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 proposition and speakinge of the Mytilenyens vnto the assemblye of the allyes and confederates of Grece. ☞The .ii. Chapter.

WE do well vnderstande, Lordes Lacedemonyans and you other con¦federates, that it is accustomed amonge the Grekes (whiche is ve∣ray raysonable) that whan they wythdrawe in tyme of warre, anye, from the allyance of theyr ennemyes, vnto theyrs: they intreate thē very welle, so farre, as they serue for theyr proffyt. But afterwardes, consyderyng that they haue betrayed theyr furste and auncyent frendes, they re∣pute them for to be vnhappy or naughty people, and thynke that they wolde do worser vnto them. whiche thynge were very raysonable, yf the thynges were e∣galle on the behalfe of them, that do rebelle, and on the behalfe of those, whom they forsake. For yf they be egall of force and preparatiō, as of wylle and amytie there is no reasonable cause whye they shulde habandone nor leaue the one, the other. But that hath no place betwene the Athenians and vs. The which thyng we wyll gladly declare, to the intente that youe esteme vs not for noughtye and wycked. And iudge, that we do dyssolutely and cowardely, yf we forsake them in tyme of warre, hauynge by thē bene honored in tyme of peace. For inasmuche as we come hytherfor to requyre to be receyued into your allyaūce, we woll gladly before all thynges both iustyfye our case & also do our vertue to be knowē. For y^t that the amytye amonge the partycular people, and the confederatyon amonge the cytyes cannot be honnorable nor pardurable, yf there be not a mutuell opy∣nyon of vertue on both partes. And in the reste, a coniunction and a conformitie of manners and of wylle. For where the wylles be dyscrepante and dysagreynge, the actes and operations be lykewyse. Wherfore to the intente that youe shulde vnderstande, howe we haue proceded with the Athenyans, we made allyaunce wyth them, whan youe departed frome the armys after the warres of Medes, & that they pursued the reste of the warre and of the ennemys. Whiche allyaunce we made not wyth them for to subdue the Grekes, but for to delyuer them frō the seruytude of the Medes. For thys cause, so longe as they contynued in good compaigny, we haue followed them with good and entier wylle. But whan we knewe that they hadde forgotten theyr enmyte agaynste the Medes, and that they wente aboute to reduce and brynge theyr compaignyons and allyes into theyr subiectyon: we were afrayde. Neuertheles for so muche, as it was not lau∣full nor an easye thynge to those confederates to reallye themselfe togeders, for to wythstande the vyolence, whiche the sayde Athenyans wolde do vnto them, for the multytude and dyuersyte of opynyons, that must be hadde in suche case: all the other confederates, excepte vs, and them of Chio, haue bene by the sayde Athenyans subdued and brought into theyr subiection & obeissance. And though that we haue sente of oure people to theyr assemblyes and commaundementes, as theyr allyes and confederates, and be takenne and named for suche, yet for truthe we neuer dyd take them for oure laufull dukes and headdes. For that it was not to be beleued, sythēs that they had reduced into seruytude the other, that were comprysed in the selfe allyaunce, that we haue wyth them: but that they wolde do the lyke vnto vs, whan they shulde see theyr oportunytie. For yf we had bene all yet in oure lybertye, we myght haue had more faythe in them. But hauynge subdued the more parte, it is to beleue, that they wolde take it

more dyspleasauntlye, that we woulde repute oure selfe egall to them in com∣mon affayres, and that we alone wolde accompanye our selfe wyth them, where all the other obeye them. Cōsydered chiefly, that howe muche they arne become more myghtye, we do remayne so muche the worse accompaignyed. Nother there is anye thynge that maketh so muche the allyaunce to be faythfull and pardurable, as doth the mutuell feare, that one of the allyes hath of the other. For he that wolde vyolate and breake it on hys partie, whan he consydereth y^t the other is as puyssant as he, he feareth to assayle it. And that they haue permit∣ted and suffred vs vnto thys presente to lyue in libertye, it hath not bene for any other reasonne, but for that they wente aboute to establyshe theyr princyyalitie, rather vnder couloure of some reasone and of counsaylle, than by manifest force. And also to the ende, that yf they made warre agaynste any of them (that they had subdued for any faulte, which they had done agaynste thē) they myghte iu∣stifye them selfe, sayinge that yf the same warre had not bene reasonable, we and the other that were yet in lybertye, and hadde lyke auctorytie as they: wolde not haue gone thyder. For thys cause, they haue many tymes assembled a great puis∣sance agaynste people, very weake. To thyntente, that hauynge by a lytle & lytle reduced the one after the other, they that remayned, shulde be so muche more weake. There, where yf they had begonne wyth vs (the other, stylle beynge in theyr entier and not subdewed) they coulde not haue done it so easelye. Also they wolde haue had some feare of oure shyppes, and wolde haue doubted, that y•• we had assembled them all togeder, and wolde haue drawen vnto you or anye other, that it shulde haue bene to theyr dommayge. And on the other parte, we be saulfe from them by flaterynge and enterteygnynge theyr seigniorye by swete meanes. And so endure all theyr gouernementes vntyll thys presente. But yf that thys warre had not bene begonne, that coulde not longe haue endured, as it maye appeare by thexample of other. What amytye coulde thys than be, or what confydence coulde we haue had of true lybertye•• where the one do grate∣fye the other agaynste theyr opynyon, to wytt, they by flatterynge vs in tyme of warre for feare that they haue to dysplease vs, & to prouoke oure anger: and we do the lyke to them in tyme of peace, for the selfe consyderatyon. And so y^t, whiche amytie and beneuolence hath made stable and faythfull amonge other allyes: causeth feare betwene vs. And for effecte, we haue parseuered and contynued in thys allyaunce and socyete for feare, and not for loue. In suche manner that the same of vs, that sonnest had founde meane to breake it wythout feare of daun∣gier, was readye to declare hymselfe, to be the furst. And yf any iudge vs, to haue done euyll to preuent and comme before, and that we shulde haue taryed vntyl they had declared theyr yll wylle, whiche we thought that they had had, consy∣derynge that yet they had not shewed it: he taketh it not welle. ••or that myght haue had apparaunce, yf we had had the facultye and power to espye and tarye our tourne, as they: and that in that case, there had bene no daunger to be vnder them, beynge as puyssant, as they be. But consydered that they had alwayes the meane and power to enterpryse vpon vs, whan they shulde haue wylled, it was reasonable that we shulde furste take it, whan we dyd see oportunyte. Thies be than the causes Lordes Lacedemonyans and confederates) for the whiche we depart our selues frō the Athenyās, which we thinke clere & raysonable to al mē, y^t vnderstande thē, & sufficient on our behalfe for to put vs in dreade & feare. And to geue vs occasyon to seke some succoure. which thinge we had nowe determy∣ned to do before the warre begāne, and for that cause dyd sende our messengers

