Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.83

[1] When the Peloponnesians that were at Miletus heard that Alcibiades was gone home, whereas they mistrusted Tissaphernes before, now they much more accused him.

[2] For it fell out that when at the coming of the Athenians with their fleet before Miletus they refused to give them battle, Tissaphernes became thereby a great deal slacker in his payment;

[3] and besides that he was hated by them before this for Alcibiades' sake, the soldiers now, meeting in companies apart, reckoned up one to another the same matters which they had noted before, and some also, men of value and not the common soldier alone, recounted this withal, how they had never had their full stipend; that the allowance was but small, and yet not continually paid; and that unless they either fought or went to some other place where they might have maintenance, their men would abandon the fleet; and that the cause of all this was in Astyochus, who for private lucre gave way to the humour of Tissaphernes.

[1] Meanwhile the Peloponnesians at Miletus heard of the recall of Alcibiades, and already distrustful of Tissaphernes, now became far more disgusted with him than ever.

[2] Indeed after their refusal to go out and give battle to the Athenians when they appeared before Miletus , Tissaphernes had grown slacker than ever in his payments; and even before this, on account of Alcibiades, his unpopularity had been on the increase.

[3] Gathering together, just as before, the soldiers and some persons of consideration besides the soldiery, began to reckon up how they had never yet received their pay in full; that what they did receive was small in quantity, and even that paid irregularly, and that unless they fought a decisive battle or removed to some station where they could get supplies, the ships' crews would desert; and that it was all the fault of Astyochus, who humoured Tissaphernes for his own private advantage.

Als nun aber die Peloponnesier bei Milet die
Zurückberufung des Alkibiades erfuhren, so mußten sie jetzt, wenn sie dem
TissapherneS schon früher.mißtraut hatten, mit demselben jetzt noch viel
mehr zerfallen. Dazu war noch gekommen, daß seit dem Erscheinen
der Athener vor Milet, damals, als sie selbst nicht gegen sie
auSlaufen wollten, um die Seeschlacht anzunehmen, Tissaphernes im
Auszahlen des SoldeS sich noch viel unzuverlässiger zeigte und ihnen
demnach schon vor diesem Ereigniß mit Alkibiades noch mehr Grund
zum Haß gegeben hatte. Die Soldaten traten, wie auch früher
schon, unter sich zusammen, und sonst Einige der angesehenen
Personen, und beschwerten sich, daß man ihnen niemals den Sold voll
ausgezahlt habe, daß das, was sie an Geld erhielten, unzureichend
sei und trotzdem nicht einmal ohne Unterbrechung bezahlt werde.
Wenn man nicht entweder eine Seeschlacht liefere oder anderswohin
gehe, von wo man sich verproviantiren könne, so würde die
Mannschaft von ihren Schiffen davonlaufen; und an dem Allem sei
Astvochos Schuld, der aus persönlichem Eigennutz um die Gunst des
TissapherneS buhle.

LXXXIII. Quand les Péloponnésiens, stationnés à Milet, apprirent le rappel d’Alcibiade, leurs défiances antérieures contre Tissaphernes s’accrurent, leurs récriminations devinrent plus violentes. Ce n’était pas là leur seul grief : Tissaphernes, devenu beaucoup plus négligent à payer le subside depuis le jour où ils avaient refusé le combat, lors de la pointe des Athéniens sur Milet, avait fourni par là un nouveau prétexte à la haine qu’ils lui portaient précédemment à cause d’Alcibiade. Les soldats s’attroupaient, comme ils l’avaient fait auparavant; déjà ce n’était plus seulement la soldatesque, c’étaient aussi quelques hommes plus considérables qui rappelaient qu’on n’avait jamais reçu la solde entière; que le subside, quelque minime qu’il fût, n’était même pas payé régulièrement; qu’à moins de livrer un combat naval décisif, ou de se transporter sur un point où l’on pourrait trouver à vivre ¹ , on ² verrait les équipages déserter; que toutcela était imputable à Astyochos qui, préoccupé de ses propres intérêts, augmentait les prétentions de Tissaphernes.

