Texte grec :
| [209] καὶ μὴν οὐδ´ ἐκεῖνό γε ἀγνοῶ, ὅτι ταῦτ´ ἔτι φαυλότερα
ὧν ἀρτίως ἐξήτασα περιβολῇ τε ἀρχῆς (209) καὶ ὄγκῳ πραγμάτων
φανεῖται τὰ Ἑλληνικὰ τῶν Περσικῶν.
ἀλλὰ τὸ τοὺς μὲν βαρβάρους ταῖς περιουσίαις καὶ
ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ὑπερβαλέσθαι, τοὺς δὲ Ἕλληνας σοφίᾳ καὶ
σωφροσύνῃ παρελθεῖν, μέγα μοι δοκεῖ καὶ παντελὲς εἰς
ἀρετῆς εἶναι λόγον καὶ παντὸς ἀγώνισμα λαμπρότερον. τοῦτ´
οὖν ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι, ὅπως ἐκεῖνοι καὶ πηλίκοις οὖσι τοῖς
ἑαυτῶν ἐχρήσαντο πράγμασι· κἂν φανῶσι πολὺ μικρότερα
διασώσασθαι μὴ δυνηθέντες, δῆλον τὸ συνθησόμενον εἰς
τὴν ψῆφον. ἔπραξαν μὲν γὰρ πᾶν ὑπὲρ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἡγεμονίας Ἀθηναῖοι
καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, καὶ ἦν αὐτῶν ἡ δύναμις πλεῖν τὴν θάλατταν
καὶ τῶν Κυκλάδων ἄρχειν καὶ
τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης ἔχειν καὶ Πύλας καὶ Ἑλλήσποντον καὶ
Κορυφάσιον· καὶ ταῦτ´ ἦν ἡ δύναμις. καὶ ἔπαθον δὴ
παραπλήσιον ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις σώματος ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι
κύριος ὄνυχάς τινας καὶ ἄκρα λάβοι ἀντὶ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος
καὶ ταῦτα ἔχειν οἴοιτο ἅπερ ἐβούλετο· ὣς δὲ κἀκεῖνοι ἡγεμονίας
ἐπιθυμήσαντες νησίδια καὶ ἄκρας ἐπὶ θαλάττῃ καὶ
λιμένας καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐξεκαρπώσαντο καὶ κατετρίφθησαν
περὶ τὴν θάλατταν, ὀνειροπολήσαντες ἡγεμονίαν μᾶλλον
ἢ κτήσασθαι δυνηθέντες. γενόμενοι δὲ ὅμως ἐπὶ καιρῶν
ὥσπερ ἐν κλήρου περιόδῳ ἐπιστάται τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἑκάτεροι οὐδ´
εἰς μίαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, γενεὰν διεσώσαντο τὴν τάξιν· οὔκουν ἀμέμπτως γε·
ἀλλὰ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ λεγόμενον
τὴν Καδμείαν νίκην ἐνίκων ἀλλήλους περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας,
ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες τοὺς ἑτέρους μόνους μισεῖσθαι ἀεὶ
οἱ ἕτεροι, ἀλλ´ αὐτοὶ τοῦ μέρους μεταλαμβάνειν. τοῦτο μὲν
γὰρ Λακεδαιμονίων εἷς ἡγεμὼν οὕτω διέθηκε τοὺς Ἕλληνας ὥστ´
ἀπαλλαγέντας ἀπ´ αὐτῶν ἑκόντας, μόνους ἑαυτοῖς
ἑτέρους ἄρχοντας ζητῆσαι. δόντες δ´ ἑαυτοὺς Ἀθηναίοις,
ὡς χρόνος οὐ πολὺς διῆλθε, μετέγνωσαν, οὔτε τῶν
φόρων φέροντες τὴν ἀμετρίαν οὔτε τοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ τούτων
προφάσει παρακλέπτοντας αὐτοὺς,
|
|
Traduction française :
| [209] I am also not unaware that the Greek achievement will look even pettier
than the Persian, which I have just appraised, in extent of empire and
dignity of state. But to outdo the barbarians in wealth and power, while
surpassing the Greeks in wisdom and moderation, seems to me a great
feat, more brilliant than any other, and fulfilling the ideal standard.
I am going to say how large the Greek world was and what they did
with it. If I show that they were incapable of preserving something much
smaller than the Persian empire, it is obvious how this will add to your
acclaim.
The Athenians and the Lacedaemonians did everything for the sake of
empire and supremacy. For them, power meant, to sail the sea, rule the
Cyclades, control the Thracian littoral, Thermopylae, the Hellespont,
Coryphasium. That was power. What happened to them was virtually
as if someone that wished to subdue a person were to get hold of
nails and fingertips instead of the whole body, and then thought, "I have
just what I wanted," Similarly, Athens and Lacedaemon, which wanted
supremacy, got their haul of tiny islands, capes facing the sea, coves,
and the like. They wore themselves out struggling for the sea. To dream
of supremacy was more within their power than to attain it. Yet on
occasion, as if by lot, both cities had their turn at the head of Greece.
Neither could maintain its rank for a single generation (so to speak),
or without odium. They won a proverbial Cadmean victory in their
struggles for supremacy. Either side seemed to object to the other
always absorbing all the hatred, and insisted on having its share.
The Greeks were so disaffected by one Lacedaemonian commander
that in their mutiny against the Lacedaemonians they were singularly
willing to find themselves another set of rulers. They entrusted themselves
to the Athenians, but not much time elapsed before they regretted
it. They could not bear the excessive tribute, nor the grafters on top
of that, who took their money on pretence of tribute.
|
|
