expectation of an enemy's approach. Whereas at present the farming
portion of the community and the wealthy landowners are ready (17) to
cringe before the enemy overmuch, whilst the People, knowing full well
that, come what may, not one stock or stone of their property will
suffer, nothing will be cut down, nothing burnt, lives in freedom from
alarm, without fawning at the enemy's approach. Besides this, there
is another fear from which they would have been exempt in an island
home--the apprehension of the city being at any time betrayed by their
oligarchs (18) and the gates thrown open, and an enemy bursting suddenly
in. How could incidents like these have taken place if an island had
been their home? Again, had they inhabited an island there would have
been no stirring of sedition against the people; whereas at present,
in the event of faction, those who set it in foot base their hopes of
success on the introduction of an enemy by land. But a people inhabiting
an island would be free from all anxiety on that score. Since, however,
they did not chance to inhabit an island from the first, what they now
do is this--they deposit their property in the islands, (19) trusting
to their command of the sea, and they suffer the soil of Aticca to be
ravaged without a sigh. To expend pity on that, they know, would be to
deprive themselves of other blessings still more precious. (20)

(16) See Thuc. i. 143. Pericles says: "Reflect, if we were islanders,
who would be more invulnerable? Let us imagine that we are."

(17) Or, "are the more ready to cringe." See, for the word
{uperkhontai}, "Pol. Lac." viii. 2; Plat. "Crit." 53 E;
Rutherford, "New Phrynichus," p. 110.

(18) Or, "by the minority"; or, "by a handful of people."

(19) As they did during the Peloponnesian war; and earlier still,
before the battle of Salamis, in the case of that one island.

(20) Or, "but mean the forfeiture of others."

Further, states oligarchically governed are forced to ratify their
alliances and solemn oaths, and if they fail to abide by their
contracts, the offence, by whomsoever committed, (21) lies nominally at
the door of the oligarchs who entered upon the contract. But in the case
of engagements entered into by a democracy it is open to the People to
throw the blame on the single individual who spoke in favour of some
measure, or put it to the vote, and to maintain to the rest of the
world, "I was not present, nor do I ap