§15.51.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Φρασικλείδου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων χιλιάρχους ὀκτώ, Πόπλιον Μάνιον καὶ Γάιον, Ἐρενούκιον καὶ Γάιον Σέστον καὶ Τιβέριον Ἰούλιον, ἔτι δὲ Λεύκιον Λαβίνιον καὶ Πόπλιον Τριβώνιον καὶ Γάιον Μάλλιον, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Λεύκιον Ἀνθέστιον.
When Phrasicleides was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed eight military tribunes instead of consuls, namely, Publius Manius, Gaius Erenucius, Gaius Sextus, Tiberius Julius, and further Lucius Lavinius, Publius Trebonius, Gaius Mallius, and in addition to these Lucius Anthestius.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων οἱ μὲν Θηβαῖοι ἔκσπονδοι γεγονότες ἠναγκάσθησαν ἀναδέξασθαι μόνοι τὸν πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους πόλεμον· οὐδεμιᾷ γὰρ ἐξῆν πόλει συμμαχῆσαι διὰ τὸ πάσας συντεθεῖσθαι τὴν κοινὴν εἰρήνην. §15.51.2οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, μονωθέντων τῶν Θηβαίων, ἔκριναν πολεμεῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰς Θήβας ἐξανδραποδίσασθαι.
During their term of office, the Thebans, having been excluded from the treaty, were forced to undertake the war against the Lacedaemonians alone; for no city was permitted to form an alliance with them because all of them had concluded the common peace. The Lacedaemonians, seeing that the Thebans were left isolated, decided to make war on them and to enslave Thebes completely.
φανερᾶς δὲ οὔσης τῆς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων παρασκευῆς, καὶ τῶν Θηβαίων ἐρήμων ὄντων συμμάχων, ἅπαντες ὑπελάμβανον αὐτοὺς ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν καταπολεμηθήσεσθαι. §15.51.3διόπερ οἱ μὲν εὐνοϊκῶς ἔχοντες τῶν Ἑλλήνων πρὸς τοὺς Θηβαίους συνήλγουν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ ταῖς προσδοκωμέναις συμφοραῖς, οἱ δʼ ἀλλοτρίως ἔχοντες περιχαρεῖς ἦσαν, ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα τῶν Θηβαίων ἐξανδραποδισθησομένων.
Since the preparations of the Lacedaemonians were obvious and the Thebans were devoid of allies, everyone assumed that they would be easily defeated by the Spartans. Therefore, those of the Greeks who were well-disposed toward the Thebans sympathized with them in their expected misfortunes, while those who were hostile were overjoyed, expecting that the Thebans would be enslaved in no time.
τέλος δʼ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι πολλὴν δύναμιν παρασκευασάμενοι παρέδωκαν αὐτὴν Κλεομβρότῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ πρῶτον μὲν προαπέστειλαν πρέσβεις εἰς Θήβας, προστάττοντες ἁπάσας τὰς ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ πόλεις ἐᾶν αὐτονόμους, Πλαταιὰς δὲ καὶ Θεσπιὰς οἰκίζειν καὶ τὴν χώραν τοῖς πρότερον γεγονόσι κυρίοις ἀποκαταστῆσαι. §15.51.4ἀποκριναμένων δὲ τῶν Θηβαίων, ὡς οὔτʼ αὐτοὶ πολυπραγμονοῦσιν οὐδὲν τῶν κατὰ τὴν Λακωνικὴν οὔτʼ ἐκείνοις ἅπτεσθαι προσήκει τῶν τῆς Βοιωτίας· γενομένων δὲ τοιούτων τῶν ἀποκρίσεων οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὸν Κλεόμβροτον εὐθὺς ἐξέπεμψαν μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπὶ τὰς Θήβας·
At last, the Lacedaemonians, having prepared a large force, put it under the command of King Cleombrotus, and first sent ambassadors ahead to Thebes, ordering them to leave all the cities in Boeotia autonomous, to rebuild Plataea and Thespiae, and to restore the land to its former owners. Since the Thebans replied that as they themselves did not meddle in any way with the affairs of Laconia, so it was not fitting for them to touch those of Boeotia, as soon as these answers were made, the Lacedaemonians immediately sent Cleombrotus with his force against Thebes.
οἱ δὲ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων σύμμαχοι προθύμως εἶχον εἰς τὸν πόλεμον, ἐλπίζοντες μήτʼ ἀγῶνα μήτε μάχην ἔσεσθαι, ἀλλʼ ἀκονιτὶ τῶν Βοιωτῶν κρατήσειν.
The allies of the Lacedaemonians were eager for the war, hoping that there would be neither struggle nor battle, but that they would conquer the Boeotians without a blow.