endeavour not to let Peloponnese
under your supremacy degenerate from the prestige that it enjoyed under
that of your ancestors."

Such were the words of the Corinthians. There happened to be Athenian
envoys present at Lacedaemon on other business. On hearing the speeches
they thought themselves called upon to come before the Lacedaemonians.
Their intention was not to offer a defence on any of the charges which
the cities brought against them, but to show on a comprehensive view
that it was not a matter to be hastily decided on, but one that demanded
further consideration. There was also a wish to call attention to
the great power of Athens, and to refresh the memory of the old and
enlighten the ignorance of the young, from a notion that their words
might have the effect of inducing them to prefer tranquillity to war. So
they came to the Lacedaemonians and said that they too, if there was no
objection, wished to speak to their assembly. They replied by inviting
them to come forward. The Athenians advanced, and spoke as follows:

"The object of our mission here was not to argue with your allies, but
to attend to the matters on which our state dispatched us. However, the
vehemence of the outcry that we hear against us has prevailed on us to
come forward. It is not to combat the accusations of the cities (indeed
you are not the judges before whom either we or they can plead), but to
prevent your taking the wrong course on matters of great importance by
yielding too readily to the persuasions of your allies. We also wish to
show on a review of the whole indictment that we have a fair title to
our possessions, and that our country has claims to consideration. We
need not refer to remote antiquity: there we could appeal to the voice
of tradition, but not to the experience of our audience. But to the
Median War and contemporary history we must refer, although we are
rather tired of continually bringing this subject forward. In our action
during that war we ran great risk to obtain certain advantages: you had
your share in the solid results, do not try to rob us of all share in
the good that the glory may do us. However, the story shall be told not
so much to deprecate hostility as to testify against it, and to show,
if you are so ill advised as to enter into a struggle with Athens, what
sort of an antagonist she is likely to prove. We assert that at Marathon
we were at the front, and faced the barbarian single-handed. That wh