Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/167

149 SPEECH OF NIKIAS. 145 came fearfully impressed with the perilous resolution which it had adopted, and at the same time conscious that he had not done justice to his own case against it. He therefore resolved to avail himself of the next assembly, four days afterwards, for the pur- pose of reopening the debate, and again denouncing the intended expedition. Properly speaking, the Athenians might have de- clined to hear him on this subject ; indeed, the question which he raised could not be put without illegality : the principle of the measure had been already determined, and it remained only to arrange the details, for which special purpose the coming assem- bly had been appointed. But he was heard, and with perfect patience ; and his harangue, a valuable sample, both of the man and of the time, is set forth at length by Thucydides. I give here the chief points of it, not confining myself to the exact expressions. " Though we are met to-day, Athenians, to settle the particu- lars of the expedition already pronounced against Sicily, yet I think we ought to take farther counsel whether it be well to send that expedition at all ; nor ought we thus hastily to plunge, at the instance of aliens, into a dangerous war noway belonging to us. To myself personally, indeed, your resolution has offered an honorable appointment, and for my own bodily danger I care as little as any man : yet no considerations of personal dignity have ever before prevented me, nor shall now prevent me, from giving you my honest opinion, however it may clash Avith your habitual judgments. I tell you, then, that in your desire to go to Sicily, you leave many enemies here behind you, and that you will bring upon yourselves new enemies from thence to help them. Per- haps you fancy that your truce with Sparta is an adequate protection. In name, indeed (though only in name, thanks to the intrigues of parties both here and there), that truce may stand, so long as your power remains unimpaired ; but on your first serious reverses, the enemy will eagerly take the opportu- nity of assailing you. Some of your most powerful enemies have never even accepted the truce ; and if you divide your force as you now propose, they will probably set upon you at once along with the Sicilians, whom they would have been too happy to procure as cooperating allies at the beginning of the war. Recol- lect that your Chalkidian subjects in Thrace are still in revolt.