Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/213

 33,341 SPEECH OF HERMOCRATES 205 their expedition against Athens. And I think that such a destiny may very likely be reserved for us. ' Let us take courage then, and put ourselves into a 34 state of defence ; l^t us also send en- Let us sunmion our voys to the Sicels, and, while we make old Sicel allies and tnake sure of our old allies, endeavour to new ones Let ,,s ob- iatn help jtoin the rist gain new ones. We will despatch en- of Sicily, Italy, Car- VOyS to the rest of Sicily, and point out thage,Lacedaemon,and that the danger is common to all; we ^T'"'' Vyo>;ivould ° ' take uiy advice yon will also send to the Italian cities in would go and meet the the hope that they may either join us, Athenians half way. or at any rate refuse to receive the f! 'l'°f very Ukeiy, •' dejeat them, and even Athenians. And I think that we should ,/ we did not fight send to the Carthaginians ; the idea of should still embarrass an Athenian attack is no novelty to *'"'"■ They might be •' so dismayed by our them ; they are always living in appre- boldness as to give up hension of it. They will probably feel ihe expedition. that if they leave us to our fate, the trouble may reach themselves, and therefore they may be inclined in some way or other, secretly, if not openly, to assist us. If willing to help, of all existing states they are the best able; for they have abundance of gold and silver, and these make war, like other things, go smoothly. Let us also send to the Lacedaemonians and Corinthians and entreat them to come to our aid speedily, and at the same time to revive the war in Hellas. I have a plan which in my judgment is the best suited to the present emergency, although it is the last which you in your habitual indolence will readily embrace*^. Let me tell you what it is. If all the Sicilian Greeks, or at least if we and as many as will join us, taking two months' provisions, would put out to sea with all our available ships and prepare to meet the Athenians at Tarentum and the promontory of lapygia, thereby proving to them that before they fight for Sicily they must fight for the passage of the Ionian Sea, we ' Cp. i. 143 fin.