Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/216

 lOO SPEECH OF PERICLES [l B.C. 432. we shall have to fight over again with as many more ; and ^7- if ^g faii^ besides the defeat, our confederacy, which is our strength, will be lost to us ; for our allies will rise in revolt when we are no longer capable of making war upon them. Mourn not for houses and lands, but for men ; men may gain these, but these will not gain men. If I thought that you would listen to me, I would say to you, " Go yourselves and destroy them, and thereby prove to the Peloponnesians that none of these things will move you." 144 ' I have many other reasons for believing that you will Let our answer be : conquer, but you must not be extending We will grant hide- your empire while you are at war, or pendence to our alius, y^^ [^^q unnecessary dangers. I am if the Lacedaemonians r • r • i 1 r will allow their subjeets ^ore afraid of our own mistakes than of to choose their own our enemies' designs. But of all this I form of government. ^i speak again when the time of action comes ; for the present, let us send the ambassadors away, giving them this answer : " That we will not exclude the Megarians from our markets and harbours, if the Lacedae- monians will cease to expel foreigners, whether ourselves or our allies, from Sparta ; for the treaty no more forbids the one than the other. That we will concede indepen- dence to the cities, if they were independent when we made the treaty, and as soon as the Lacedaemonians allow their allied states a true independence, not for the interest of Lacedaemon, but ever3'where for their own. Also that We do not want war, wc are willing to offer arbitration ac- but offer arbitration, cording to the treaty. And that we do Still peace is hopeless;, , , 1 • , • . i . and we must prepare "^^ ^ant to begin a War, but intend to for war in a spirit defend ourselves if attacked." This ivorthy of our fathers, answer will be just, and befits the dignity of the city. We must be aware however that war will come ; and the more willing we are to accept the situation, the less ready will our enemies be to lay hands upon us. Remember that where dangers are greatest, there the greatest honours are to be won by men and states. Our