thian and Peloponnesian garrison; the Athenians
rejoining that the Peloponnesians had excited to revolt a state which
was an ally and tributary of theirs, and that they had now openly
joined the Potidaeans, and were fighting on their side. The
Peloponnesian war, however, had not yet broken out; the peace still
continued; for thus far the Corinthians had acted alone.

But now, seeing Potidaea[21] besieged, they bestirred themselves in
earnest. Corinthian troops were shut up within the walls, and they
were afraid of losing the town; so without delay they invited the
allies to meet at Sparta. There they inveighed against the Athenians,
whom they affirmed to have broken the treaty and to have wronged the
Peloponnesians.... The Megarians alleged, among other grounds of
complaint, that they were excluded from all harbors within the
Athenian dominion and from the Athenian market, contrary to the
treaty. The Corinthians waited until the other allies had stirred up
the Lacedaemonians; at length they came forward, and, last of all,
spoke as follows:

"The spirit of trust, Lacedaemonians, which animates your own political
and social life makes you distrust others who, like ourselves, have
something unpleasant to say, and this temper of mind, tho favorable to
moderation, too often leaves you in ignorance of what is going on
outside your own country. Time after time we have warned you of the
mischief which the Athenians would do to us, but instead of taking our
words to heart, you chose to suspect that we spoke only from
interested motives. And this is the reason why you have brought the
allies to Sparta, too late, not before but after the injury has been
inflicted, and when they are smarting under the sense of it. Which of
them all has a better right to speak than ourselves, who have the
heaviest accusations to make, outraged as we are by the Athenians, and
neglected by you? If the crimes which they are committing against
Hellas were being done in a corner, then you might be ignorant, and we
should have to inform you of them; but now, what need of many words?
Some of us, as you see, have been already enslaved; they are at this
moment intriguing against others, notably against allies of ours; and
long ago they had made all their preparations in expectation of war.
Else why did they seduce from her allegiance Corcyra, which they still
hold in defiance of us, and why are they blockading Potidaea, the
latter a most advantageous post