History of the Peloponnesian War

Besides, our navy caused them some fear, lest it should some day be augmented by being united either with yours or another's and thus become a menace to themselves.

To some extent also we owe our salvation to the court we paid to the Athenian people and to the political leaders of the day.

But we could not have expected to be able to survive for long, if we may judge by their conduct toward the other allies, unless this war had broken out.