideo et qui se miserat, Endio, quemadmodum promiserat, hanc certaminis gloriam conciliare, quod quam plurimas civitates cum Chiorum copiis et Chalcideo ad defectionem induxisset.

[3] Quum igitur maximam navigationis partem clam confecissent, et prius nou multo advenissent quam Strombichides et Thrasydes, qui cum duodecim navibus tunc Athenis modo veniens aderat, ef simul illos persequebatur, Miletum ad defectionem inducunt. Atque Athenienses cum undeviginti navrbus conti*» post eos advecti, quum Milesii eoe recipere nollent, ad Udam insulam Mileto adjacentem in statione consistebant.

[4] Et tunc prima sodetas, per Tissaphernem et Chalci-deum interregem et Lacedaemonios post Milesiorum defectionem statim inita est haec.

Ma Calcideo ed Alcibiade , tornati dall’ inseguire Strombichide fino a Samo, armarono le ciurme delle navi peloponnesie, e le lasciarono di presidio a Chio; e sostituendo in queste ed in altre venti le genti di Chio, fecero vela per Mileto con intenzione di ribellarla. Era pensiero di Alcibiade, da che sé la iutendeva co’ caporani de' Milesti, di tirarli alla sua amicizia prima che arrivasse dal Peloponneso una nuova armata ; e con le forze de’ Chii e con Calcideo facendo ribellare più città che fosse possibile, attribuirne il vanto ai Chii, a sé medesimo, e ad Endio die lo avea spedito ; siccome gli avea promesso. Fornito adunque furtivamente la maggior parte di quei tragitto , giunsero a Mileto poco innanzi di Strombichide e di Trasicle (che venuto di recente da Atene con dodici navi si era unito a Strombichide per inseguirli ), e la fanno ribellare. Dietro loro vi approdarono gli Ateniesi con diciannove navi ; e perchè i Milesii non vollero riceverli, si misero in stazione nell’adiacente isola di Lada. Appena ribellata Mileto, si fece la prima alleanza tra i Lacedemoni ed il re per opera di Calcideo e Tissaferne, in questi termini.