SPEECH OF ATHKNAGORA3 183 "Every one 1 (said he), except only cowards and bad citizens, must wish that the Athenians would be fools enough to come here and put themselves into our power. The tales which you have just heard are nothing better than fabrications, got up to alarm you ; and I wonder at the folly of these alarmists in fancy- ing that their machinations are not seen through. 2 You will be too wise to take measure of the future from their reports : you will rather judge from what able men, such as the Athenians, are likely to do. Be assured that they will never leave behind them the Peloponnesians in menacing attitude, to come hither and court afresh war not less formidable : indeed, I think they account themselves lucky that we, with our powerful cities, have never come across to attack them. And if they should come, as it is pretended, they will find Sicily a more formidable foe than Peloponnesus : nay, our own city alone will be a match for twice the force which they can bring across. The Athenians, knowing all this well enough, will mind their own business, in spite of all the fictions which men on this side of the water conjure up, and which they have already tried often before, sometimes even worse than on the present occasion, in order to terrify you, and get themselves nominated to the chief posts. 3 One of these days, I fear they may even succeed, from our want of precautions before- which there was r
office tearing that title : but this is a point which can-
not be affirmed. Nor would the words <5////ou TrpooruT^f ahvavs imply an equal degree of power : the person so designated might have more power in one town than in another. Thus in Megara (iv, 67) it seems that the oligarchical party had recently been banished : the leaders of the popular party had become the most influential men in the city. See also iii. 70, Peithias at Korkyra. 1 Thucyd. vi, 36-40. I give the substance of what is ascribed to Athc nagoras by Thucydides, without binding myself to the words.
- Thucyd. vi, 36. roiif cT dyytvWovraf TO, rotavra Kal Trept<j>63ovf v^uf
TTojowraf r?)f fiev ro/lu^f ov &av{id&, rijf 6e a^weotaf, el fir/ olovrai evd^oi rlvai. 3 Thucyd. vi, 38. 'A/Qa ravra, uanep tyw 7,iyu, ol re 'A&qvaioi yiyvua- Kwrec, TU atyeTepa airruv, EV oW on, cu^ovai, Kal ev&ev8e avdpef ovrs ovra, OVTS uv -yevupeva, AoyoTrotovciv. Ovf eyw ov vvv Trpurov, (i/l/l' uel i'-iar f/TOi 7w~yoi ye roiolade, Kal ITI TOVTUV KaKovpyort'poif, f/ sp-yoif, ara7r?.^fcvrcf rb vp.Tepov 7r/.j/$0f avToi' rr;f Trofauf up%eiv. Kat
UFVTOI ufiirore 7roA?.u TreipiJvTec Kal Karopduauaiv, etc.
