§11.40.1ὑπακουσάντων δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων, οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν Θεμιστοκλέα πρέσβεις προῆγον εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην, οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι μετὰ μεγάλης σπουδῆς ᾠκοδόμουν τὰ τείχη, οὔτʼ οἰκίας οὔτε τάφου φειδόμενοι.
When the Athenians complied, the envoys around Themistocles proceeded to Sparta, while the Athenians with great haste built the walls, sparing neither house nor tomb.
συνελαμβάνοντο δὲ τῶν ἔργων οἵ τε παῖδες καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ καθόλου πᾶς ξένος καὶ δοῦλος, οὐδενὸς ἀπολειπομένου τῆς προθυμίας.
And both the children and the women, and in general every foreigner and slave, took part in the works, with no one falling short in eagerness.
§11.40.2παραδόξως δὲ τῶν ἔργων ἀνυομένων διά τε τὰς πολυχειρίας καὶ τὰς τῶν ἁπάντων προθυμίας, ὁ μὲν Θεμιστοκλῆς ἀνακληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ ἐπιτιμηθεὶς περὶ τῆς τειχοποιίας ἠρνήσατο τὴν οἰκοδομίαν, καὶ παρεκάλεσε τοὺς ἄρχοντας μὴ πιστεύειν κεναῖς φήμαις, ἀλλʼ ἀποστέλλειν πρέσβεις ἀξιοπίστους εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας· διὰ γὰρ τούτων εἴσεσθαι τἀληθές· καὶ τούτων ἐγγυητὴν ἑαυτὸν παρεδίδου καὶ τοὺς μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ συμπρεσβεύοντας.
While the works were being completed beyond expectation because of both the abundance of hands and the eagerness of everyone, Themistocles, having been summoned by the magistrates and rebuked concerning the wall-building, denied the construction, and urged the magistrates not to believe empty rumors, but to dispatch trustworthy envoys to Athens; for, he said, through them they would know the truth; and as guarantor of these things he offered himself and the embassy colleagues with him.
§11.40.3πεισθέντες δὲ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τοὺς μὲν περὶ τὸν Θεμιστοκλέα παρεφύλαττον, εἰς δὲ τὰς Ἀθήνας ἀπέστειλαν τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους κατασκεψομένους, περὶ ὧν ἦν χρεία πολυπραγμονῆσαι.
The Lacedaemonians, being persuaded, kept those around Themistocles under guard, and dispatched to Athens the most prominent men to spy out the situation concerning which matters there was need to investigate.
τοῦ δὲ χρόνου διεξελθόντος, οἱ μὲν Ἀθηναῖοι τὸ τεῖχος ἔφθασαν ἐφʼ ἱκανὸν κατεσκευακότες, τοὺς δὲ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων πρέσβεις ἐλθόντας εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας καὶ μετʼ ἀνατάσεων καὶ ἀπειλῶν ἐπιτιμῶντας παρέδωκαν εἰς φυλακήν, φήσαντες τότε ἀφήσειν, ὅταν κἀκεῖνοι τοὺς περὶ Θεμιστοκλέα πρέσβεις ἀπολύσωσι.
When time had passed, the Athenians had anticipated them by constructing the wall to a sufficient height, and they committed to prison the Lacedaemonian envoys who had come to Athens and were rebuking them with gestures and threats, saying that they would release them only when they too should release the envoys around Themistocles.
§11.40.4τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ καταστρατηγηθέντες οἱ Λάκωνες ἠναγκάσθησαν ἀπολῦσαι τοὺς Ἀθηναίων πρέσβεις, ἵνα τοὺς ἰδίους ἀπολάβωσιν.
The Lacedaemonians, having been outgeneralled in this manner, were forced to release the Athenian envoys in order to recover their own.
ὁ δὲ Θεμιστοκλῆς τοιούτῳ στρατηγήματι τειχίσας τὴν πατρίδα συντόμως καὶ ἀκινδύνως, μεγάλης ἀποδοχῆς ἔτυχε παρὰ τοῖς πολίταις.
And Themistocles, having walled his fatherland quickly and without danger by such a stratagem, met with great favor among the citizens.
§11.40.5ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Ῥωμαίοις πρὸς Αἰκολανοὺς καὶ τοὺς τὸ Τοῦσκλον κατοικοῦντας συνέστη πόλεμος, καὶ πρὸς μὲν Αἰκολανοὺς μάχην συνάψαντες ἐνίκησαν καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν πολεμίων ἀνεῖλον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὸ Τοῦσκλον ἐξεπολιόρκησαν καὶ τὴν τῶν Αἰκολανῶν πόλιν ἐχειρώσαντο.
At the same time that these things were being done, a war arose for the Romans against the Aeculani and those who inhabited Tusculum; and indeed joining battle against the Aeculani they conquered them and slew many of the enemy, and after this they besieged and took Tusculum and subdued the city of the Aeculani.