§8.56.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οἱ μὲν Χῖοι ἔκ τε γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης ἔτι μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον ἐπολιορκοῦντο καὶ ὁ λιμὸς αὐτόθι ἦν μέγας·
After these events, the Chians were besieged still more than before, both by land and by sea, and the famine there was severe.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Πείσανδρον Ἀθηναίων πρέσβεις ἀφικόμενοι ὡς τὸν Τισσαφέρνην λόγους ποιοῦνται περὶ τῆς ὁμολογίας.
Meanwhile, the Athenian ambassadors led by Peisander arrived at Tissaphernes and entered into negotiations concerning the agreement.
§8.56.2Ἀλκιβιάδης δέ (οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ πάνυ τὰ ἀπὸ Τισσαφέρνους βέβαια ἦν, φοβουμένου τοὺς Πελοποννησίους μᾶλλον καὶ ἔτι βουλομένου, καθάπερ καὶ ὑπ’ ἐκείνου ἐδιδάσκετο, τρίβειν ἀμφοτέρους) τρέπεται ἐπὶ τοιόνδε εἶδος ὥστε τὸν Τισσαφέρνην ὡς μέγιστα αἰτοῦντα παρὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων μὴ ξυμβῆναι.
But Alcibiades (for the disposition of Tissaphernes was not at all secure for him, since Tissaphernes feared the Peloponnesians more and still wished, just as he was also being instructed by Alcibiades, to wear out both sides) turned to the following device, so that Tissaphernes, by making the greatest demands of the Athenians, should not come to terms.
§8.56.3δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ ὁ Τισσαφέρνης τὸ αὐτὸ βουληθῆναι, αὐτὸς μὲν διὰ τὸ δέος, ὁ δὲ Ἀλκιβιάδης, ἐπειδὴ ἑώρα ἐκεῖνον καὶ ὣς οὐ ξυμβησείοντα, δοκεῖν τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐβούλετο μὴ ἀδύνατος εἶναι πεῖσαι, ἀλλ’ ὡς πεπεισμένῳ Τισσαφέρνει καὶ βουλομένῳ προσχωρῆσαι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους μὴ ἱκανὰ διδόναι.
And it seems to me that Tissaphernes also wished the same thing, he himself because of fear, whereas Alcibiades, since he saw that Tissaphernes was not going to come to terms in any case, wished to seem to the Athenians not unable to persuade him, but rather that Tissaphernes had been persuaded and was willing to join them, but the Athenians were not giving enough.
§8.56.4ᾔτει γὰρ τοσαῦτα ὑπερβάλλων ὁ Ἀλκιβιάδης, λέγων αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ παρόντος τοῦ Τισσαφέρνους, ὥστε τὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων, καίπερ ἐπὶ πολὺ ὅτι αἰτοίη ξυγχωρούντων, ὅμως αἴτιον γενέσθαι·
For Alcibiades, speaking himself on behalf of Tissaphernes who was present, made such exorbitant demands, so that the refusal of the Athenians (although they conceded much of what he asked) nevertheless became the cause of the breakdown.
Ἰωνίαν τε γὰρ πᾶσαν ἠξίου δίδοσθαι καὶ αὖθις νήσους τε τὰς ἐπικειμένας καὶ ἄλλα, οἷς οὐκ ἐναντιουμένων τῶν Ἀθηναίων τέλος ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ ἤδη ξυνόδῳ, δείσας μὴ πάνυ φωραθῇ ἀδύνατος ὤν, ναῦς ἠξίου ἐᾶν βασιλέα ποιεῖσθαι καὶ παραπλεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν ὅπῃ ἂν καὶ ὅσαις ἂν βούληται.
For he demanded that all Ionia be given up, and further the adjacent islands and other things; and when the Athenians did not oppose these demands, finally, in what was already the third conference, fearing lest he should be completely exposed as being powerless, he demanded that the King be allowed to build ships and to sail along his own territory wherever and with as many ships as he pleased.
ἐνταῦθα δὴ οὐκέτι. . . ἀλλ’ ἄπορα νομίσαντες οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀλκιβιάδου ἐξηπατῆσθαι, δι’ ὀργῆς ἀπελθόντες κομίζονται ἐς τὴν Σάμον.
At this point, indeed, they could bear it no longer, but considering the conditions impossible and believing that they had been deceived by Alcibiades, they departed in anger and withdrew to Samos.