Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/361

 83-85] REFLECTIONS ON REVOLUTION 245 who were longing to be relieved from their habitual poverty, and were naturally animated F,ny 0/ the of>. by a passionate desire for their neigh- pf'^ssed, {2, discouimt hour's goods; and there were crimes f ""P"' (3) P^ny ~, , ... naircd amoiiir equals, of another class which men commit, uere the great mcmiive, not from covetousness, but from the ''^ <-n>i'e. Hunian enmity which equals foster towards one '/"""' "" '"'P'"'! ., I'V reveiiire is too tuttcli another until they are carried away by for justice, conscience, or their blind rage into the extremes of P^'^euce. pitiless cruelty. At such a time the life of the city was all in disorder, and human nature, which is always ready to transgress the laws, having now trampled them underfoot, delighted to show that her passions were ungovernable, that she was stronger than justice, and the enemy of everything above her. If malignity had not exercised a fatal power, how could any one have preferred revenge to piety, and gain to innocence? But, when men are retaliating upon others, they are reckless of the future, and do not hesitate to annul those common laws of humanity to which every individual trusts for his own hope of deliverance should he ever be overtaken b}^ calamity ; they forget that in their own hour of need they will look for them in vain. Such were the passions which the citizens of Corcyra 85 first of all Hellenes displayed towards The surviving olig- one another. After the departure of "><^''s ^^'^^ ^°""' M'^ T^ 1 J .^1 A ..u • n i. i.1. ti" '/'^ opposite coast, Eurymedon and the Athenian fleet the ^^^^ ,,J;.,i„m to the surviving oligarchs, who to the number /./„»(/ and occupy of five hundred had escaped, seized ^/"""^ Istone. certain forts on the mainland, and thus became masters of the territory on the opposite coast wiiich belonged to Corcyra. Thence issuing forth, they plundered the Corcyraeans in the island, and did much harm, so that there was a great famine in the city. They also sent ambassadr rs to Lacedaemon and Connth, begging that they might be restored, but, failing of their object, they procured boats and auxiliaries, and passed over to Corcyra about six