Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/132

 110 HISTOBY OF GREECE. willing not t. aim at increased dominion when we are in the midst of war, and not to take upon yourselves new self-imposed risks ; for I have ever been more afraid of our own blunders than of the plans of our enemy. 1 But these are matters for future discussion, when we come to actual operations: for the present let us dismiss these envoys with the answer : That we will permit the Megarians to use our markets and harbors, if the Lacedaemonians on their side will discontinue their (xenelasy or) summary expulsions of ourselves and our allies from their own territory, for there is nothing in the truce to prevent either one or the other : that we will leave the Grecian cities autonomous, if we had them as autonomous at the time when the truce was made, and as soon as the Lacedaemonians shall grant to their allied cities autonomy such as each of them shall freely choose, not such as is convenient to Sparta : that Avhile we are ready to give satisfaction according to the truce, we will not begin war, but will repel those who do begin it. Such is the reply at once just and suitable to the dignity of this city. "We ought to make up our minds that war is inevitable : the more cheerfully we accept it, the less vehement shall we find our enemies in their attack : and where the danger is greatest, there also is the final honor greatest, both for a state and for a private citizen. Assuredly our fathers, when they bore up against the Persians, having no such means as we possess to start from, and even compelled to abandon all that they did possess, both repelled the invader and brought matters forward to our actual pitch, more by advised operation than by good fortune, and by a daring courage greater than their real power. We ought not to fall short of them : we must keep oft' our enemies in every way, and leave an unimpaired power to our successors." 12 These animating encouragements of Perikles carried with them the majority of the assembly, so that answer was made to the envoys, such as he recommended, on each of the particular points in debate. It was announced to them, moreover, on the general - Thucyd. i, 144. m>A/.<} 6e /tat uAAa e^w f ifaitia TOV Trepieaeer&ai, fjv &&?]Te apxyv TE JJ.TI kxiKTiiadai ufia irofafjiovvTef, KOI Kivdvvovf av&aipeTovi; 7rpo<m#e<n?ar pahnov ydp netyoprmai rf oUeiac f/uuv ufiaprcaf q rdf uv havnuv diavoiac. * Thucyd. i, 143, 144.