§3.1Bello Peloponnesio huius consilio atque auctoritate Athenienses bellum Syracusanis indixerunt.
In the Peloponnesian War, by this man's advice and authority, the Athenians declared war on the Syracusans.
ad quod gerendum ipse dux delectus est, duo praeterea collegae dati, Nicia et Lamachus.
To conduct this war, he himself was chosen as general, and besides him, two colleagues were given, Nicias and Lamachus.
§3.2id cum appararetur, prius quam classis exiret, accidit ut una nocte omnes Hermae, qui in oppido erant Athenis, deicerentur praeter unum, qui ante ianuam erat Andocidi (itaque ille postea Mercurius Andocidi vocitatus est).
While this was being prepared, before the fleet set sail, it happened that in a single night all the Hermae that were in the town of Athens were thrown down, except for one which was before the door of Andocides (and so that one was afterwards called the Mercury of Andocides).
§3.3hoc cum appareret non sine magna multorum consensione esse factum, quae non ad privatam, sed ad publicam rem pertineret, magnus multitudini timor est iniectus, ne qua repentina vis in civitate exsisteret, quae libertatem opprimeret populi.
When it appeared that this had not been done without a great conspiracy of many people—which concerned not private but public affairs—a great fear was cast into the multitude, lest some sudden violence should arise in the state to oppress the liberty of the people.
§3.4hoc maxime convenire in Alcibiadem videbatur, quod et potentior et maior quam privatus existimabatur: multos enim liberalitate devinxerat, plures etiam opera forensi suos reddiderat.
This seemed to apply especially to Alcibiades, because he was considered more powerful and greater than a private citizen; for he had bound many to himself by his generosity, and had made even more his own by his forensic assistance.
§3.5qua re fiebat ut omnium oculos, quotienscumque in publicum prodisset, ad se converteret neque ei par quisquam in civitate poneretur.
For this reason, it happened that as often as he went out into public, he turned the eyes of all upon himself, and no one in the state was considered his equal.
itaque non solum spem in eo habebant maximam, sed etiam timorem, quod et obesse plurimum et prodesse poterat.
Therefore, they not only had the greatest hope in him, but also fear, because he was able both to do the greatest harm and the greatest good.
§3.6aspergebatur etiam infamia, quod in domo sua facere mysteria dicebatur (quod nefas erat more Atheniensium) idque non ad religionem, sed ad coniurationem pertinere existimabatur.
He was also bespattered with infamy, because he was said to perform mysteries in his own house (which was a crime according to the custom of the Athenians), and this was thought to pertain not to religion, but to a conspiracy.