Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.82

[1] Hearing this and much more, they chose him presently for general together with those that were before, and committed unto them the whole government of their affairs. And now there was not a man that would have sold his present hopes, both of subsisting themselves and being revenged of The Four Hundred, for any good in the world, and were ready even then, upon those words of his, contemning the enemy there present, to set sail for Peiraeus.

[2] But he, though many pressed it, by all means forbade their going against Peiraeus, being to leave their enemies so near; but since they had chosen him general, he was, he said, to go to Tissaphernes first and to dispatch such business with him as concerned the war.

[3] And as soon as the assembly brake up, he took his journey accordingly, to the end that he might seem to communicate everything with him, and for that he desired also to be in more honour with him, and to show that he was general and a man capable to do him good or hurt. And it happened to Alcibiades that he awed the Athenians with Tissaphernes and Tissaphernes with the Athenians.

[1] Upon hearing this and much more besides, the Athenians at once elected him general together with the former ones, and put all their affairs into his hands. There was now not a man in the army who would have exchanged his present hopes of safety and vengeance upon the Four Hundred for any consideration whatever; and after what they had been told they were now inclined to disdain the enemy before them, and to sail at once for Piraeus .

[2] To the plan of sailing for Piraeus , leaving their more immediate enemies behind them, Alcibiades opposed the most positive refusal, in spite of the numbers that insisted upon it, saying that now that he had been elected general he would first sail to Tissaphernes and concert with him measures for carrying on the war.

[3] Accordingly, upon leaving this assembly, he immediately took his departure in order to have it thought that there was an entire confidence between them, and also wishing to increase his consideration with Tissaphernes, and to show that he had now been elected general and was in a position to do him good or evil as he chose; thus managing to frighten the Athenians with Tissaphernes and Tissaphernes with the Athenians.

Jene, nachdem sie dieß und vieles Andere angehört hatten,
wählten ihn sogleich zum Feldherrn zu den schon vorhandenen und
übertrugen ihm die oberste Leitung des Ganzen. In diesem
Augenblick würde wohl Keiner von ihnen seine Hoffnung auf Rettung und
Rache an den Vierhundert um irgend etwas in der Welt verkauft
haben, und sie gingen für den Augenblick schon so weit, die nahen
Feinde in Folge jener Reden zu verachten, und wollten gegen den
PiräeuS. schiffen. Alkibiades aber setzte sich mit aller Kraft dawider, ¹
daß man an einen Angriff auf den Piräeus denke und die näheren
Feinde sich im Rücken lasse, obgleich Viele darauf drangen. Zuerst,
sagte er, lägen ihm die Erfordernisse des Krieges ob, da man ihn
einmal zum Feldherrn erwählt habe, und deßhalb müsse er zu
TissapherneS fahren, um mit diesem hierüber zu unterhandeln. Auch reiste er
unmittelbar nach dieser Versammlung ab, damit es den Anschein
gewinne, als ob er Alles in Gemeinschaft mit jenem betreibe, und
zugleich auch, um demselben mehr Achtung vor seiner Persönlichkeit
einzuflößen und ihm zu zeigen, daß er bereits zum Feldherrn gewählt
sei und die Mittel besitze, ihm zu nützen und zu schaden. So hatte
es also Alkibiades einzurichten gewußt, daß er die Athener mit dem
Tissaphernes, und den Tissaphernes mit den Athenern schrecken konnte.

LXXXII. Après avoir entendu ces promesses et beaucoup d’autres, ils l’élurent aussitôt général, concurremment avec ceux déjà nommés, et lui remirent toutes les affaires. Chacun croyait dès lors son salut si bien assuré, le châtiment des quatre cents si certain, qu’il n’eût échangé contre rien au monde cette double espérance. Déjà ils étaient tout disposés, d’après ce qu’ils venaient d’entendre, à cingler incontinent vers le Pirée, sans tenir aucun compte des ennemis qui étaient devant eux. Mais Alcibiade s'opposa absolu- ment, malgré de nombreuses instances, à ce qu’on fît voile pour le Pirée sans s’inquiéter d’ennemis plus rapprochés. Il dit que, puisqu’il avait été élu général, la première chose à faire était de se rendre auprès de Tissaphernes, afin de régler avec lui tout ce qui avait rapport à la guerre. Et en effet, au sortir de cette assemblée, il partit sur-le-champ : par là il voulait d’une part faire croire qu’il communiquait tout à Tissaphernes, et de l’autre se donner aux yeux du satrape plus d’importance, se montrer à lui revêtu du généralat, et lui faire voir qu’il était désormais en état de lui faire ou du bien ou du mal. Alcibiade se trouvait ainsi faire peur aux Athéniens de Tissaphernes, et à Tissaphernes des Athéniens.

