§15.50.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀλκισθένους Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων χιλιάρχους κατέστησαν ὀκτώ, Λεύκιον Οὐαλέριον καὶ Πόπλιον, ἔτι δὲ Γάιον Τερέντιον καὶ Λεύκιον Μενήνιον, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Γάιον Σολπίκιον καὶ Τίτον Παπίριον καὶ Λεύκιον Αἰμίλιον, παρὰ δὲ Ἠλείοις Ὀλυμπιὰς ἤχθη δευτέρα πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατόν, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Δάμων Θούριος.
When Alcisthenes was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed eight military tribunes instead of consuls, namely, Lucius Valerius, Publius, and further Gaius Terentius and Lucius Menenius, and in addition to these Gaius Sulpicius, Titus Papirius, and Lucius Aemilius; and among the Eleans the hundred and second Olympiad was celebrated, in which Damon of Thurii won the stadion race.
§15.50.2ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων, Λακεδαιμονίων ἔτη σχεδὸν πεντακόσια τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐχόντων τὴν ἡγεμονίαν, τὸ θεῖον προεσήμαινεν αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀρχῆς τὴν ἀποβολήν·
During their term of office, although the Lacedaemonians had held the hegemony of Greece for nearly five hundred years, the divine power foretold to them the loss of their supremacy.
ὤφθη μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπὶ πολλὰς νύκτας λαμπὰς μεγάλη καομένη, ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος ὀνομασθεῖσα πυρίνη δοκίς· μικρὸν δʼ ὕστερον ἡττηθέντες οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται παραδόξως μεγάλῃ μάχῃ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἀπέβαλον ἀνελπίστως.
For there was seen in the heavens for many nights a great burning torch, which from its shape was called a "fiery beam"; and shortly afterwards, the Spartans, having been defeated contrary to expectation in a great battle, unexpectedly lost their hegemony.
§15.50.3ἔνιοι δὲ τῶν φυσικῶν τὴν γένεσιν τῆς λαμπάδος εἰς φυσικὰς αἰτίας ἀνέφερον, ἀποφαινόμενοι τὰ τοιαῦτα φαντάσματα κατηναγκασμένως γίνεσθαι χρόνοις ὡρισμένοις, καὶ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων τούς τε ἐν Βαβυλῶνι Χαλδαίους καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀστρολόγους ποιουμένους προρρήσεις ἐναργεῖς ἐπιτυγχάνειν·
But some of the natural philosophers referred the origin of the torch to natural causes, declaring that such phenomena occur of necessity at appointed times, and that concerning such matters the Chaldeans in Babylon and the other astrologers, making clear predictions, succeed.
τοὺς δὲ μὴ θαυμάζειν ὅταν γένηταί τι τοιοῦτον, ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μὴ γένηται, κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἑκάστων περιόδους αἰωνίοις κινήσεσι καὶ φοραῖς ὡρισμέναις συντελουμένων.
And they said that they do not wonder when such a thing occurs, but rather if it should not occur, since these things are accomplished according to the particular periods of each by eternal movements and appointed courses.
τὴν δʼ οὖν λαμπάδα τοσαύτην ἐσχηκέναι λαμπρότητα καὶ δύναμιν τοῦ φωτός, ὥστʼ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς σκιὰς ποιεῖν παραπλησίας τῇ σελήνῃ.
At all events, the torch had such brilliance and power of light that it cast shadows on the earth similar to those made by the moon.
§15.50.4κατὰ δὲ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους Ἀρταξέρξης ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁρῶν πάλιν ταραττομένην τὴν Ἑλλάδα πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλε, παρακαλῶν συλλύσασθαι τοὺς ἐμφυλίους πολέμους καὶ συνθέσθαι κοινὴν εἰρήνην κατὰ τὰς ὁμολογίας, ἃς πρότερον ἦσαν πεποιημένοι.
At this time, King Artaxerxes, seeing Greece in turmoil again, sent ambassadors, urging them to settle their civil wars and conclude a common peace in accordance with the agreements they had previously made.
τῶν Ἑλλήνων δὲ πάντων ἀσμένως προσδεξαμένων τοὺς λόγους, συνέθεντο κοινὴν εἰρήνην αἱ πόλεις πᾶσαι πλὴν Θηβαίων· Θηβαῖοι γὰρ μόνοι, τὴν Βοιωτίαν ὑπὸ μίαν ἄγοντες συντέλειαν, οὐ προσεδέχθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων διὰ τὸ πᾶσιν ἀρέσκειν κατὰ πόλιν γίνεσθαι τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τὰς σπονδάς.
When all the Greeks gladly accepted these proposals, all the cities concluded a common peace except the Thebans; for the Thebans alone, who were bringing Boeotia under a single confederacy, were not accepted by the Greeks because it was the pleasure of all that the oaths and treaties should be made city by city.
διόπερ ἔκσπονδοι γενηθέντες ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, συνεῖχον τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἐν τῇ καθʼ αὑτοὺς μιᾷ συντελείᾳ.
Therefore, having been excluded from the treaty as they had been before, they held Boeotia together under their own single confederacy.
§15.50.5ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι παροξυνθέντες ἔγνωσαν μεγάλῃ δυνάμει στρατεύειν ἐπʼ αὐτούς, ὡς κοινοὺς πολεμίους· σφόδρα γὰρ ὑφεωρῶντο τὴν αὔξησιν αὐτῶν, μήποτε τῆς ὅλης Βοιωτίας ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς Σπάρτης καταλύσωσιν, ἐπιλαβόμενοι καιροῦ.
At this, the Lacedaemonians, provoked, decided to march against them with a large force as common enemies; for they were extremely suspicious of their growth, fearing lest, if they should lead the whole of Boeotia, they might seize the opportunity and destroy the hegemony of Sparta.
ἔν τε γὰρ τοῖς γυμνασίοις συνεχῶς διατρίβοντες εὔρωστοι τοῖς σώμασιν ὑπῆρχον, καὶ φύσει φιλοπόλεμοι καθεστῶτες οὐδενὸς ἔθνους Ἑλληνικοῦ ταῖς ἀνδρείαις ἐλείποντο.
For since they spent their time constantly in the gymnasia, they possessed strong bodies, and being naturally warlike, they were second to none of the Greek nations in bravery.
§15.50.6εἶχον δὲ καὶ ἡγεμόνας ἐπιφανεῖς ταῖς ἀρεταῖς πολλοὺς μὲν καὶ ἄλλους, μεγίστους δὲ τρεῖς, Ἐπαμεινώνδαν καὶ Γοργίαν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ Πελοπίδαν· ἥ τε πόλις τῶν Θηβαίων διὰ τῆς τῶν προγόνων ἐπιφανείας ἐν τοῖς ἡρωικοῖς χρόνοις φρονήματος ἦν πλήρης καὶ μεγάλων ὠρέγετο πραγμάτων.
They had also many other leaders distinguished for their virtue, but three who were the greatest: Epaminondas, Gorgias, and Pelopidas; and the city of the Thebans, because of the fame of their ancestors in heroic times, was full of pride and aspired to great deeds.
κατὰ μὲν οὖν τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι παρεσκευάζοντο πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον καὶ δυνάμεις κατέλεγον τὰς μὲν πολιτικάς, τὰς δὲ παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων.
During this year, therefore, the Lacedaemonians made preparations for the war and recruited forces, some from their own citizens and others from their allies.