Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/217

 144-146] NEAR APPROACH OF THE WAR loi fathers, when they withstood the Persian, had no such B.C. 432. power as we have ; what httle they had they forsook : ^'- ^'■ not by good fortune but by wisdom, and not by power but by courage, they drove the Barbarian away and raised us to our present height of greatness. We must be worthy of them, and resist our enemies to the utmost, that we may hand down our empire unimpaired to posterity.' Such were the words of Pericles. The Athenians, 145 approving, voted as he told them, and The Athenians adopt on his motion answered the Lacedae- Pericles" advice. monians in detail as he had suggested, and on the whole question to the effect ' that they would do nothing upon compulsion, but were ready to settle their differences by arbitration upon fair terms according to the treaty.' So the ambassadors went home and came no more. These were the causes of offence alleged on either side 146 before^ the war began. The quarrel j^r^,.^ i,,^^^,, „^/ arose immediately out of the affair of formally proclaimed, is Epidamnus and Corcyra. But, al- ""«""^«'- though the contest was imminent, the contending parties still kept up intercourse and visited each other, without a herald, but not with entire confidence. For the situation was really an abrogation of the treaty, and might at any time lead to war.