Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.8

[1] But Calligeitus and Timagoras, who came from Pharnabazus, would have no part in this fleet that went for Chios, nor would deliver the money, twenty-five talents, which they had brought with them to pay for their setting forth, but made account to go out with another fleet afterwards by themselves.

[2] When Agis saw that the Lacedaemonians meant to send first to Chios, he resolved not of any other course himself; but the confederates assembling at Corinth went to council upon the matter and concluded thus: that they should go first to Chios under the command of Chalcideus, who was making ready the five galleys at Laconia; and then to Lesbos under the charge of Alcamenes, intended also to be sent thither by Agis; and lastly into Hellespont, in which voyage they ordained that Clearchus, the son of Rhamphias, should have the command;

[3] and concluded to carry over the isthmus first the one half of their galleys, and that those should presently put to sea, that the Athenians might have their minds more upon those than on the other half to be transported afterwards.

[4] For they determined to pass that sea openly, contemning the weakness of the Athenians in respect they had not any navy of importance yet appearing. As they resolved, so presently they carried over one-and-twenty galleys.

[1] Meanwhile Calligeitus and Timagoras did not join on behalf of Pharnabazus in the expedition to Chios or give the money—twenty-five talents—which they had brought with them to help in despatching a force, but determined to sail afterwards with another force by themselves.

[2] Agis, on the other hand, seeing the Lacedaemonians bent upon going to Chios first, himself came in to their views; and the allies assembled at Corinth and held a council, in which they decided to sail first to Chios under the command of Chalcideus, who was equipping the five vessels in Laconia , then to Lesbos , under the command of Alcamenes, the same whom Agis had fixed upon, and lastly to go to the Hellespont , where the command was given to Clearchus, son of Ramphias.

[3] Meanwhile they would take only half the ships across the Isthmus first, and let those sail off at once, in order that the Athenians might attend less to the departing squadron than to those to be taken across afterwards,

[4] as no care had been taken to keep this voyage secret through contempt of the impotence of the Athenians, who had as yet no fleet of any account upon the sea. Agreeably to this determination twenty-one vessels were at once conveyed across the Isthmus.

Kalligeitos nun und Timagoras, in Vertretung des
Pharnabazos, nahmen am Zuge gegen Chios keinen Antheil und gaben
auch das Geld nicht her, welches sie zum Zweck der Bchiffssendung
mitgebracht hatten, — fünfundzwanzig Talente, — sondern sie
gedachten später für sich mit einer eigenen Flotte unter Segel zu gehen.
Agis aber, als er sah, daß die Lakedämonier zuerst'an die
Unternehmung auf Chios dachten, widersprach dem für feine Person nicht,
und so kamen denn die Bundesgenossen in Korinth zusammen zur
Berathung, und sie beschlossen, zuerst gegen Chios'zu segeln, unter
Anführung des Chalkideus, welcher in Lakonien jene fünf Schiffe
ausrüstete, und dann gegen Lesbos unter dem Oberbefehl des
Alkamenes, den auch Agis dafür bestimmte, und zuletzt nach dem
Hellespont zu fahren, für welchen Klearchos, des Rhamphias Sohn/zum
Befehlshaber bestimmt war. Ueber die Landenge solle man zuerst
nur die Hälfte 6) der Schiffe ziehen und diese dann allsogleich unter
Segel gehen lassen, damit die Athener nicht ihre Aufmerksamkeit mehr ^{1 2 3}
auf die absegelnden, als auf die noch über die Landenge zu ziehenden ⁴
richten möchten. Denn jenen Seezug veranstalteten sie ganz
offenkundig, da sie die Ohnmacht der Athener verachteten, weil sich nirgends
eine ansehnliche Schiffsmacht derselben zeigte. Wie sie beschlossen
hatten, brachten sie dann auch allsogleich einundzwanzig Schiffe über
die Landenge. ' '

VIII. Les agents de Pharnabaze, Calligitos et Timagoras, ne prirent point part à l’expédition de Chio, et ne livrèrent pas les vingt-cinq talents qu’ils avaient ¹ apportés pour payer l’envoi d’une flotte; ils se réservaient de partir plus tard eux-mêmes avec une autre expédition. Quant à Agis, lorsqu’il vit les Lacédémoniens décidés à se diriger d’abord sur Chio, leur avis fut le sien. Les alliés réunis à Corinthe tinrent conseil et résolurent de faire voile d’abord pour Chio, sous le commandement de Chalcidéus qui avait équipé les cinq vaisseaux dans la Laconie; une autre expédition partirait ensuite pour Lesbos, aux ordres d’Alcaménès, celui-là même qu’Agis avait désigné. Une troisième, dont le commandement était assigné à Cléarchos, fils de Rhamphias, devait se porter vers l’Hellespont. Il fut décidé qu’on transporterait par-dessus l’isthme d’abord la moitié des vaisseaux, et qu’on les expédierait sur-le-champ, afin que les Athéniens, préoccupés de leur départ, fissent moins d’attention à ceux qu’on transporterait ensuite. Du reste, si l’on prenait cette voie ² , sans se couvrir d’aucun secret, cela tenait au mépris qu’inspirait l’impuissance des Athéniens, dont la marine ne s’était encore montrée en force nulle part. Ces résolutions adoptées, on fit passer sur-lechamp vingt et un vaisseaux.

