Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/259

 58-6o] SPEECH OF PERICLES 1 43 that they were exasperated by their misery and were behaving just as he had ahvays anticipated that they would. And so, being still general, he called an assembly, wanting to encourage them and to convert their angry feelings into a gentler and more hopeful mood. At this assembly he came forward and spoke as follows : — ' I was expecting this outburst of indignation ; the 60 causes of it are not unknown to me. You,- augn- is ...con. And I have summoned an assembly siihmir ami unmanly; that I may remind you of your resolu- y°''M.<>^ that the for - .J r • tunes of the individual tions and reprove you for your incon- ,^,y„„,/ „„ a,ose of the siderate anger against me, and want ^tate. if yon bchcvcd of fortitude in misfortune. In mv '^" ^ "s w/sr, %«/, , . 1 I 1 > r • " aijintcirsfrd, zt'/int you judgment it would be better for in- consented to the zvar, dividuals themselves that the citizens ivhy should you attack should suffer and the state flourish '"f""'^-" than that the citizens should flourish and the state suffer. A private man, however successful in his own dealings, if his country perish is involved in her destruction ; but if he be an unprosperous citizen of a prosperous city he is much more likely to recover. Seeing then that states can bear the misfortunes of individuals, but individuals cannot bear the misfortunes of the state, let us all stand by our country and not do what you are doing now, who because you are stunned by 3'our private calamities are letting go the hope of saving the state, and condemning not only me who advised, but yourselves who consented to, the war. Yet I with whom you are so angry venture to say of myself, that I am as capable as anyone of devising and explaining a sound policy ; and that I am a lover of my country, and incorruptible. Now a man may have a policy which he cannot clearly expound, and then he might as well have none at all ; or he may possess both ability and eloquence, but if he is disloyal to his country he cannot, like a true man, speak in her interest ; or again he' may be unable to resist a bribe, and then all his other good qualities will be sold for money. If, when you determined to go to war,