Après avoir entendu ces promesses et d’autres semblables, ils l’élurent aussitôt général, conjointement avec ceux qu’ils avaient déjà nommés, et lui remirent la direction des affaires. Dès lors chacun se crut tellement assuré de son salut et de la punition des Quatre-Cents, qu’il n’eût échangé cet espoir contre rien au monde. Déjà même, sur la foi de ce qu’ils venaient d’entendre, ils étaient tout disposés à cingler immédiatement contre le Pirée, sans s’inquiéter des ennemis qu’ils avaient devant eux. Mais Alcibiade, malgré leurs instances, s'opposa formellement à ce qu’ils prissent un tel parti en laissant des adversaires qu’ils avaient plus près d'eux. Il dit que, étant nommé général, son premier soin était d’aller trouver Tissapherne pour concerter un plan de guerre ; et en effet, au sortir de l’assemblée, il partit sur-le-champ. Il voulait d’une part faire croire à une entente complète entre lui et ce satrape, de l’autre se grandir à ses yeux en se montrant investi du commandement et désormais en mesure de lui faire ou du bien ou du mal. Alcibiade avait ainsi l’avantage d’effrayer les Athéniens par Tissapherne et Tissapherne par les Athéniens.

[1] As they heard these and many other promises, they not only elected Alcibiades general without delay, to act with the generals already in office, but also entrusted to him all their affairs; and there was not a man of them that would have exchanged for anything his present hopes both of his own safety and of having revenge upon the Four Hundred, and they were ready at that moment both to despise their present enemies on the strength of the words they had heard and to sail to the attack of Peiraeus.

[2] But Alcibiades roundly objected to their leaving behind them their nearer enemies and sailing against the Peiraeus, though many insisted upon that course; his first business, he said, since he had been elected general, would be to sail to Tissaphernes and arrange with him the conduct of the war.

[3] So after this assembly he at once went away to Tissaphernes, in order that he might be thought to be in communication with him about everything; at the same time he wished to be held in greater honour by him and to show him that he had now been elected general and was therefore in a position to do him either good or evil. And thus it fell out that Alcibiades was merely using Tissaphernes to frighten the Athenians and the Athenians to frighten Tissaphernes.

[1] On hearing these and many other representations, they immediately elected him general in company with the former ones, and committed to him the whole management of their affairs. And now for nothing would they have exchanged their several hopes at the moment, both of preservation and of vengeance on the Four Hundred. Nay, they were at once ready immediately to despise their enemies on the spot, on the strength of what had been said, and to sail to the Piraeus.

[2] He, however, most positively forbad their sailing to the Piraeus, and leaving behind them their enemies who were so much closer at hand, though many were urgent for it, and told them that since he had been chosen their general, he would first of all sail to Tissaphernes, and arrange with him measures for the war.

[3] And so, on leaving this assembly, he took his departure immediately, that he might be thought to communicate every thing to him; at the same time that he wished to be more honoured by him, and to show him that he was now elected general, and was able to do him either good or harm. And thus it was the good fortune of Alcibiades to awe the Athenians by means of Tissaphernes, and Tissaphernes by means of them.

[1] Illi vero, quum et liaec et alia multa audissent, confestim et ipsum in superiorum imperatorum collegium cooptaverunt, et res omnes ad illos deferebant, et quam quisque iu praesenti spem et de sua salute et de quadringentis ulciscendis conceperat, eam cum nulla re commu-tassent, paratique jam erant in illo temporis momento et praesentes hostes ob ea quae dicta erant, contemnere et in Piraeeum navigare.

[2] Ille vero navigationem quidem in Piraeeum, propioribus hostibus a tergo relictis, vel maxime impedivit, quamvis multi instarent; sed belli negotia dicebat , quandoquidem et imperator creatus esset, se primo loco ad Tissaphernem profectum confecturum.

[3] Confc-stim autem post istam concionem abiit, ut videretur omnia cum illo communicare, et simul quod apud illum in majore honore esse cuperet, et ostentare, se etiam imperatorem jam creatum esse, illiqueet prodesse et obesse [jam] posse. Contingebat autem Alcibiadi, ut per Tissaphernem quidem Athenienses terretaceret, per illos vero Tissaphernem.

I soldati al sentir queste e molte altre cose lo elessero subito generale insieme cogli altri di prima; rimisero in lui il governo di tutti gli affari, e nissuno di essi avrebbe commutato con qualsivoglia altro bene la speranza presentemente conceputa di salvarsi, e di pigliar vendetta de’quattrocento. E per le cose dette da Alcibiade erano pronti in quel primo impelo a navigar sopra il Pireo, mettendo in non cale gli attuali nemici, ove egli, non ostante le istanze di molti, non avesse al tutto impedito che, lasciando addietro i nemici più vicini, facessero quella mossa. Disse anzi che essendo egli stato creato generale, volea recarsi da Tissaferne per trattare delle bisogne di guerra ; e appena sciolta l'adunanza vi andò; sì perchè volea parere di comunicar tutto con lui, sì eziandio perchè bramava venirgli in maggior estimazione, e farsi bello d’essere ornai stato eletto generale, e di trovarsi in grado di procacciargli del bene e del male. Cosicché venne fatto ad Alcibiade d’incuter paura agli Ateniesi col nome di Tissaferne , ed a Tissaferne col nome degli Ateniesi.