Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 8.9

[1] But when the rest urged to put to sea, the Corinthians were unwilling to go along before they should have ended the celebration of the Isthmian holidays, then come. Hereupon Agis was content that they for their parts should observe the Isthmian truce, and he, therefore, to take the fleet upon himself as his own.

[2] But the Corinthians not agreeing to that, and the time passing away, the Athenians got intelligence the easier of the practice of the Chians and sent thither Aristocrates, one of their generals, to accuse them of it. The Chians denying the matter, he commanded them for their better credit to send along with him some galleys for their aid due by the league;

[3] and they sent seven. The cause why they sent these galleys was the many not acquainted with the practice, and the few and conscious not willing to undergo the enmity of the multitude without having strength first, and their not expecting any longer the coming of the Lacedaemonians, because they had so long delayed them.

[1] They were now impatient to set sail, but the Corinthians were not willing to accompany them until they had celebrated the Isthmian festival, which fell at that time. Upon this Agis proposed to them to save their scruples about breaking the Isthmian truce by taking the expedition upon himself.

[2] The Corinthians not consenting to this, a delay ensued, during which the Athenians conceived suspicions of what was preparing at Chios , and sent Aristocrates, one of their generals, and charged them with the fact, and upon the denial of the Chians, ordered them to send with them a contingent of ships, as faithful confederates. Seven were sent accordingly.

[3] The reason of the despatch of the ships lay in the fact that the mass of the Chians were not privy to the negotiations, while the few who were in the secret did not wish to break with the multitude until they had something positive to lean upon, and no longer expected the Peloponnesians to arrive by reason of their delay.

Die Korinther aber, obgleich jene auf Beschleunigung der
Abfahrt drangen, wollten nicht mitschiffen, bevor sie nicht die
Isthmischen Spiele, welche damals grade einfielen, zu Ende gefeiert
hätten. Agis nun war zwar darin mit ihnen einverstanden, daß der
Waffenstillstand wegen der Jsthmien nicht gebrochen werden dürfe,,
wollte aber doch den Seezug auf eigene Faust unternehmen ^). Da
aber die Korinther auch dem nicht zustimmten und so vielmehr eine
Verzögerung eintrat, so erfuhren die Athener schon mehr von den
Absichten der Chier und schickten einen ihrer Feldherren hin, den
Aristokrates, der ihnen deßhalb Vorwürfe machen sollte. Da nun
aber die Chier läugneten, so verlangte er, daß sie als Bürgschaft der
Treue Schiffe zur bundesgenössischen Flotte sollten stoßen lassen;
und jene schickten deren auch sieben. Die Ursache dieser Sendung
von Schiffen war, daß die Mehrzahl der Chier um die ganzen
Verhandlungen nicht wußten, und daß die wenigen Eingeweihten sich
die Menge nicht zu Feinden machen wollten, bevor sie nicht selbst einen
sicheren Hinterhalt hätten, und daß sie jetzt kaum noch an die Ankunft
der Peloponnesier glaubten, weil diese zauderten.

IX. Les Lacédémoniens pressaient le départ; mais les Corinthiens témoignaient peu d’empressement à se joindre à l’expédition avant la célébration des jeux Isthmiques, qui tombaient alors. Agis se montra disposé à ne pas exiger qu’ils rompissent la trêve isthmique, et proposa de prendre l’expédition sous son propre nom ¹ . Les Corinthiens s’y étant refusés, l’af- ^{2 3} faire traîna en longueur, et les Athéniens, mieux renseignés sur cette intrigue, envoyèrent à Chio Aristocrates, un des généraux, porter leurs plaintes. Ceux de Chio nièrent et reçurent ordre d’envoyer des vaisseaux comme gage de leur fidélité à l’alliance. Ils en tirent passer sept. La raison de cet envoi fut, du côté du peuple de Chio, l’ignorance où il était de ce qui se tramait; du côté des grands, instruits de l’intrigue, la crainte de tourner le peuple contre eux, avant d’avoir pris leurs sûretés, et les lenteurs des Péloponnésiens qu’ils ne s’attendaient pas à voir arriver encore.

