§1.99.1αἰτίαι δὲ ἄλλαι τε ἦσαν τῶν ἀποστάσεων καὶ μέγισται αἱ τῶν φόρων καὶ νεῶν ἔκδειαι καὶ λιποστράτιον εἴ τῳ ἐγένετο· οἱ γὰρ Ἀθηναῖοι ἀκριβῶς ἔπρασσον καὶ λυπηροὶ ἦσαν οὐκ εἰωθόσιν οὐδὲ βουλομένοις ταλαιπωρεῖν προσάγοντες τὰς ἀνάγκας.
The causes of the revolts were various, but the chief ones were arrears of tribute and of ships, and failure of military service, if such occurred to anyone; for the Athenians exacted these strictly and were offensive, applying coercion to men who were neither accustomed nor willing to undergo hardships.
§1.99.2ἦσαν δέ πως καὶ ἄλλως οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐκέτι ὁμοίως ἐν ἡδονῇ ἄρχοντες, καὶ οὔτε ξυνεστράτευον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου ῥᾴδιόν τε προσάγεσθαι ἦν αὐτοῖς τοὺς ἀφισταμένους.
In other ways too, the Athenians were no longer ruling in a manner that was agreeable, and they did not take part in campaigns on an equal footing, and it was easy for them to bring those who revolted back into subjection.
§1.99.3ὧν αὐτοὶ αἴτιοι ἐγένοντο οἱ ξύμμαχοι· διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀπόκνησιν ταύτην τῶν στρατειῶν οἱ πλείους αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπ’ οἴκου ὦσι, χρήματα ἐτάξαντο ἀντὶ τῶν νεῶν τὸ ἱκνούμενον ἀνάλωμα φέρειν, καὶ τοῖς μὲν Ἀθηναίοις ηὔξετο τὸ ναυτικὸν ἀπὸ τῆς δαπάνης ἣν ἐκεῖνοι ξυμφέροιεν, αὐτοὶ δέ, ὁπότε ἀποσταῖεν, ἀπαράσκευοι καὶ ἄπειροι ἐς τὸν πόλεμον καθίσταντο.
For this, the allies themselves were responsible; for because of this reluctance to go on campaigns, most of them, so that they might not be away from home, agreed to pay a corresponding sum of money instead of supplying ships. Consequently, while the Athenian navy was increased by the expenditure which the allies contributed, they themselves, whenever they revolted, entered upon war unprepared and inexperienced.