§34.27.1cum terra marique tantum belli circumstaret tyrannum, et prope nulla spes esset vere suas hostiumque aestimanti vires, §34.27.2non tamen omisit bellum, sed a Creta mille delectos iuventutis eorum excivit, cum mille iam haberet, et tria milia mercennariorum militum, decem milia popularium cum castellanis agrestibus in armis habuit et fossa valloque urbem communivit; §34.27.3et, ne quid intestini motus oreretur, metu et acerbitate poenarum tenebat animos, quoniam, ut salvum vellent tyrannum, sperare non poterat.
Although so great a war by land and sea encompassed the tyrant, and there was almost no hope to one who estimated his own forces and those of the enemy correctly, nevertheless he did not abandon the war, but summoned from Crete a thousand chosen men of their youth, though he already had a thousand, and kept under arms three thousand mercenary soldiers, ten thousand of the common citizens along with the rural fort-dwellers, and fortified the city with a trench and a rampart; and, so that no domestic rebellion might arise, he held their minds in check through fear and the severity of punishments, since he could not hope that they would wish the tyrant safe.
§34.27.4cum suspectos quosdam civium haberet, eductis in campum omnibus copiis — §34.27.5Dromon ipsi vocant — positis armis ad contionem vocari iubet Lacedaemonios atque eorum contioni satellites armatos circumdedit; §34.27.6et pauca praefatus, cur sibi omnia timenti caventique ignoscendum in tali tempore foret, et ipsorum referre, si quos suspectos status praesens rerum faceret, prohiberi potius, ne quid moliri possint, quam puniri molientis; §34.27.7itaque quosdam se in custodia habiturum, donec ea, quae instet, tempestas praetereat; hostibus repulsis, a quibus, si modo proditio intestina satis caveatur, §34.27.8minus periculi esse, extemplo eos emissurum —: sub haec citari nomina octoginta ferme principum iuventutis iussit atque eos, ut quisque ad nomen responderat, in custodiam tradidit; nocte insequenti omnes interfecti.
Since he held certain of the citizens suspected, having led all his forces out into the plain— which they themselves call the Dromos—he ordered the Lacedaemonians to be summoned to an assembly after they had laid down their arms, and surrounded their assembly with armed guards; and having prefaced a few words as to why he, fearing and guarding against everything, should be forgiven at such a time, and that it concerned themselves also, if the present state of affairs made any suspected, that they should rather be prevented so that they could not attempt anything, than be punished when attempting it; therefore, he would keep certain men in custody until this storm, which was pressing upon them, should pass; and when the enemy were driven back, from whom, if only domestic treachery were sufficiently guarded against, there was less danger, he would immediately release them. Upon this, he ordered the names of about eighty of the chiefs of the youth to be called out, and as each responded to his name, he delivered them into custody; on the following night they were all put to death.
§34.27.9Ilotarum deinde quidam — hi sunt iam inde antiquitus castellani, agreste genus —, transfugere voluisse insimulati per omnis vicos sub verberibus acti necantur.
Then some of the Helots—who have been fort-dwellers from ancient times, a rural race—accused of having wished to desert, were flogged through all the streets and killed.
hoc terrore obstipuerant multitudinis animi ab omni conatu novorum consiliorum.
By this terror, the minds of the multitude were paralyzed from any attempt at new designs.
§34.27.10intra munitiones copias continebat, nec parem se ratus, si dimicare acie vellet, et urbem relinquere tam suspensis et incertis omnium animis metuens.
He kept his forces within the fortifications, both because he did not think himself a match if he should wish to fight in a regular battle, and because he feared to leave the city when the minds of all were so anxious and uncertain.