towardes youe, for to demaunde youre allyance. But beynge by youe reiected & denyed, we coulde not obteygne nor execute it. Whereunto nowe hauynge bene moued by the Beotians, we haue done it readely and wythoute delaye. Persua∣dynge oure selues that oure reuolte and tournynge from them is iustyfyed by two great reasons. The one to the intente, y^t not perseuering on the partye of the Athenyans, we shulde not be aydynge to subdue Grece, but rather wyth youe the other, we shuld helpe to defende hys lybertye: y^e other, for to defēde our lyber∣ty specyally, & that in tyme to comme, we be not subdued, as the other. And yet neuertheles we be declared to be to swyfte or to hasty. Wherfore it is nedefulle, that youe vse the more dylygence to succoure vs, and that youe shewe in effecte at thys poyncte, that youe wyll both defende thē, that youe oughte. & also that youe wylle noye youre ennemyes, in all sortes that youe can. whiche thynge to do, youe haue nowe greater oportunyte, than euer men had. For that, that the A∣thenyans be vnprouyded, of men, by meanes of the pestylence: and of monneye, by meanes of the warre. And also theyr shyppes be dysparsed, some of them into youre quarter of Peloponese, and the other into ours, for to watche vs. In such manner, that it is not to beleue, that they can rayse anye greate nomber, yf youe go to assayle them presently at begynnynge of thys sommer by sea•• and by lāde. But rather it is to beleue, y^t ayther youe shal••e more myghtye thā they by sea, or at the leaste that they cannot resiste youre puyssance ioynned wyth ours. And yf there be any that woll saye, that youe shulde not put youre lande in daunger, for to defende ours, that is farre frome you: I saye vnto youe, that the same mā, that estemeth the Isle of Lesbos to be farre of, shall knowe by effecte, that the proffyt, that he shall haue thereby, shalbe nyghe. For the warre shalbe made by thys meane not after the sorte that they thynke for. But it shalbe made in the place, from whence, Athens it selfe taketh & rayseth the monney and proffit. For theyr reuenues is taken vpon theyr allies. which yet wolbe greater, whā they shal haue brought vs to theyr subiectyon. For none of the other shall thā be bolde to rebell more agaynste them. And of the other parte oure goodes shalbe theyrs. And also we shalbe worse entreated than they, that haue bene before tyme sub∣dued. But yf you succoure vs redely, ye shall haue in your power a cytye habun∣dante wyth great shyppes, wherof youe haue nede. And also youe maye more easelye destroye the Athenyans, in retyrynge and wythdrawynge theyr allyes. For the other, by oure example, shall haue more audacytie to do the lyke. And al∣so youe shall take awaye the euyll opynyon, that the people haue of youe, y^t youe woll not receyue them, that come for to offre themselfe to youre allyance. Be abashedde than Lordes, to defraude & frustrate the hope, that the Grekes haue of youe, and also the religyon of the God Apollo. In whose temple we be here, as people that requyre mercy and franchyse. Receyue vs into youre allyaunce, and suffre vs not to be a praye vnto the Athenyans, to the partycular dangi••r of our parsones. For in receyuynge vs, shall followe the generall proffite of the leage of Grece. And yf you hahand one and forsake vs, there woll followe a dysaduaun∣tage, yet more generall. Therfore shewe youre selfe, Lordes, suche men, as the Grekes esteme youe to be, & as oure necessyte requyreth. After that the Mytyle∣nyens had thus spoken, the Lacedemonyans and the other allyes concluded to receyue them into theyr allyaunce. And those same Lacedemonyans, takyng the charge to entre agayne that same yeare into the lande of Athens, commaunded the other allyes, that they shulde be ready, assone ys they myght, for to fournys•• bothe partyes of the armye.