History of the Peloponnesian War

" Perhaps some of us are emboldened by our superiority in arms and numbers, which enables us freely to invade and lay waste their territory.

But there is other territory in plenty over which they hold sway, and they will import by sea whatever they need.

And if, on the other hand, we try to induce their allies to revolt, we shall have in addition to protect them with a fleet, since they are chiefly islanders.

What then will be the character of the war we shall be waging? Unless we can either win the mastery on the sea or cut off the revenues by which they support their navy, we shall get the worst of it.

And, if it comes to that, we can no longer even conclude an honourable peace, especially if it is believed that we rather than they began the quarrel.

For we assuredly must not be buoyed up by any such hope as that the war will soon be over if we but ravage their territory. I fear rather that we shall even bequeath it to our children, so improbable it is that the Athenians, high spirited as they are, will either make themselves vassals to their land, or, like novices, become panic-stricken at the war.