§1.90.1Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ αἰσθόμενοι τὸ μέλλον ἦλθον πρεσβείᾳ, τὰ μὲν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἥδιον ἂν ὁρῶντες μήτ’ ἐκείνους μήτ’ ἄλλον μηδένα τεῖχος ἔχοντα, τὸ δὲ πλέον τῶν ξυμμάχων ἐξοτρυνόντων καὶ φοβουμένων τοῦ τε ναυτικοῦ αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος, ὃ πρὶν οὐχ ὑπῆρχε, καὶ τὴν ἐς τὸν Μηδικὸν πόλεμον τόλμαν γενομένην.
The Lacedaemonians, perceiving what was to come, came with an embassy; partly because they themselves would have preferred to see neither them nor anyone else possess walls, but even more because their allies urged them on, fearing both the great size of their navy, which did not exist before, and the daring they had shown in the Persian war.
§1.90.2ἠξίουν τε αὐτοὺς μὴ τειχίζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἔξω Πελοποννήσου μᾶλλον ὅσοις εἱστήκει ξυγκαθελεῖν μετὰ σφῶν τοὺς περιβόλους, τὸ μὲν βουλόμενον καὶ ὕποπτον τῆς γνώμης οὐ δηλοῦντες ἐς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, ὡς δὲ τοῦ βαρβάρου, εἰ αὖθις ἐπέλθοι, οὐκ ἂν ἔχοντος ἀπὸ ἐχυροῦ ποθέν, ὥσπερ νῦν ἐκ τῶν Θηβῶν, ὁρμᾶσθαι·
And they requested them not to build walls, but rather also to join them in pulling down the surrounding walls of those outside the Peloponnese, wherever they were standing.
τήν τε Πελοπόννησον πᾶσιν ἔφασαν ἀναχώρησίν τε καὶ ἀφορμὴν ἱκανὴν εἶναι.
They did not reveal their real intent and suspicion to the Athenians, but did so on the pretext that the barbarian, if he should invade again, would not have any stronghold to start from, as recently from Thebes; and they declared that the Peloponnese was a sufficient place of refuge and base of operations for all.
§1.90.3οἱ δ’ Ἀθηναῖοι Θεμιστοκλέους γνώμῃ τοὺς μὲν Λακεδαιμονίους ταῦτ’ εἰπόντας ἀποκρινάμενοι ὅτι πέμψουσιν ὡς αὐτοὺς πρέσβεις περὶ ὧν λέγουσιν εὐθὺς ἀπήλλαξαν·
But the Athenians, by the advice of Themistocles, answered the Lacedaemonians who had said these things that they would send ambassadors to them concerning their proposals, and immediately dismissed them.
ἑαυτὸν δ’ ἐκέλευεν ἀποστέλλειν ὡς τάχιστα ὁ Θεμιστοκλῆς ἐς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα, ἄλλους δὲ πρὸς ἑαυτῷ ἑλομένους πρέσβεις μὴ εὐθὺς ἐκπέμπειν, ἀλλ’ ἐπισχεῖν μέχρι τοσούτου ἕως ἂν τὸ τεῖχος ἱκανὸν ἄρωσιν ὥστε ἀπομάχεσθαι ἐκ τοῦ ἀναγκαιοτάτου ὕψους·
And Themistocles urged them to dispatch himself as quickly as possible to Lacedaemon, but not to send out immediately the other ambassadors chosen with him, but to wait until such time as they should raise the wall to a sufficient height to fight from at the minimum necessary level.
τειχίζειν δὲ πάντας πανδημεὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει [καὶ αὐτοὺς καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ], φειδομένους μήτε ἰδίου μήτε δημοσίου οἰκοδομήματος ὅθεν τις ὠφελία ἔσται ἐς τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ καθαιροῦντας πάντα.
And he ordered all those in the city to build the wall en masse [both themselves, and women, and children], sparing neither private nor public building from which any help might come for the work, but pulling down everything.
§1.90.4καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα διδάξας καὶ ὑπειπὼν τἆλλα ὅτι αὐτὸς τἀκεῖ πράξοι ᾤχετο.
Having given these instructions and suggested for the rest that he himself would manage matters there, he departed.
§1.90.5καὶ ἐς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα ἐλθὼν οὐ προσῄει πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς, ἀλλὰ διῆγε καὶ προυφασίζετο.
And having arrived in Lacedaemon, he did not go before the authorities, but delayed and made excuses.
καὶ ὁπότε τις αὐτὸν ἔροιτο τῶν ἐν τέλει ὄντων ὅτι οὐκ ἐπέρχεται ἐπὶ τὸ κοινόν, ἔφη τοὺς ξυμπρέσβεις ἀναμένειν, ἀσχολίας δέ τινος οὔσης αὐτοὺς ὑπολειφθῆναι, προσδέχεσθαι μέντοι ἐν τάχει ἥξειν καὶ θαυμάζειν ὡς οὔπω πάρεισιν.
And whenever any of those in office asked him why he did not present himself before the assembly, he said that he was waiting for his fellow-envoys, and that they had been left behind because of some business, but that he expected them to arrive shortly and was surprised that they were not yet present.