§11.43.1ὁ δὲ Θεμιστοκλῆς λαβὼν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πράττειν, καὶ πᾶσαν ὑπουργίαν ἔχων ἑτοίμην τοῖς ἐγχειρουμένοις, πάλιν ἐπενόησε καταστρατηγῆσαι τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους· ᾔδει γὰρ ἀκριβῶς ὅτι καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς πόλεως τειχισμοῦ διεκώλυσαν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς τοῦ λιμένος ἐγχειρήσουσι διακόπτειν τῶν Ἀθηναίων τὰς ἐπιβολάς.
Themistocles, having received the authority to act, and having every assistance ready for the undertakings, planned again to outgeneral the Lacedaemonians; for he knew accurately that, just as the Lacedaemonians had tried to prevent them at the time of the walling of the city, in the same manner, in the construction of the harbor, they would endeavor to interrupt the designs of the Athenians.
§11.43.2ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτῷ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πρέσβεις ἀποστεῖλαι τοὺς διδάξοντας συμφέρειν τοῖς κοινοῖς τῆς Ἑλλάδος πράγμασιν ἔχειν ἀξιόχρεων λιμένα πρὸς τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν Περσῶν ἐσομένην στρατείαν.
Therefore, he decided to send envoys to the Lacedaemonians to instruct them that to have a reliable harbor was advantageous to the common interests of Greece in view of the expedition that would come from the Persians.
διὰ δὲ τούτου τοῦ τρόπου τοὺς Σπαρτιάτας ἀμβλυτέρους ποιήσας πρὸς τὸ κωλύειν, αὐτὸς εἴχετο τῶν ἔργων, καὶ τῶν πάντων συμφιλοτιμουμένων ταχέως συνέβη γενέσθαι καὶ παραδόξως κατασκευασθῆναι τὸν λιμένα.
Having by this method made the Spartans less keen to prevent them, he himself applied himself to the works, and since everyone competed in eager cooperation, it happened that the harbor was completed quickly and beyond expectation.
§11.43.3ἔπεισε δὲ τὸν δῆμον καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν πρὸς ταῖς ὑπαρχούσαις ναυσὶν εἴκοσι τριήρεις προσκατασκευάζειν, καὶ τοὺς μετοίκους καὶ τοὺς τεχνίτας ἀτελεῖς ποιῆσαι, ὅπως ὄχλος πολὺς πανταχόθεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν κατέλθῃ καὶ πλείους τέχνας κατασκευάσωσιν εὐχερῶς· ἀμφότερα γὰρ ταῦτα χρησιμώτατα πρὸς τὰς τῶν ναυτικῶν δυνάμεων κατασκευὰς ὑπάρχειν ἔκρινεν.
And he persuaded the people to build annually twenty triremes in addition to the existing ships, and to make the resident aliens and the artisans exempt from taxes, so that a large multitude from all quarters might come to live in the city and they might easily establish more crafts; for he judged both of these measures to be most useful for the construction of naval forces.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Ἀθηναῖοι περὶ ταῦτα ἠσχολοῦντο.
Thus, then, the Athenians were occupied with these matters.