ps many more. Since however
this condition is so distasteful to you, 150 we will recede somewhat
from our former proposal. Suppose that ye should be leaders of
the land-army and I of the fleet; or if it pleases you to lead the
sea-forces, I am willing to be leader of those on land; and either ye
must be contented with these terms or go away without the alliance which
I have to give."

161. Gelon, I say, made these offers, and the envoy of the Athenians,
answering before that of the Lacedemonians, replied to him as follows:
"O king of the Syracusans, it was not of a leader that Hellas was in
want when it sent us to thee, but of an army. Thou however dost not set
before us the hope that thou wilt send an army, except thou have the
leadership of Hellas; and thou art striving how thou mayest become
commander of the armies of Hellas. So long then as it was thy demand to
be leader of the whole army of the Hellenes, it was sufficient for us
Athenians to keep silence, knowing that the Lacedemonian would be able
to make defence even for us both; but now, since being repulsed from the
demand for the whole thou art requesting to be commander of the naval
force, we tell that thus it is:--not even if the Lacedemonian shall
permit thee to be commander of it, will we permit thee; for this at
least is our own, if the Lacedemonians do not themselves desire to have
it. With these, if they desire to be the leaders, we do not contend;
but none others beside ourselves shall we permit to be in command of
the ships: for then to no purpose should we be possessors of a
sea-force larger than any other which belongs to the Hellenes, if, being
Athenians, we should yield the leadership to Syracusans, we who boast of
a race which is the most ancient of all and who are of all the Hellenes
the only people who have not changed from one land to another; to whom
also belonged a man whom Homer the Epic poet said was the best of all
who came to Ilion in drawing up an army and setting it in array. 151
Thus we are not justly to be reproached if we say these things."

162. To this Gelon made answer thus: "Stranger of Athens, it would seem
that ye have the commanders, but that ye will not have the men to be
commanded. Since then ye will not at all give way, but desire to
have the whole, it were well that ye should depart home as quickly as
possible and report to the Hellenes that the spring has been taken out
of their year." Now this is the meaning of the say