§15.78.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Τιμοκράτους ἐν Ῥώμῃ μὲν ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων χιλίαρχοι τρεῖς κατεστάθησαν, Τίτος Κοΐνκτιος καὶ Σερούιος Κορνήλιος καὶ Σερούιος Σουλπίκιος, Ὀλυμπιὰς δὲ ὑπὸ Πισατῶν καὶ Ἀρκάδων ἤχθη τετάρτη πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατόν, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Φωκίδης Ἀθηναῖος.
When Timocrates was archon in Athens, in Rome three military tribunes were appointed instead of consuls: Titus Quinctius, Servius Cornelius, and Servius Sulpicius; and the hundred and fourth Olympiad was celebrated by the Pisatans and the Arcadians, in which Phokides of Athens won the stadium race.
§15.78.2ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Πισᾶται μὲν ἀνανεωσάμενοι τὸ παλαιὸν ἀξίωμα τῆς πατρίδος καί τισι μυθικαῖς καὶ παλαιαῖς ἀποδείξεσι χρώμενοι, τὴν θέσιν τῆς Ὀλυμπικῆς πανηγύρεως αὑτοῖς προσήκειν ἀπεφαίνοντο.
During their term of office, the Pisatans, having renewed the ancient prestige of their homeland and employing certain mythical and ancient proofs, declared that the celebration of the Olympic festival belonged to them.
κρίνοντες δὲ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν εὔθετον ἔχειν ἀμφισβητῆσαι τοῦ ἀγῶνος, συμμαχίαν ἐποιήσαντο πρὸς Ἀρκάδας ὄντας πολεμίους Ἠλείων· συναγωνιστὰς δὲ λαβόντες τούτους ἐστράτευσαν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἠλείους ἄρτι τιθέντας τὸν ἀγῶνα.
Judging that the present time was opportune for disputing the games, they made an alliance with the Arcadians, who were enemies of the Eleans; and having secured them as fellow combatants, they campaigned against the Eleans who were just then holding the games.
§15.78.3ἀντιστάντων δὲ τῶν Ἠλείων πανδημεὶ συνέστη μάχη καρτερά, θεωμένων τὴν μάχην τῶν παρόντων ἐπὶ τὴν πανήγυριν Ἑλλήνων ἐστεφανωμένων καὶ μεθʼ ἡσυχίας ἀκινδύνως ἐπισημαινομένων τὰς ἑκατέρωθεν ἀνδραγαθίας.
When the Eleans resisted with all their forces, a fierce battle ensued, while the Greeks who had gathered for the festival, wearing crowns, looked on at the battle and in peace and safety cheered the brave deeds on either side.
τέλος Πισᾶται νικήσαντες ἔθηκαν τὸν ἀγῶνα, καὶ τὴν Ὀλυμπιάδα ταύτην ὕστερον οὐκ ἀνέγραψαν Ἠλεῖοι διὰ τὸ δοκεῖν βίᾳ καὶ ἀδίκως διατεθῆναι.
At last the Pisatans, having conquered, held the games, and the Eleans later did not register this Olympiad, because it seemed to have been conducted by force and unjustly.
§15.78.4ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Ἐπαμεινώνδας ὁ Θηβαῖος, μέγιστον ἔχων τῶν πολιτῶν ἀξίωμα, συναχθείσης ἐκκλησίας διελέχθη τοῖς πολίταις, προτρεπόμενος αὐτοὺς ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ἡγεμονίας.
At the same time that these things were being done, Epaminondas the Theban, who possessed the greatest prestige among the citizens, addressed the citizens in an assembly which had been gathered, urging them to lay claim to the hegemony of the sea.
διελθὼν δὲ λόγον ἐκ χρόνου πεφροντισμένον ἐδείκνυε τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ταύτην συμφέρουσάν τε καὶ δυνατήν, τά τε ἄλλα προφερόμενος καὶ διότι τοῖς πεζῇ κρατοῦσι ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι περιποιήσασθαι τὴν τῆς θαλάττης ἀρχήν· καὶ γὰρ Ἀθηναίους ἐν τῷ πρὸς Ξέρξην πολέμῳ διακοσίας ναῦς ἰδίᾳ πληροῦντας Λακεδαιμονίοις δέκα ναῦς παρεχομένοις ὑποτετάχθαι.
Developing an argument carefully thought out for some time, he showed that this undertaking was both advantageous and possible, adducing among other points that it is easy for those who are dominant on land to acquire the rule of the sea; for indeed, in the war against Xerxes, the Athenians, though equipping two hundred ships of their own, were subject to the Lacedaemonians who provided only ten ships.
πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ὑπόθεσιν οἰκείως διαλεχθεὶς ἔπεισε τοὺς Θηβαίους ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ἀρχῆς.
Having spoken much else appropriately for this project, he persuaded the Thebans to lay claim to the rule of the sea.