§13.37.1τοιούτων δʼ ἐλαττωμάτων τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις εἰς ἕνα καιρὸν συνδραμόντων ἅπαντες καταλελύσθαι τὸν πόλεμον διειλήφεισαν· οὐκέτι γὰρ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους οὐδὲ τὸν ἐλάχιστον χρόνον οὐδεὶς ἤλπιζε τοιαῦτα ὑποστήσεσθαι.
Since such defeats had run together upon the Athenians at one time, everyone had judged that the war was ended; for no one expected the Athenians any longer to withstand such blows for even the least amount of time.
οὐ μὴν τὰ πράγματά γε τῇ τῶν πολλῶν ὑπολήψει τέλος ἔσχεν ἀκόλουθον, ἀλλʼ εἰς τοὐναντίον πάντα διὰ τὰς τῶν διαπολεμούντων ὑπεροχὰς μεταπεσεῖν συνέβη διὰ τοιαύτας αἰτίας.
However, affairs did not have an end consistent with the expectation of the majority, but on the contrary, everything happened to change to the opposite because of the superiority of those who were waging the war, due to the following reasons.
§13.37.2Ἀλκιβιάδης φυγὰς ὢν ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν συνεπολέμησε χρόνον τινὰ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις, καὶ μεγάλας ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ χρείας παρέσχετο· ἦν γὰρ καὶ λόγῳ δυνατώτατος καὶ τόλμῃ πολὺ προέχων τῶν πολιτῶν, ἔτι δʼ εὐγενείᾳ καὶ πλούτῳ πρῶτος Ἀθηναίων.
Alcibiades, being an exile from Athens, fought alongside the Lacedaemonians for a certain time, and rendered great services in the war; for he was most powerful in speech and far surpassed the citizens in daring, and furthermore was the first of the Athenians in nobility and wealth.
§13.37.3οὗτος οὖν ἐπιθυμῶν τῆς εἰς τὴν πατρίδα τυχεῖν καθόδου, πάντα ἐμηχανᾶτο πρὸς τὸ τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις πρᾶξαί τι τῶν χρησίμων, καὶ μάλιστʼ ἐν οἷς καιροῖς ἐδόκουν τοῖς ὅλοις ἐλαττοῦσθαι.
He, therefore, desiring to obtain his return to his homeland, devised every means to perform some useful service for the Athenians, and especially at those times when they seemed to be worsted in general.
§13.37.4ἔχων οὖν φιλίαν πρὸς Φαρνάβαζον τὸν Δαρείου σατράπην, καὶ θεωρῶν αὐτὸν μέλλοντα τριακοσίας ναῦς ἀποστέλλειν τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις εἰς συμμαχίαν, ἔπεισεν ἀποστῆναι τῆς πράξεως· ἐδίδασκε γὰρ ὡς οὐ συμφέρει τῷ βασιλεῖ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ποιεῖν ἄγαν ἰσχυρούς· οὐ γὰρ συνοίσειν Πέρσαις· κρεῖττον οὖν εἶναι περιορᾶν τοὺς διαπολεμοῦντας ἴσους ὄντας, ὅπως πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὡς πλεῖστον χρόνον διαφέρωνται.
Having, therefore, a friendship with Pharnabazus, the satrap of Darius, and seeing him about to dispatch three hundred ships to the assistance of the Lacedaemonians, he persuaded him to desist from the action; for he instructed him that it was not advantageous to the King to make the Lacedaemonians too strong, for it would not benefit the Persians; therefore, it was better to allow those who were waging war to remain equal, so that they might contend against each other for as long a time as possible.
§13.37.5ὅθεν ὁ Φαρνάβαζος διαλαβὼν εὖ λέγειν τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην, πάλιν τὸν στόλον ἀπέστειλεν εἰς Φοινίκην.
Therefore Pharnabazus, judging that Alcibiades spoke well, sent the fleet back to Phoenicia.
τότε μὲν οὖν τηλικαύτην τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων συμμαχίαν παρείλατο· μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον τυχὼν τῆς καθόδου, καὶ δυνάμεως ἡγησάμενος, πολλαῖς μὲν μάχαις ἐνίκησε Λακεδαιμονίους, καὶ τελέως τὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων πράγματα πεσόντα πάλιν ἤγειρεν.
At that time, then, he deprived the Lacedaemonians of such a great alliance; but after some time, having obtained his return and having led a force, he defeated the Lacedaemonians in many battles, and raised up again the affairs of the Athenians which had completely fallen.
§13.37.6ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις χρόνοις ἀκριβέστερον ἐροῦμεν, ἵνα μὴ παρὰ φύσιν προλαμβάνωμεν τῇ γραφῇ τοὺς καιρούς.
But concerning these matters we shall speak more accurately in the proper times, so that we may not, contrary to the natural order, anticipate the times in our writing.