The hystory writtone by Thucidides the Athenyan of the warre, whiche was betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenyans, translated oute of Frenche into the Englysh language by Thomas Nicolls citezeine and goldesmyth of London

The narration of the Ambassa∣bassadours Athenians to the Counsaylle of the Lacedemonyans. ☞The .viii. Chapter.

WE be not cōme into this towne, lordes Lacedemonyās, for to debate wyth our allyes, but we were here for other matters, as ye do know. yet vnderstandyng the complaynctes, that the othere cyties do make agaynste ours, we be willinge to presente and declare, not for to aun∣swere, againste the charges that they lay vnto vs (for also you arne not our iud∣ges betwene vs and them) but to the entente, that you credite not lyghtly that, whyche they say agaynst vs, and for thair parsuation determyne slightly in this matter, (whyche is of so greate importance) otherwyse, than is requisitt. and al∣so for that, that we woll well informe youe of our affaires and dedes, as they bee, and that the same, whyche we holde, we haue laufully gottoneyt. And fur∣thermore that our cytie ys suche, that yt ought to be estemed. And wythout re∣hersynge the thynges so auncyent, that men haue more knowlaige therof by co∣mon fame and renomme, than by true scyence: we wol speake of them that were

doone in the warre of the Medes, wherof youe haue true knowlaige. althoughe that it be noysome and molestuous to repete it often tymes, yet it is necessary nowe to do it. And also it that, whyche we than did at our great danger, redoun∣deth to the comon weale of all Grece (wherof youe haue bene parttakers) men shulde not be asshamed to shewe it, not somuche for to excuse and iustifie oure selues of the thinges that arne layde to vs, as for to do youe to vnderstande with what cytie, you shall haue to do, if that through euill counsaille, you enterprise the warre. For ••urste it is very certayne, that we onely wente bifore the straun∣gers in danger of oure lyues at Marathonie. And afterwardes, whan they came agayne the seconde tyme, seinge that we were not myghtie inoughe to goo to fyght wyth them by lande, we wente to encounter them by sea wyth all our shippes, and vainquished them at Salamyne. whych victorie letted them, that they wente not to pillage and fourraige all your townes and cyties of Pe∣loponese. whyche they might easely haue donne, consyderinge that they coulde not succour the one the other agaynste ••one so mightie an armye by sea, as they hadde. The whyche thynge, the Barbarous kynge did well than declare. For be∣inge by vs ouercommed by sea, and knowynge that he coulde neuer assemble one suche a puyssance, he retourned wyth the greater partie of his hooste. by whyche dede, being fully clere and notorious, that the force of Grece, consisted in the ar∣mye by Sea, we fournished than thre thinges, vtile and profytable for all Gre∣ce. To wytt, greate nomber of shyps, a Capytayne ryght wyse and diligente, and a harte obedyent and coragious. For as touchinge the shippes, we hadde lytle lesse than foure houndredde, whych were two partes of the hole armye. Concer∣ninge the Capytayne, we gaue youe Themistocles, whiche was principal author and mouer, that the battaile was made in the discreate of the sea, which without all doubte, was the saufgarde of Grece. By occasyon whereof, youe iudged vnto hym singular honors, more than to any other estrangier, that euer came vnto youe. And as for the couragiousnes of harte, we shewed yt very openly. For seing that we had not any succour by lande, for that, that the ennemys had lately gay∣ned all that, whyche was bifore vs, we determyned to leaue our cytie, and to de∣stroye our houses, and to loose our particular goodes, (not for to habandonne and forsake our frēdes and allyes and to disperse ourselues into dyuers places, which if we had done, we had not done them any saruice) but we went fourth to serche the dangers vpon the Sea, wythoute hauinge regarde or shewinge any grudge againste you, for that, that ye came not to succoure vs in tyme of nede. wherfore we may well say for trouth, that we were as profitable than vnto you, as you vnto vs. For youe, that kepte stille the townes inhabyted and therin had your goodes and your wyues and childrenne, fearing to lose them, came to our ayde, not somuche for vs, as for yourselues. For if you hadde mynded to haue done for vs, youe shulde haue come thider bifore oure cytie had bene habando∣ned and destroyed. but as touchynge vs in forsakyng our towne, (whiche nowe had no more fourme of a cytie) for to succour yours than, whan it had no great apparance to saue yt selfe, we were well wyllinge to cōmyt and putt ourselues into the dangers of the sayd warres. and by thys meane was cause, for a greate parte, of your saulftie and of ours. where, if we had bene mynded to submit our∣selues vnto the kynge of Mede, as many other countreis did, fearynge to be de∣stroyed: or after that we had habandoned our cytie, had not had the hardynes to take the seas, but as people faynte harted, had wythdrawen our ourselnes into sure places: truly ye durst not haue comme bifore the ennemy with so smal nom∣ber of shyppes, as youe than hadde, wherupon by that meane, youe shulde haue