Quand les Péloponésiens de Milet connurent le rappel d’Alcibiade, la méfiance qu’ils avaient déjà pour Tissapherne s’accrut considérablement. Il s’y joignait encore un autre motif de haine, provenant de la négligence avec laquelle Tissapherne servait la solde depuis la démonstration faite par les Athéniens contre Milet, lorsque les Péloponésiens avaient refusé le combat. Formant des groupes entre eux, comme précédemment, les soldats et même quelques hommes haut placés se prirent à considérer qu’ils n’avaient pas encore touché la solde entière, que le peu qu'ils recevaient n’était pas même payé régulièrement ; qu’enfin, à moins de livrer une bataille décisive ou de se transporter là où il serait possible de subsister, on verrait la désertion se mettre dans les équipages. «Toutde mal, disaient-ils, vient d’Astyochos, qui, pour des intérêts privés, caresse les passions de Tissapherne. »

[1] When the Peloponnesians at Miletus heard of the recall of Alcibiades, although they were before this distrustful of Tissaphernes, they were now filled with a still greater suspicion of him.

[2] For they had had this experience of him, that after they had refused to go out against the Athenians and fight when these made their advance against Miletus, Tissaphernes became far more slack in the matter of giving them their pay and thus intensified the hatred in which even before these events he was held by them on account of Alcibiades.

[3] So the soldiers would gather in groups, as had been their wont—and not the soldiery only, but also some of the others, who were men of consideration—and would cast up their accounts with one another, proving that they had never yet received their pay in full, but that what was given was short and even that not paid regularly; and they declared that unless they were either to have a decisive battle or get away to some place where they could get subsistence the crews would desert the ships; and for all this, they held, Astyochus was to blame, because he bore with Tissaphernes' whims for the sake of his private gain.

[1] When the Peloponnesians at Miletus heard of the recall of Alcibiades, though they were before distrustful of Tissaphernes, they were now far more disgusted with him than ever.

[2] For ¹ the truth was, that in the case of the Athenians advancing against Miletus, when the Peloponnesians would not put out to meet them and give them battle, Tissaphernes became far more sick of giving them pay; and indeed that he had even before this made some progress in their dislike, on account of Alcibiades.

[3] And so the soldiers, and some of the other men of consideration also, as well as the soldiery, clubbing together as before, began to reckon up their grievances; namely, that they had never yet received their full pay; that what was now given them was deficient in amount, and not even that paid regularly; that unless they either fought a decisive battle, or removed to some station ² where they might have supplies, the men would desert their ships; and that for all this Astyochus was to blame, through his humouring Tissaphernes for his own profit.

[1] Peloponnesii autem Mileti audientes Alcibiadis reditum, quum et antea Tissapherni diffiderent, tunc vero multo magis ei obtrectare coeperunt.

[2] Accidit enim iis, ut quum post infestum Atheniensium ad Miletum adventum, quo tempore occurrere illis et navale proelium committere noluerant, ad stipendium persolvendum Tissaphernes longe languidior factus esset, simul etiam odium, quod in eum jam ante haec conceperant, propter Alcibiadem auctum esset.

[3] Et coeuntes inter se, ut etiam antea, milites reputabant, atque etiam alii quidam auctoritatis non contemnendae viri, nec soli milites, quod nec integrum stipendium unquam accepissent, et quod daretur, exiguum esset, et ne hoc quidem assidue, et nisi quis aut navali proelio dimicaret, aut discederet eo, unde stipendium habiturus esset, naves ab hominibus deserlum iri, omniumque Astyochum auctorem esse, qui spiritus adderet Tissapherni ob privatum lucrum.

Ma i Peloponnesi di Mileto udito il ritorno d’Alcibiade, se per lo passato non avean fede in Tissaferne , allora sì che vie più se ne disgustarono. Imperciocché (in da quando si erano essi tenuti di venire a battaglia contro la flotta ateniese uscita sopra Mileto, era accaduto che Tissaferne andava assai più a rilente nel dare le paghe, e che anche prima di questi fatti, per gl’ intrighi di Alcibiade, era incorso a gran passi nel loro sdegno. Laonde i soldati nei loro capannelli (e non solo i soldati, uìa ancora altre persone di conto) ritornavano sulle riflessioni di prima ; cioè, che non ricevevano mai intera la paga, che piccola era quella che veniva data e neppur questa si dava sempre, che se non si tentasse un decisivo combattimento navale, o non si andasse in altro luogo donde cavar si potessero i viveri, le truppe avrebbero abbandonata la flotta . e die di tu Ite queste cose era cagione Astioco, il qunle per privati guadagni secondava gli umori di Tissaferne.