Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/324

 2o3 SPEECH OF CLEON [in nowhere have a finer opportunity of displaying their intelligence", and their folly generally ends in the ruin of their country ; whereas the others, mistrusting their own capacit}', admit that the laws are wiser than themselves : they do not pretend to criticise the arguments of a great speaker; and being impartial judges, not ambitious rivals, they hit the mark. That is the spirit in which we should act ; not suffering ourselves to be so excited by our own cleverness in a war of wits as to advise the Athenian people contrary to our own better judgment. 38 ' I myself think as I did before, and I wonder at those who have brought forward the case of Why is their punish- ^, •«» •. ., ment delayed? Will ^he Mytilenaeans agam, thus inter- any one pretend that posing a delay which is in the interest theircrimes dons good? of the cvil-doer. For after a time the or ivould any one speak /• ., „• 1 it 1 on their behalf if hi u.^as ^"g^^ ^^ ^^e Sufferer waxes dull, and not well paid, and you he pursues the offender with less keen- were not blind to facts ^ess ; but the vengeance which follows and at the mercy of, ,. . . every clever talker? ^losest upon the wrong IS most ade- quate to it and exacts the fullest retri- bution. And again I wonder who will answer me, and whether he will attempt to show that the crimes of the Mytilenaeans are a benefit to us, or that when we suffer, our allies suffer with us. Clearly he must be some one who has such confidence in his powers of speech as to con- tend ^ that you never adopted what was most certainly your resolution '• ; or else he must be some one who, under the inspiration of a bribe, elaborates a sophistical speech in the hope of diverting you from the point. In such rhetorical contests the city gives away the prizes to others, while she takes the risk upon herself. And you are to blame, for you order these contests amiss. When speeches are to be heard, you are too fond of using your eyes, but, where actions are concerned, you trust your ears ; you estimate " Cp. iii. 40 init. '' Or, ' that what all men believe to be true is absolutely false.'