t you may be in readiness for the breaking out
of the war which is all but upon you, you hesitate to attach to your
side a place whose adhesion or estrangement is alike pregnant with
the most vital consequences. For it lies conveniently for the
coast-navigation in the direction of Italy and Sicily, being able to bar
the passage of naval reinforcements from thence to Peloponnese, and
from Peloponnese thither; and it is in other respects a most desirable
station. To sum up as shortly as possible, embracing both general and
particular considerations, let this show you the folly of sacrificing
us. Remember that there are but three considerable naval powers in
Hellas--Athens, Corcyra, and Corinth--and that if you allow two of these
three to become one, and Corinth to secure us for herself, you will have
to hold the sea against the united fleets of Corcyra and Peloponnese.
But if you receive us, you will have our ships to reinforce you in the
struggle."

Such were the words of the Corcyraeans. After they had finished, the
Corinthians spoke as follows:

"These Corcyraeans in the speech we have just heard do not confine
themselves to the question of their reception into your alliance. They
also talk of our being guilty of injustice, and their being the victims
of an unjustifiable war. It becomes necessary for us to touch upon both
these points before we proceed to the rest of what we have to say, that
you may have a more correct idea of the grounds of our claim, and have
good cause to reject their petition. According to them, their old policy
of refusing all offers of alliance was a policy of moderation. It was in
fact adopted for bad ends, not for good; indeed their conduct is such
as to make them by no means desirous of having allies present to witness
it, or of having the shame of asking their concurrence. Besides,
their geographical situation makes them independent of others, and
consequently the decision in cases where they injure any lies not with
judges appointed by mutual agreement, but with themselves, because,
while they seldom make voyages to their neighbours, they are constantly
being visited by foreign vessels which are compelled to put in to
Corcyra. In short, the object that they propose to themselves, in their
specious policy of complete isolation, is not to avoid sharing in the
crimes of others, but to secure monopoly of crime to themselves--the
licence of outrage wherever they can compel, of fraud wherever th