Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/257

 89-9 J ] SPEECH OF ALCIBIADES 249 is, and I better than any one, who have so good a reason for abusing it. The folHes of democracy are universally admitted, and there is nothing new to be said about them. But we could not venture to change our form of government when an enemy like yourselves was so near to us. 'Such is the truth about the calumnies under which 90 I labour. And now I will speak to The Athauan designs you of the matter which you have in embraced Sialy, Italy, hand, and about which I, in so far as Carthage; if we sue- T 1 1 i^ • r ^- 1 1 ceeded ive ivere going to i have better mformation, am bound ■„. / p /„/. , . ' invest Feloponnesus ; to instruct you. We sailed to Sicily the empire of Hellas hoping in the first place to conquer the ^^^'"^ '"' ''«^^ *^^* Sicilian cities ; then to proceed against the Hellenes of Italy; and lastly, to make an attempt on the Carthaginian dominions, and on Carthage itself. If all or most of these enterprises succeeded, we meant finally to attack Peloponnesus, bringing with us the whole Hellenic power which we had gained abroad, besides many barbarians whom we intended to hire — Iberians and the neighbouring tribes, esteemed to be the most warlike barbarians that now are'^ Of the timber which Italy supplies in such abundance we meant to build numerous additional triremes, and with them to blockade Pelo- ponnesus. At the same time making inroads by land with our infantry, we should have stormed some of your cities and invested others. Thus we hoped to crush you easily, and to rule over the Hellenic world. For the better accomplishment of our various aims our newly- acquired territory would supply money and provisions enough, apart from the revenue which we receive in Hellas. 'You have heard the objects of our expedition from 91 him who knows them best ; the generals who remain will persevere and carry them out if they can. And now let me " Reading /«ix«A'<uTaToi's and placing a comma after ««€•• S 2