Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/72

64 SPEECH OF BRASIDAS [iV pendence of any states which I may bring over to their side. / an, not the repre- ^ ^^ "^t Want to gain your alliance by setitaiive 0/ a faction ; force or fraud, but to give you ours, and shall not enslave that vve may free you from the Athenian cither the fetv or the , t ^1 • 1 ^1 i. 1 i. i. ^ -/, J , yoke. I think that you ought not to many. Ihe Lacedac- J j ts vionians, unlike the doubt my word wlicn I oflcr you the Athenians, have a char- ,iiost solemn pledges, nor should I be acter to lose. , , • q^ • ^ 1 regarded as an niemcicnt champion; but you should confidentl}' join me. 'If any one among you hangs back because he has a personal fear of anybody else, and is under the im- pression that I shall hand over the city to a party, him above all I would reassure. For I am not come hither to be the tool of a faction ; nor do I conceive that the liberty which I bring you is of an ambiguous character ; I should forget the spirit of my country were I to enslave the many to the few, or the minority to the whole people. Such a tyranny would be worse than the dominion of the foreigner, and we Lacedaemonians should receive no thanks in return for our trouble, but, instead of honour and reputation, only reproach. We should lay ourselves open to the charges which are our best weapons against the Athenians, and in a far more detestable form, for they have never been great examples of virtue. For to men of character there is more disgrace in seeking aggrandise- ment by specious deceit than by open violence"; the violent have the justification of strength which fortune gives them, but a policy of intrigue is insidious and wicked. ' So careful are we where our highest interests are at 87 I/you mil not be our Stake. And not to speak of our oaths, friends, we must be you Cannot have better assurance than your enemies. Having [, -^ ^^.j^^^^^ actionS, whcn COm- a duty to perform, we jo ^ ^ re jx cannot tolerate your pared with their professions, anord opposition. a Convincing proof that it is their interest to keep their word. " Cp. i. 77 med.