History of The Peloponnesian War - Book I   

that they were born into the world to take no rest themselves and to
give none to others.
"Such is Athens, your antagonist. And yet, Lacedaemonians, you still
delay, and fail to see that peace stays longest with those, who are
not more careful to use their power justly than to show their
determination not to submit to injustice. On the contrary, your
ideal of fair dealing is based on the principle that, if you do not
injure others, you need not risk your own fortunes in preventing
others from injuring you. Now you could scarcely have succeeded in
such a policy even with a neighbour like yourselves; but in the
present instance, as we have just shown, your habits are old-fashioned
as compared with theirs. It is the law as in art, so in politics, that
improvements ever prevail; and though fixed usages may be best for
undisturbed communities, constant necessities of action must be
accompanied by the constant improvement of methods. Thus it happens
that the vast experience of Athens has carried her further than you on
the path of innovation.
"Here, at least, let your procrastination end. For the present,
assist your allies and Potidaea in particular, as you promised, by a
speedy invasion of Attica, and do not sacrifice friends and kindred to
their bitterest enemies, and drive the rest of us in despair to some
other alliance. Such a step would not be condemned either by the
Gods who received our oaths, or by the men who witnessed them. The
breach of a treaty cannot be laid to the people whom desertion compels
to seek new relations, but to the power that fails to assist its
confederate. But if you will only act, we will stand by you; it
would be unnatural for us to change, and never should we meet with
such a congenial ally. For these reasons choose the right course,
and endeavour not to let Peloponnese under your supremacy degenerate
from the prestige that it enjoyed under that of your ancestors."
Such were the words of the Corinthians. There happened to be
Athenian envoys present at Lacedaemon on other business. On hearing
the speeches they thought themselves called upon to come before the
Lacedaemonians. Their intention was not to offer a defence on any of
the charges which the cities brought against them, but to show on a
comprehensive view that it was not a matter to be hastily decided
on, but one that demanded further consideration. There was also a wish
to call attention to the great power of Athens, and to refresh the
memory of the old and enlighten the ignorance of the young, from a
notion that their words might have the effect of inducing them to
prefer tranquillity to war. So they came to the Lacedaemonians and
said that they too, if there was no objection, wished to speak to
their assembly. They replied by inviting them to come forward. The
Athenians advanced, and spoke as follows:
"The object of our mission here was not to argue with your allies,
but to attend to the matters on which our state dispatched us.
However, the vehemence of the outcry that we hear against us has
prevailed on us to come forward. It is not to combat the accusations
of the cities (indeed you are not the judges before whom either we
or they can plead), but to prevent your taking the wrong course on
matters of great importance by yielding too readily to the persuasions
of your allies. We also wish to show on a review of the whole
indictment that we have a fair title to our possessions, and that
our country has claims to consideration. We need not refer to remote
antiquity: there we could appeal to the voice of tradition, but not to
the experience of our audience. But to the Median War and contemporary
history we must refer, although we are rather tired of continually
bringing this subject forward. In our action during that war we ran
great risk to obtain certain advantages: you had your share in the
solid results, do not try to rob us of all share in the good that
the glory may do us. However, the story shall be told not so much to
deprecate hostility as to testify against it, and to show, if you
are so ill advised as to enter into a struggle with Athens, what
sort of an antagonist she is likely to prove. We assert that at