bene constrayned to haue done, as he wolde, wythout any faightinge. Nowe se∣meth it not vnto youe, lordes Lacedemonyans, that for thys our hardynes and prudence, we be wel worthy to haue and obtaigne the principalitie & seigniory, whiche we nowe haue? Whyche ought not to be enuyed nor molested by Grece, for that, that we gott yt not by force: but partly by pursuyng the ennemyes, whi∣che you woulde not do, and partly at requeste of some of our allyes, that came to praye vs that we wolde take them into oure protection and gouernance. By meanes wherof, we haue bene constrayned to consarue and encrease our princi∣palitie from that tyme vntyll this presente, furste for feare, afterwardes for hon∣nour, and fynally for proffytt. And seinge also that we we enuyed of many peo∣ple, and that some of our subiectes and confederates, be lately rebelled againste vs, whome we haue subdewed and chastised, yea and that youe arne moued to departe from our amytie and haue some suspition againste vs, we shulde not be well counsailled to desiste from our trauayle, but we shulde putt ourselues in∣to greate daungier. Fo they, that shulde departe from our obeysance, shuld come vnder yours. wherefore no man is to be blamed, if in thynges, wherin he parcey∣ueth greate danger, he prouydeth for his indempnyte. And youe, lordes Lacede∣monyens, do not you gouerne for your profitte the cyties of Pelopone••e? And if youe had contynued in your Empyre from the warre of the Medes vntil this present, youe shulde haue bene both enuyed (as we be) of straūgers, and also mo∣lestuous and rigorous to youre subiectes. And of force, youe shulde aither haue bene blamed to haue bene to farre imperiall and rygorous to youre sub∣iectes, or ells haue bene constrayned to put your estate into dangier. And ther∣fore if that we haue taken and consarued the rule and superiorite, that hath bene geuen vs, we haue done no newe thynge, nother that, that ys contrary to humayne lawes and customes. And also there be thre great thinges, that de∣fende vs to leue and forsake yt, to wytt, the honnor, the feare, and the proffytte. And of the other parte, we arne not the inuentours and authors of suche thinge, for it was neuer otherwyse, but that the more weake were constrayned to obey vnto the stronger. And we be well woorthy and do merytt so to do in our iudge∣ment, and also by yours, if you woll egally consider, both proffit and reason. For no man woll prefarre reason somuche bifore proffit, that if any hōnest occasion be offred hym to obteigne aduantage by force, that he woll lett yt slippe. And they be to be praysed, that in vsynge and administringe right, be of nature more bening and gracious in thair gouernement, than the rule & ryght of gouerning requyreth, lyke as we do. And if our Empier came into other mens handes, we thinke, that they shulde better parceue yt. Althoughe that for this oure boun∣tie and gentlenes, we gett more reproche, than prayse. whych is a thinge very vn∣resonable. For, for that, that we vse the selfe lawes in our contractes and in oure iudgementes with our subiectes. whyche we vse amonge our selues (besides this that it is a thynge contumelious and shamefull for vs) yet they repute vs to be playdors and contentious. And there is not one among thē, that consydereth, that there ys not any people in the worlde, that more gētly entreate thair subiec∣tes, thā we do. And also men do not obey to other, that be playdours, as men do vnto vs. For it is laufull for them. to vse force against thair subiectes, whyche be intierly thair obeissantes. wherfore it is not for them to come therto by iudge∣ment nor proces. But concerninge ours, for the libertye, whyche they haue bene accustomed to haue with vs and to be egall wyth vs in iustice, if a man do them wronge in any thinge by deede or by woorde, be it for neu••r so small a matter, for the opynion that they haue in the rightuousnes of oure gouernance•• and that

