§9.26.1ἐνθαῦτα ἐν τῇ διατάξι ἐγένετο λόγων πολλῶν ὠθισμὸς Τεγεητέων τε καὶ Ἀθηναίων· ἐδικαίευν γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἑκάτεροι ἔχειν τὸ ἕτερον κέρας, καὶ καινὰ καὶ παλαιὰ παραφέροντες ἔργα.
There, during the drawing up of the line, there arose a sharp dispute of words between the Tegeans and the Athenians; for each of them claimed that they had the right to hold the other wing, bringing forward both modern and ancient deeds.
τοῦτο μὲν οἱ Τεγεῆται ἔλεγον τάδε. §9.26.2ἡμεῖς αἰεί κοτε ἀξιεύμεθα ταύτης τῆς τάξιος ἐκ τῶν συμμάχων ἁπάντων, ὅσαι ἤδη ἔξοδοι κοιναὶ ἐγένοντο Πελοποννησίοισι καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν καὶ τὸ νέον, ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου ἐπείτε Ἡρακλεῖδαι ἐπειρῶντο μετὰ τὸν Εὐρυσθέος θάνατον κατιόντες ἐς Πελοπόννησον·
First, the Tegeans spoke as follows: "We have always been deemed worthy of this post by all the allies, in all the joint expeditions that have ever been made by the Peloponnesians both in ancient and modern times, ever since the time when the Heraclidae, after the death of Eurystheus, attempted to return to the Peloponnese.
§9.26.3τότε εὑρόμεθα τοῦτο διὰ πρῆγμα τοιόνδε.
At that time we obtained this privilege owing to the following event.
ἐπεὶ μετὰ Ἀχαιῶν καὶ Ἰώνων τῶν τότε ἐόντων ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ἐκβοηθήσαντες ἐς τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ἱζόμεθα ἀντίοι τοῖσι κατιοῦσι, τότε ὦν λόγος Ὕλλον ἀγορεύσασθαι ὡς χρεὸν εἴη τὸν μὲν στρατὸν τῷ στρατῷ μὴ ἀνακινδυνεύειν συμβάλλοντα, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Πελοποννησίου στρατοπέδου τὸν ἂν σφέων αὐτῶν κρίνωσι εἶναι ἄριστον, τοῦτόν οἱ μουνομαχῆσαι ἐπὶ διακειμένοισι.
When, having gone to render assistance together with the Achaeans and Ionians who were then in the Peloponnese, we sat down at the Isthmus opposite to those who were returning, then it is said that Hyllus made a speech, saying that it was not right that army should risk conflict with army, but that from the Peloponnesian camp, whoever they should judge to be the best of themselves, this man should fight with him in single combat upon agreed conditions.
§9.26.4ἔδοξέ τε τοῖσι Πελοποννησίοισι ταῦτα εἶναι ποιητέα καὶ ἔταμον ὅρκιον ἐπὶ λόγῳ τοιῷδε, ἢν μὲν Ὕλλος νικήσῃ τὸν Πελοποννησίων ἡγεμόνα, κατιέναι Ἡρακλείδας ἐπὶ τὰ πατρώια, ἢν δὲ νικηθῇ, τὰ ἔμπαλιν Ἡρακλείδας ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι καὶ ἀπάγειν τὴν στρατιὴν ἑκατόν τε ἐτέων μὴ ζητῆσαι κάτοδον ἐς Πελοπόννησον.
And it seemed to the Peloponnesians that this must be done, and they swore an oath upon these terms: if Hyllus should defeat the leader of the Peloponnesians, the Heraclidae should return to their ancestral lands; but if he should be defeated, on the contrary, the Heraclidae should depart and lead away their army, and not seek a return to the Peloponnese for a hundred years.
§9.26.5προσκρίθη τε δὴ ἐκ πάντων τῶν συμμάχων ἐθελοντὴς Ἔχεμος ὁ Ἠερόπου τοῦ Φηγέος στρατηγός τε ἐὼν καὶ βασιλεὺς ἡμέτερος, καὶ ἐμουνομάχησέ τε καὶ ἀπέκτεινε Ὕλλον.
And there was chosen from among all the allies Echemus, the son of Aeropus, the son of Phegeus, who was our general and king; he volunteered, fought the single combat, and slew Hyllus.
ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ἔργου εὑρόμεθα ἐν Πελοποννησίοισί γε τοῖσι τότε καὶ ἄλλα γέρεα μεγάλα, τὰ διατελέομεν ἔχοντες, καὶ τοῦ κέρεος τοῦ ἑτέρου αἰεὶ ἡγεμονεύειν κοινῆς ἐξόδου γινομένης.
From this deed we obtained among the Peloponnesians of that time both other great privileges, which we continue to hold, and also that of always leading the other wing whenever a joint expedition is made.
§9.26.6ὑμῖν μέν νυν ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι οὐκ ἀντιεύμεθα, ἀλλὰ διδόντες αἵρεσιν ὁκοτέρου βούλεσθε κέρεος ἄρχειν παρίεμεν· τοῦ δὲ ἑτέρου φαμὲν ἡμέας ἱκνέεσθαι ἡγεμονεύειν κατά περ ἐν τῷ πρόσθε χρόνῳ.
Now to you, Lacedaemonians, we do not oppose ourselves, but we give you the choice of whichever wing you wish to command, and yield it to you; but we say that it belongs to us to lead the other, even as in former times.
χωρίς τε τούτου τοῦ ἀπηγημένου ἔργου ἀξιονικότεροί εἰμεν Ἀθηναίων ταύτην τὴν τάξιν ἔχειν.
And apart from this deed which has been related, we are more worthy than the Athenians to hold this post.
§9.26.7πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ εὖ ἔχοντες πρὸς ὑμέας ἡμῖν, ἄνδρες Σπαρτιῆται, ἀγῶνες ἀγωνίδαται, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ἄλλους.
For many and successful battles have been fought by us, O men of Sparta, both in relation to you and also against others.
οὕτω ὦν δίκαιον ἡμέας ἔχειν τὸ ἕτερον κέρας ἤ περ Ἀθηναίους· οὐ γάρ σφι ἐστὶ ἔργα οἷά περ ἡμῖν κατεργασμένα, οὔτʼ ὦν καινὰ οὔτε παλαιά.
Thus, then, it is more just that we should have the other wing than the Athenians; for they have no such deeds performed by them as we have, either modern or ancient."