§5.45.1καὶ λέγοντες ἐν τῇ βουλῇ περί τε τούτων καὶ ὡς αὐτοκράτορες ἥκουσι περὶ πάντων ξυμβῆναι τῶν διαφόρων, τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην ἐφόβουν μὴ καί, ἢν ἐς τὸν δῆμον ταῦτα λέγωσιν, ἐπαγάγωνται τὸ πλῆθος καὶ ἀπωσθῇ ἡ Ἀργείων ξυμμαχία.
And by speaking in the Council about these matters, and declaring that they had come with full powers to reach an agreement on all points of difference, they threw Alcibiades into a state of fear, lest, if they should say the same things to the People, they might win over the multitude and the alliance with the Argives might be rejected.
§5.45.2μηχανᾶται δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοιόνδε τι ὁ Ἀλκιβιάδης· τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πείθει πίστιν αὐτοῖς δούς, ἢν μὴ ὁμολογήσωσιν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ αὐτοκράτορες ἥκειν, Πύλον τε αὐτοῖς ἀποδώσειν (πείσειν γὰρ αὐτὸς Ἀθηναίους, ὥσπερ καὶ νῦν ἀντιλέγειν) καὶ τἆλλα ξυναλλάξειν.
Alcibiades therefore devised the following scheme against them: giving his word of honor to the Lacedaemonians, he persuaded them that if they did not admit before the People that they had come with full powers, he would restore Pylos to them (for he would himself persuade the Athenians, just as he was now opposing it) and reconcile them on all other matters.
§5.45.3βουλόμενος δὲ αὐτοὺς Νικίου τε ἀποστῆσαι ταῦτα ἔπρασσε καὶ ὅπως ἐν τῷ δήμῳ διαβαλὼν αὐτοὺς ὡς οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς ἐν νῷ ἔχουσιν οὐδὲ λέγουσιν οὐδέποτε ταὐτά, τοὺς Ἀργείους καὶ Ἠλείους καὶ Μαντινέας ξυμμάχους ποιήσῃ.
He did this because he wished to detach them from Nicias, and also in order that, by accusing them before the People of having no sincere intentions and of never saying the same thing twice, he might make the Argives, Eleans, and Mantineans their allies.
καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως.
And so it came to pass.
§5.45.4ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐς τὸν δῆμον παρελθόντες καὶ ἐπερωτώμενοι οὐκ ἔφασαν ὥσπερ ἐν τῇ βουλῇ αὐτοκράτορες ἥκειν, οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐκέτι ἠνείχοντο, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Ἀλκιβιάδου πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον καταβοῶντος τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἐσήκουόν τε καὶ ἑτοῖμοι ἦσαν εὐθὺς παραγαγόντες τοὺς Ἀργείους καὶ τοὺς μετ’ αὐτῶν ξυμμάχους ποιεῖσθαι·
For when they came before the People and, upon being questioned, did not declare, as they had in the Council, that they had come with full powers, the Athenians could no longer tolerate them, but listened to Alcibiades as he cried out against the Lacedaemonians far more vehemently than before, and were ready to bring forward the Argives and their allies immediately and make them allies.
σεισμοῦ δὲ γενομένου πρίν τι ἐπικυρωθῆναι, ἡ ἐκκλησία αὕτη ἀνεβλήθη.
However, an earthquake occurring before anything could be ratified, this assembly was adjourned.