it shulde not be taken from them: they not only be not thankefull to vs, for that the remanant was lefte vnto them, that men might haue taken from them, by force: but also they take yt for more displeasure to lose that lytle of thair good, than if at the begynnynge we had vtterly captyued them to our wille, and vsed towardes them violence, & not iustyce. And yet in this case they durste not ones haue murmured or grudged, but being our subiectes by wylle, they would haue thought it a great offence to disobey vs. For we see euydētly that the people take it to be more greuous and are more angry, whan they be wronged, than whan they be forced. Also whā a mā speketh to defraude one, or to do hym wrong, it is sayde, that the iustyceys comone: but whan a man speaketh of constrayninge, it is vnderstanded that there is a superiour, vsinge wille. Of this cometh yt, that they, whych presently be our subiectes, whan they were in subiection of the Me∣des, indured paciently thair Empyre, and now ours semeth vnto thē to be harde. But to a discrete parsone, this is no maruaile. For al subiectes do alwayes cō∣playne of the seignyorie, that is presente. And if your selfe had changed our Em∣pire and shuld rule our subiectes: truly the benyuolence that youe shuld gett of them for the feare, that they haue of vs, shulde tourne into euyll wille or displea∣sure. if youe wolde kepe the trayne and shewe yourselues of the sorte, that youe declared in that lytle tyme, that ye had the gouernance of all Grece, in the warre of the Medes. For youe do not comunycate your lawes and youre customes to othere. And moreouer whosoeuer is sente by youe to be Duke or Capytayne in any armye, he vseth not other manners, than he was wonted to bifore. Nor such, as all the remenant of Grece doth vse, but by all facyōs doth make strange par∣ticularites and differente frō other. wherfore, lordes, vouchesaulf to cōsider, that the matters wherof ys question, be waightie and of greate importance. And be well worthy to be longe consulted vpon. And geue not somuche faythe to the connsaille and accusacyōs of the other people, that you take this charge so great, vpon youe. But thinke well before the begynning of thys warre, of what impor∣tance it is, and the daungers that may chaunce. For by lengthe or contynuance of warre, happenne many hazardes. From whyche, we yet arne clere, bothe youe and we. But whan it shalbe bigoune, yt is not knowin, vpon whiche of vs they shall fall. Also it is certayne, that they that be to desirous and hasty to begynne warre, do peruerte the order of reasone. For they begynne by execution and by force. whyche shulde be laste, after that it were well consulted. whyche faulte no man shall fynde in vs, and also we see not, that it is yet in youe. For this cause, whiles the thinges be entier and hole, we woll well admonishe youe, that youe take good aduise, nother to breake the peace, nor to falsefie your othe. And if there be any difference betwene vs, let vs auoide yt by the manner conteigned in oure sayd treatie of peace. Orells we protest, and take to wytnes, y^e goddes, by whom we haue sworne, that yf you be the Authors of the warre, we wol pursue yt vnto the ende. Thus dyd the Athenyans speake. And after that the Lacedemonians had harde aswel the complayntes of the Peloponesians, as the declaracyons of the sayde Athenians, they caused them all to go fourthe, and put the matter into deliberacion amonge them selues. So the more parte of them, were of opinion, that the Athenians dyd wronge and that it was expedient to moue war against them wythout longer tariyng. Whiche parceyuyng the kynge Archidamus, who was taken to be a wyse man and of clere vnderstandinge, stoode vp, and did speake in this manner.