§8.87.1τοῦ δ’ αὐτοῦ θέρους Τισσαφέρνης, κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα διά τε τἆλλα καὶ διὰ τὴν Ἀλκιβιάδου κάθοδον ἤχθοντο αὐτῷ οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι ὡς φανερῶς ἤδη ἀττικίζοντι, βουλόμενος, ὡς ἐδόκει δή, ἀπολύεσθαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὰς διαβολάς, παρεσκευάζετο πορεύεσθαι ἐπὶ τὰς Φοινίσσας ναῦς ἐς Ἄσπενδον, καὶ τὸν Λίχαν ξυμπορεύεσθαι ἐκέλευεν· τῇ δὲ στρατιᾷ προστάξειν ἔφη Τάμων ἑαυτοῦ ὕπαρχον, ὥστε τροφὴν ἐν ὅσῳ ἂν αὐτὸς ἀπῇ διδόναι.
In the same summer, Tissaphernes, at the very time when the Peloponnesians were most angry with him for various reasons and especially on account of the return of Alcibiades, as he was now manifestly acting in the Athenian interest, wishing, as it indeed seemed, to clear himself of their accusations, prepared to journey to Aspendus to the Phoenician ships, and ordered Lichas to accompany him; he said that he would appoint Tamos, his own lieutenant, to command the army, so as to supply maintenance as long as he himself should be absent.
§8.87.2λέγεται δὲ οὐ κατὰ ταὐτό, οὐδὲ ῥᾴδιον εἰδέναι τίνι γνώμῃ παρῆλθεν ἐς τὴν Ἄσπενδον καὶ παρελθὼν οὐκ ἤγαγε τὰς ναῦς.
But it is not reported in the same way, nor is it easy to know, with what intention he went to Aspendus and, having gone there, did not bring the ships.
§8.87.3ὅτι μὲν γὰρ αἱ Φοίνισσαι νῆες ἑπτὰ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν μέχρι Ἀσπένδου ἀφίκοντο σαφές ἐστι, διότι δὲ οὐκ ἦλθον πολλαχῇ εἰκάζεται.
For that the one hundred and forty-seven Phoenician ships arrived as far as Aspendus is clear, but why they did not come is variously conjectured.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἵνα διατρίβῃ ἀπελθών, ὥσπερ καὶ διενοήθη, τὰ τῶν Πελοποννησίων (τροφὴν γοῦν οὐδὲν βέλτιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χεῖρον ὁ Τάμως, ᾧ προσετάχθη, παρεῖχεν), οἱ δὲ ἵνα τοὺς Φοίνικας προαγαγὼν ἐς τὴν Ἄσπενδον ἐκχρηματίσαιτο ἀφείς (καὶ γὰρ ὣς αὐτοῖς οὐδὲν ἔμελλε χρήσεσθαι), ἄλλοι δ’ ὡς καταβοῆς ἕνεκα τῆς ἐς Λακεδαίμονα, τοῦ λέγεσθαι ὡς οὐκ ἀδικεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ σαφῶς οἴχεται ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς ἀληθῶς πεπληρωμένας.
For some think it was in order that, by his going away, he might wear out the affairs of the Peloponnesians, as indeed he intended (at any rate Tamos, to whom the charge had been committed, provided maintenance no better, but even worse); others, that he might get money by releasing the Phoenicians after having brought them to Aspendus (for in any case he had no intention of using them); others, that it was for the sake of the clamour against Lacedaemon, so that it might be said that he was doing no wrong, but was clearly gone to the ships which were truly manned.
§8.87.4ἐμοὶ μέντοι δοκεῖ σαφέστατον εἶναι διατριβῆς ἕνεκα καὶ ἀνοκωχῆς τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν τὸ ναυτικὸν οὐκ ἀγαγεῖν, φθορᾶς μέν, ἐν ὅσῳ παρῄει ἐκεῖσε καὶ διέμελλεν, ἀνισώσεως δέ, ὅπως μηδετέροις προσθέμενος ἰσχυροτέρους ποιήσῃ, ἐπεί, εἴ γε ἐβουλήθη, διαπολεμῆσαι 〈ἂν〉 ἐπιφανεὶς δήπου οὐκ ἐνδοιαστῶς· κομίσας γὰρ ἂν Λακεδαιμονίοις τὴν νίκην κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἔδωκεν, οἵ γε καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀντιπάλως μᾶλλον ἢ ὑποδεεστέρως τῷ ναυτικῷ ἀνθώρμουν.
To me, however, it seems most clear that it was for the purpose of wearing out the Greeks and keeping their forces in suspense that he did not bring the fleet; for the purpose of destruction, while he went there and delayed, and of equalizing, so that by joining neither side he might make them stronger; since, if he had wished, he could have brought the war to a decisive end by appearing, no doubt, without hesitation; for by bringing the victory to the Lacedaemonians he would in all probability have given it to them, since they, even as it was, were confronting the Athenian fleet rather on equal terms than in a position of inferiority.
§8.87.5καταφωρᾷ δὲ μάλιστα καὶ ἣν εἶπε πρόφασιν οὐ κομίσας τὰς ναῦς.
And his true intention is detected most of all by the pretext which he alleged for not bringing the ships.
ἔφη γὰρ αὐτὰς ἐλάσσους ἢ ὅσας βασιλεὺς ἔταξε ξυλλεγῆναι· ὁ δὲ χάριν ἂν δήπου ἐν τούτῳ μείζω ἔτι ἔσχεν, οὔτ᾽ ἀναλώσας πολλὰ τῶν βασιλέως τά τε αὐτὰ ἀπ’ ἐλασσόνων πράξας.
For he said that they had been collected fewer in number than the King had commanded; but he would surely have gained even greater thanks in this matter by not spending much of the King's money and yet accomplishing the same results with less.
§8.87.6ἐς δ’ οὖν τὴν Ἄσπενδον ᾑτινιδὴ γνώμῃ ὁ Τισσαφέρνης ἀφικνεῖται καὶ τοῖς Φοίνιξι ξυγγίγνεται· καὶ οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι ἔπεμψαν ὡς ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς κελεύσαντος αὐτοῦ Φίλιππον ἄνδρα Λακεδαιμόνιον δύο τριήρεσιν.
With whatever intention, therefore, Tissaphernes arrived at Aspendus and met with the Phoenicians; and the Peloponnesians, at his invitation, sent Philip, a Lacedaemonian, with two triremes to fetch the ships.