Les Corinthiens, malgré les instances de leurs alliés, ne se pressèrent pas de partir avant d’avoir célébré les jeux Isthmiques, dont le temps était arrivé ¹ . Agis consentait volontiers à ce qu'ils ne rompissent pas la trêve sacrée, et offrait de prendre l’expédition sous son nom ; mais les Corinthiens refusèrent. Il en résulta des longueurs, qüi permirent aux Athéniens d’ouvrir les yeux sur ce qui se tramait à Chios. Es y déléguèrent Aristocratès, l’un de leurs généraux , pour faire entendre leurs plaintes ; et, comme les Chiotes opposaient des dénégations, ils les requirent, en vertu de l’alliance, de leur envoyer des vaisseaux pour gage de fidélité. Les Chiotes leur en donnèrent sept. Ce qui les y détermina, ce fut que le peuple de Chios ignorait ces menées et que les oligarques, mieux instruits, ne voulaient pas s’aliéner la multitude, avant d’avoir pris leurs sûretés. D’ailleurs ils n’attendaient plus l'arrivée des Péloponésiens, qui tardaient à se montrer.

[1] The Corinthians, however, although the others were impatient for the voyage, were not disposed to sail with them until they should have celebrated the Isthmian Games, which were held at that time. And Agis was quite ready to allow them to preserve inviolate the Isthmian truce ¹ while he made the expedition an affair of his own.

[2] But as the Corinthians did not agree and delay ensued, the Athenians became more aware of the designs of the Chians, and sending Aristocrates, one of their generals, they charged them with the plot, and when they denied it, bade them, as their guarantee of good faith, send some ships along with the Athenian fleet as a contribution to the allied force;

[3] and they sent seven. Their reason for sending these ships was that most of the Chians had no knowledge of the negotiations, and the oligarchs, who were in the plot, were not only unwilling as yet to incur the hostility of the populace, before they had acquired any strength, but also because of the delay of the Peloponnesians no longer expected them to come.

[1] But when they were urgent for setting sail, the Corinthians were not disposed to accompany them before they had kept the Isthmian festival, for which that was the time. Agis expressed to them his willingness that they (according to what they urged) should not break the Isthmian truce, but that he should make the expedition on his own responsibility.

[2] When, however, the Corinthians did not agree to this, but a delay was caused in the matter, the Athenians the more easily gained intelligence of the designs of the Chians; and sending Aristocrates, one of their generals, charged them with the fact, and on their denying it, commanded them to send with them some ships, as a pledge of good faith in their alliance.

[3] Accordingly they sent seven. The reason of the ships being sent was, that the majority of the Chians were ignorant of the negotiations; while the few who were privy to them were both unwilling at present to incur the hostility of their commons, before they had gained some strength, and no longer expected the Peloponnesians to come, since they had so long delayed.

[1] Corinthii vero, quamvis illi navigationem urgerent, non potuerunt in animum inducere, ut et ipsi navigarent, antequam omnes Isthmiorum dies festos, qui tunc erant, celebrassent. Agis vero iis paratum se praebebat permittere illis quidem, ut sacras Isthmiorum inducias non solverent, ipse vero suo nomine expeditionem suscipere.

[2] Quod quum non concederent Corinthii, sed mora interponeretur, Athenienses consilia Chiorum facilius senserunt, et Aristo-crate, uno e ducibus, misso, illos insimulabant, et quum Chii rem negarent, illi iis, id quod fidem faceret, naves secum mittere ad sociorum auxHia imperabant; Chii vero miserunt septem.

[3] Causa autem, cur mitterent naves, haec fuit, quod plerique quidem Chiorum ignorarent ea, quas clam agitabantur, pauci vero ii, qui conscii erant, neque plebem jam hostilem habere vellent, priusquam aliquod firmum praesidium adepti essent, et Peloponnesios non amplius venturos exspectarent, quia morabantur.

Allora i Lacedemoni sollecitavano i Corinlii a spedir la loro armata ; ma quelli non seppero indursi a navigar con loro prima d’aver celebrato le feste istmiche che allora ricorrevano. Agide, perchè non violassero la tregua che durava nel tempo di quelle feste, proponeva loro che piglierebbe sopra di sè la spedizione della (lotta ; al che non avendo acconsentito i Corintii, e però trappostosi dell’ indugio, poterono gli Ateniesi meglio intendere le trame de’Chii; e mandarono Aristocrate, uno de’ loro generali , a dolersene. E siccome i Ghii stavano in sulla negativa , gli Ateniesi ordinarono loro di mandar seco delle navi per gaggio dell alleanza, ed essi ne mandarono sette. Ed a far ciò s’indussero i Chii, perchè ignorando il popolo questi maneggi, i pochi che ne erano consapevoli non volevano in verun modo aver nemica la plebe prima d’avere in mano qualche cosa di sicuro, e perchè si aspettavano che i Peloponnesi, dopo quell’ indugio, uon verrebbero altrimenti.