§14.13.1Λύσανδρος δὲ ὁ Σπαρτιάτης ἐπειδὴ πάσας τὰς ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίους πόλεις διῴκησε κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἐφόρων γνώμην, ἐν αἷς μὲν δεκαδαρχίας, ἐν αἷς δʼ ὀλιγαρχίας καταστήσας, περίβλεπτος ἦν ἐν τῇ Σπάρτῃ.
When Lysander the Spartan had settled all the cities under the Lacedaemonians according to the opinion of the ephors, establishing decarchies in some and oligarchies in others, he was highly regarded in Sparta.
καταλύσας γὰρ τὸν Πελοποννησιακὸν πόλεμον τῇ πατρίδι περιτεθεικὼς ἦν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ὁμολογουμένην καὶ τὴν κατὰ γῆν καὶ τὴν κατὰ θάλατταν.
For having brought the Peloponnesian War to an end, he had secured for his fatherland an acknowledged hegemony both on land and on sea.
§14.13.2διόπερ ἐπὶ τούτοις πεφρονηματισμένος διενοεῖτο καταλῦσαι τὴν τῶν Ἡρακλειδῶν βασιλείαν καὶ κοινὴν ἐκ πάντων Σπαρτιατῶν ποιῆσαι τὴν αἵρεσιν τῶν βασιλέων· ἤλπιζε γὰρ εἰς ἑαυτὸν τάχιστα τὴν ἀρχὴν ἥξειν διὰ τὸ μεγίστας καὶ καλλίστας πράξεις κατειργάσθαι.
Therefore, being puffed up by these achievements, he intended to abolish the kingship of the Heracleidae and to make the election of the kings open to all Spartans; for he hoped that the office would very quickly come to him because he had accomplished the greatest and most glorious deeds.
§14.13.3θεωρῶν δὲ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους μάλιστα τοῖς μαντείοις προσέχοντας, ἐπεχείρησε τὴν ἐν Δελφοῖς προφῆτιν διαφθεῖραι χρήμασιν· ἐνόμιζε γάρ, εἰ χρησμὸν λάβοι σύμμαχον ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπιβολαῖς, ῥᾳδίως ἄξειν ἐπὶ τέλος τὴν προαίρεσιν.
But seeing that the Lacedaemonians paid the greatest attention to oracles, he attempted to bribe the prophetess at Delphi with money; for he thought that if he could get an oracle as an ally for his own schemes, he would easily bring his purpose to an end.
§14.13.4ἐπεὶ δὲ παμπληθῆ χρήματα τοῖς περὶ τὸ μαντεῖον διατρίβουσιν ὑπισχνούμενος οὐκ ἔπειθε, ταῖς ἐν Δωδώνῃ περὶ τὸ μαντεῖον οὔσαις ἱερείαις προσήνεγκε λόγους περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διά τινος Φερεκράτους, Ἀπολλωνιάτου μὲν τὸ γένος, ἔχοντος δὲ συνήθειαν πρὸς τοὺς περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν διατρίβοντας.
But when, despite promising vast sums of money to those who frequented the oracle, he could not persuade them, he made proposals about the same matters to the priestesses at the oracle in Dodona through a certain Pherecrates, an Apollonian by birth, who was on friendly terms with those who frequented the temple.
§14.13.5οὐδὲν δὲ πρᾶξαι δυνάμενος ἐξεδήμησεν εἰς Κυρήνην, πρόφασιν μὲν ὡς εὐχὰς ἀποδιδοὺς Ἄμμωνι, τῇ δʼ ἀληθείᾳ διαφθεῖραι βουλόμενος τὸ μαντεῖον· ἐκόμισε δὲ καὶ χρημάτων πλῆθος, διʼ ὧν ἤλπιζε τοὺς περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν διατρίβοντας πεῖσαι.
And when he was unable to accomplish anything there either, he journeyed abroad to Cyrene, on the pretext of paying vows to Ammon, but in truth wishing to bribe the oracle; and he also brought a great amount of money, by means of which he hoped to persuade those who frequented the temple.
§14.13.6καὶ γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν περὶ ἐκείνους τοὺς τόπους Λίβυς ξένος ἦν αὐτῷ πατρικός, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Λυσάνδρου συνέβαινεν ὀνομάζεσθαι Λίβυν ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον φιλίας.
For indeed the king of the people in those regions, Libys, was a guest-friend of his father's, and it happened that the brother of Lysander was named Libys because of the friendship with him.
§14.13.7διὰ δὴ τούτου καὶ τῶν κομιζομένων χρημάτων ἐλπίσας πείσειν, οὐ μόνον ἀπέτυχε τῆς ἐπιβολῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεξέπεμψαν οἱ τοῦ μαντείου προεστῶτες πρέσβεις τοὺς κατηγορήσοντας τοῦ Λυσάνδρου περὶ τῆς τοῦ χρηστηρίου διαφθορᾶς.
Hoping therefore to persuade them through this man and the money he brought, he not only failed in his attempt, but the directors of the oracle also sent along ambassadors to accuse Lysander of the attempted bribery of the oracle.
ὁ δὲ Λύσανδρος παραγενηθεὶς εἰς Λακεδαίμονα, κρίσεως αὐτῷ προτεθείσης ἀπελογήσατο πιθανῶς ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ.
But Lysander, having arrived in Lacedaemon, when a trial was set for him, made a persuasive defense on his own behalf.
§14.13.8τότε μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν ᾔδεισαν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι περὶ τῆς τοῦ Λυσάνδρου προαιρέσεως εἰς τὸ καταλῦσαι τοὺς ἀφʼ Ἡρακλέους βασιλεῖς· μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον τελευτήσαντος αὐτοῦ, καί τινων χρηματισμῶν ζητουμένων κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, εὗρον λόγον γεγραμμένον πολυτελῶς, ὃν ἐπραγματεύσατο πρὸς τὰ πλήθη, πείσων ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν πολιτῶν αἱρετοὺς γίνεσθαι βασιλεῖς.
At that time, therefore, the Lacedaemonians knew nothing of Lysander’s purpose to abolish the kings who were descendants of Heracles; but some time later, after his death, when certain documents were being searched for in his house, they found a speech written with great care, which he had composed to address the masses, in order to persuade them that the kings should be elected from all the citizens.