Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/130

 108 HISTORY OF GREECE. possible that the contingencies of events may depart more frooi all reasonable track than the counsels of man : such are the unexpected turns which we familiarly impute to fortune. The Lacedaemonians have before now manifested their hostile aims against us, but on this last occasion more than ever. While the truce prescribes that we are to give and receive amicable satisfac- tion for our differences, and each to retain what we possess, they not only have not asked for such satisfaction, but will not receive it when tendered by us: they choose to settle complaints by war and not by discussion : they have got beyond the tone of complaint, and are here already with that of command. For they enjoin us to withdraw from Potidasa, to leave JEgina free, and to rescind the decree against the Megarians : nay, these last envoys are even come to proclaim to us, that we must leave all the Greeks free. Now let none of you believe, that we shall be going to war about a trifle, if we refuse to rescind the Megarian decree, which they chiefly put forward, as if its repeal would avert the war, let none of you take blame to yourselves as if we had gone to war about a small matter. For this small matter contains in itself the whole test and trial of your mettle : if ye yield it, ye will presently have some other greater exaction put upon you, like men who have already truckled on one point from fear : whereas if ye hold out stoutly, ye will make it clear to them that they must deal with you more upon a footing of equal- ity ."' Perikles then examined the relative strength of parties and the chances of war. The Peloponnesians were a self-working popula- tion, with few slaves, and without wealth, either private or public ; they had no means of carrying on distant or long-continued war : they were ready to expose their persons, but not at all ready to contribute from their very narrow means : 2 in a border-war, or a single land battle, they were invincible, but for systematic warfare against a power like Athens, they had neither competent head- ship, npr habits of concert and punctuality, nor money to profit 1 ThucyA i, 140. t KO.VU xpf/f^aru i ?TIV airolf erreira XP V ' LUV TO?.(J UV Ka '- tiurxovrfa v u~ et- ooi, ii'l TV ppaxeu'. avrol e;.' u/./.i>Zovf i'nb irei>lac ixupepeiv.
 * Thucyd. i, 141. avrovp-/oi re yup elffi HeZonovvrjffiot, KOI ovre idia ovrt