Calligitos et Timagoras, agents de Pharnabaze, ne prirent aucune part à l’expédition de Chios. Ils ne donnèrent point l’argent qu’ils avaient apporté pour l’équipement d’une flotte, et qui montait à vingt-cinq talents,; mais ils songeaient à faire plus tard une expédition pour leur propre compte. Agis, voyant les-Lacédémoniens décidés à se rendre d’abord à Chios, se rangea lui-même à cet avis. Les alliés réunis à Corinthe tinrent conseil et résolurent qu’on irait premièrement à Chios, sous les ordres de Chalcidéus qui équipait les cinq vaisseaux en Laconie, que de là on passerait à Lesbos sous la conduite d’Alcaménès, déjà désigné par Agis, et finalement dans THellesppnt, où Cléarque fils de Ramphias ¹ aurait le commandement. Il fut convenu qu’on transporterait d’abord par-dessus l’Isthme la moitié de la flotte et qu’on l’expédierait sans délai, afin que l’attention des Athéniens fût partagée entre ce premier convoi et celui qui devait suivre. Au surplus, si l’on prenait cette voie sans mystère, c’est qu’on méprisait la faiblesse des Athéniens, dont la marine ne se montrait nulle part en force. Cette résolution arrêtée, on fit traverser immédiatement vingt-un vaisseaux.

[1] Accordingly, Calligeitus and Timagoras, who were acting on behalf of Pharnabazus, did not join in the expedition to Chios, nor did they give the money—twenty-five talents ¹ —which they had brought with them for the despatching of the ships, but intended to sail later with another armament by themselves.

[2] Agis, on the other hand, when he saw the Lacedaemonians eager for the expedition to Chios first, did not himself maintain a different view; but when the allies came together at Corinth and deliberated, they decided: in the first place, to sail to Chios with Chalcideus in command, he being in charge of the equipping of the five ships in Laconia; then to proceed to Lesbos with Alcamenes as commander—the one whom Agis was intending to send; and, finally, to go to the Hellespont, Clearchus son of Ramphias having already been assigned to command in this region.

[3] Furthermore, they decided to carry across the Isthmus half of the ships at first, and that these were to set sail immediately, in order that the attention of the Athenians might not be directed toward the ships that were setting out more than toward those that were afterwards being carried across the Isthmus.

[4] For they proposed to make the voyage from here to Chios openly, despising the impotence of the Athenians, because no considerable fleet of theirs was as yet making its appearance. And in accordance with their decision they at once conveyed twenty-one ships across.

[1] Calligitus, then, and Timagoras, acting in behalf of Pharnabazus, did not join the rest in the expedition to Chios, or give, to forward the despatch of the fleet, the money which they had brought with them, namely, five and twenty talents; but they intended to sail afterwards by themselves with a fresh armament.

[2] Agis, on the contrary, seeing that the Lacedaemonians were determined to send to Chios first, did not himself maintain any different view; but the allies assembled at Corinth, and held a council, when they resolved to sail first to Chios, with Chalcideus as commander, who was equipping the five vessels in Laconia; then to Lesbos, with Alcamenes in command, (the same person as Agis intended to appoint;) and, lastly, to go to the Hellespont, where Clearchus, son of Ramphias, was appointed to the command.

[3] But they determined to take only half the ships across the isthmus first, and let these sail off immediately; that the Athenians might not attend to those which were setting out, so much as to those which were being conveyed across after them.

[4] For in this case they were making their expedition openly, as they imputed to the Athenians a want of power to oppose them, because no numerous fleet belonging to them was yet visible. And so, according to their resolution, they immediately took across one and twenty ships.

[1] Quamobrem Calligetus quidem et Timagoras, Pharnabazi legati, hujus classis in Chium proficiscentis participes esse nolebant, neque pecunias dabant, quas secum attulerant , ut classis mitteretur, quinque et viginti talenta, sed postea per se cogitabant parata alia classe navigare;

[2] Agis autem, quum videret Lacedaemonios primum in Chium tendere, ne ipse quidem aliud censebat; sed socii, quum Corinthum convenissent, consultare coeperunt, et placuit iis primum in Chium navigare duce Chalcideo, qui quinque illas naves in Laconica praeparabat; deinde in Lefbum, duce Alcamene, quem etiam Agis destinabat; postremo vero in Hellespontum proficisci, (ei autem Clearcbus Rhamphiae filius, dux creatus erat),

[3] transportare autem per Isthmum primum dimidiam navium partem et iis confestim proficisci, ne Athenienses animum potius adverterent ad eas, quae tunc proficiscerentur, quam ad eas, quae postea illuc transportarentur.

[4] Etenim ab hac parte propalam navigare statuebant, contemptis Atheniensibus ut invalidis, quod eorum nulla magna classis usquam adhuc apparebat. Ut autem hoc iis placuit, confestim etiam unam et viginti naves transportarunt.

Calligeto pertanto e Timagora, a nome di Famabazo, ricusarono di pigliar parte alla spedizione per Chio f e non consegnarono i denari recati per allestir la flotta, che eran venti talenti, ma si consigliarono di andarvi dopo da per sè con altro naviglio. Agide anch’egli, al vedere i Lacedemoni inclinati soprattutto a Chio , non volle opporvisi. Adunatisi adunque gli alleati in Corinto e tenutovi consiglio, stabilirono di navigar prima a Chio sotto il comando di Calcideo che aveva allestite le cinque navi nella Laconia ; dipoi a Lesbo pigliando a capitano Alcamene, quello stesso che Agide voleva mandarvi; e finalmente arrivare nel~ T Ellesponto, per dove era stato eletto ammiraglio Clearco di Ramfia. Innanzi però doveasi trasportare di sull' istmo la metà delle navi e farle subito pigliar mare , affinchè gli Ateniesi avessero l’occhio più a queste, le quali si mettevano in corso, che non al Fai tre che si trasporterebbero dipoi. Imperciocché i Lacedemoni navigavano apertamente in queste parti, dispregiando la debolezza degli Ateniesi, de’quali non vedevasi alcun’armata numerosa. Ed avendo così risoluto, trasportarono subito ventuna nave.