Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/112

 90 mSTORY OF GREECE. strength puts it fully in our power to do so. Send envoys to the Athenians on the subject of Potidaea, and of the other grievances alleged by our allies, and that too, the rather as they are ready to give us satisfaction : against one who offers satisfaction, custom forbids you to proceed, without some previous application, as if he were a proclaimed wrong-doer. But, at the same time, make preparation for war ; such will be the course of policy at once the best for your own power and the most terror-striking to your enemies." 1 The speech of Archidamus was not only in itself full of plain reason and good sense, but delivered altogether from the point of view of a Spartan ; appealing greatly to Spartan conservative feeling and even prejudice. But in spite of all this, and in spite of the personal esteem entertained for the speaker, the tide of feeling in the opposite direction was at that moment irresistible. Sthenelaidas one of the five ephors, to whom it fell to put the question for voting closed the debate ; and his few words mark at once the character of the man, the temper of the assembly, and the simplicity of speech, though without the wisdom of judg- ment, for which Archidamus had taken credit to his country- men. <c I don't understand (he said) these long speeches of 'the Athe- nians. They have praised themselves abundantly, but they have never rebutted what is laid to their charge, that they are guilty of wrong against our allies and against Peloponnesus. Now, if in former days they were good men against the Persians, and are now evil-doers against us, they deserve double punishment, as having become evil-doers instead of good. 2 But we are the same now as we were then : we know better than to sit still while our allies are suffering wrong : we shall not adjourn our aid while they cannot adjourn their sufferings. 3 Others have in 1 Thucyd. i, 84, 85. 2 Compare a similar sentiment in the speech of the Thebans against the Platseans (Thucyd. iii, 67). 3 Thucyd. i, 86. rj/^Eif <5e 6fj.oioi ical TOTE nal vvv kau.lv, Kal rove fty/^ii- 0t>f, ?)v auQpovufiEv, oil irepiOTJiofie'&a udiKovfievovf, ovds UEA/JGC y.-> Ttikj- pelv oi 6e OVKETI usUovai KCIKU Trua^Etv. There is here a play upon the word pe/deiv, which it Is not easy to pre- izrve in a translation.