that they took a vote as to what the allies thought.

盟邦进行提议及投票表决就不一定了
Sometimes they did,

有时他们会这么做
I think sometimes they didn't,

有时也并非如此
it all depended on the situation.

这都取决于当时的形势
If you want your allies to come and fight with you

因为如果你想让盟邦与你并肩作战
it's better to have them to do so willingly

让他们自愿选择这么做
than under orders,

比强迫他们要好得多
and so that will explain,

在我看来
in my opinion,

这也可以解释
some of the reasons for calling it a Peloponnesian League meeting,

把它称作伯罗奔尼撒同盟议会的部分原因
not necessarily that they were required to do so.

未必需要下命令要求他们这么做
But I've given you a mixed and rather vague picture,

我刚才的介绍既混乱又非常模糊