History of the Peloponnesian War

"We had come here for the renewal of the alliance[*](Cf. Thuc. 6.75.3.) which formerly existed, but as the Syracusan has attacked us it is necessary to speak also about our empire, showing how rightly we hold it.

Now the strongest proof of this the speaker himself stated--that Ionians have always been enemies to the Dorians. It is even so. Accordingly, we, being Ionians, considered in what we way we should be least subject to the Peloponnesians who are Dorians and not only more numerous than we but our near neighbors.[*](Or, retaining αὐτῶν, "For we, being Ionians in the eyes of Peloponnesians who are Dorians, not only more numerous than we but also our near neighbbors, considered in what way we should be least subject to them.")

And after the Persian wars we acquired a fleet and rid ourselves of the rule and supremacy of the Lacedaemonians, it being not in any way more fitting that they give orders to us than we to them, except in so far as they at the time were stronger. Having, then, ourselves become leaders of those who were before subject to the King, we so continue, thinking that we should in this way be least subject to the Peloponnesians, because we have power with which to defend ourselves. And to say the exact truth, not unjustly, either, did we subdue both the Ionians and the islands, whom the Syracusans say we have enslaved though they are our kinsmen.

For they came against us, their mother-city, along with the Persians, and had not the courage to revolt and sacrifice their homes, as we did when we abandoned our city, but chose slavery for themselves and wished to impose the same condition on us.