Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/175

 85-87] THE SHORT SPEECH OF STHENELAIDAS 59 'I do not know what the long speeches of the Athenians 86 mean. They have been loud in their We must stand by own praise, but they do not pretend to our allies. say that the}' are dealing honestly with our allies and with the Peloponnesus. If they behaved well in the Persian War and are now behaving badly to us they ought to be punished twice over, because they were once good men and have become bad. But we are the same now as we were then, and we shall not do our duty if we allow our allies to be ill-used, and put oflf helping them, for they cannot put off their troubles. Others may have money and ships and horses, but we have brave allies and we must not betray them to the Athenians. If they were suffering in word only, by words and legal processes their wrongs might be redressed ; but now there is not a moment to be lost, and we must help them with all our might. Let no one tell us that we should take time to think when we are suffering injustice. Nay, we reply, those who mean to do injustice should take a long time to think. Wherefore, Lacedaemonians, prepare for war as the honour of Sparta demands. Withstand the advancing power of Athens. Do not let us betray our allies, but, with the Gods on our side, let us attack the evil-doer.' When Sthenelaidas had thus spoken he, being Ephor, 87 himself put the question to the Lace- The Lacedaemonians,] daemonian assembly. Their custom is influenced chiefly by they to signify their decision by cries and not Z'"^' "f -''^ Athenians, . -r^, r 11- tc resolve to go to war. by votmg. But he professed himseli unable to tell on which side was the louder cry, and wish- ing to call forth a demonstration which might encourage the warlike spirit, he said, ' Whoever of you, Lacedaemonians, thinks that the treaty has been broken and that the Athen- ians are in the wrong, let him rise and go yonder ' (pointing to a particular spot), 'and those who think otherwise to the other side.' So the assembly rose and divided, and it was determined by a large majority that the treaty had been broken. The Lacedaemonians then recalled the allies and