Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/129

 BEGINNING OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. 1Q7 cere, of the demands previously made, and with the knowledge that the Spartan confederacy had pronounced peremptorily in favor of war, seemed likely to produce unanimity at Athens, and to bring together this important assembly under the univer- sal conviction that war was inevitable. Such, however, was not the fact. The reluctance to go to war was sincere amidst the large majority of the assembly ; while among a considerable portion of them it was so preponderant, that they even now reverted to the opening which the Lacedaemonians had before held out about the anti-Megarian decree, as if that were the chief cause of war. There was much difference of opinion among the speak- ers, several of whom insisted upon the repeal of this decree, treating it as a matter far too insignificant to go to war about, and denouncing the obstinacy of Perikles for refusing to concede such a trifle. 1 Against this opinion Perikles entered his protest, in an harangue decisive and encouraging, which Dionysius of Halikarnassus ranks among the best speeches in Thucydides: the latter historian may probably himself have heard the original speech. " I continue, Athenians, to adhere to the same conviction, that we must not yield to the Peloponnesians, though I know that men are in one mood when they sanction the resolution to go to war, and in another when actually in the contest, their judg- ments then depending upon the turn of events. I have only to repeat now what I have said on former occasions, and I adjure you who follow my views to adhere to what we jointly resolve, though the result should be partially unfavorable : or else, not to take credit for wisdom in the event of success. 2 For it is very 1 Thucyd.i, 139; Plutarch, Perikles, c. 31. 2 Thucyd. i, 140. vde%ETai yap TU.Q tyz$opuf TWI> Trpa.-yfj.aTuv ovx f/aaov uua$C>e xuprjaai ij KOI raf diavoiac TOV uvdpuTrov dioirep ical rqv rvxyv 8aa av rrapa "Kdyov vfi.j3y, eluda/xev alTi&adat. I could have wished, in the translation, to preserve the play upon the words i/iai?wf x u PW acu > which Thucydides introduces into this sentence, and which seems to have been agreeable to his taste. 'A/zatfwf, when referred to t-v[iopaf, is used in a passive sense by no means common. "in a manner which cannot be learned, departing from all reasonable calculation." 'A//a#<jf, when referred to Aiavoiaf, bears its iisual meaning, " ignorant, deficient in learning or in reason."