History of the Peloponnesian War

The next day the thirty Athenian ships, and as many of the Corcyraean as were sea-worthy, put out and sailed to the harbour at Sybota, in which the Corinthians were anchored, wishing to know whether they would engage.

But they, having put out with their ships from the land, and formed them in line at sea, remained quiet; not intending voluntarily to begin a battle, since they saw that fresh ships from Athens had joined them; and that they themselves were involved in many difficulties, with regard to the safe keeping of the prisoners they had on board, and because there were no means of refitting their ships in so deserted a place.

Nay, they were thinking of their voyage home, how they should return; being afraid that the Athenians might consider the treaty to have been broken, because they had come to blows, and not allow them to sail away.

They determined therefore to put some men on board a skiff and send them without a herald's wand to the Athenians, and make an experiment.

And having sent them, they spoke as follows:

You do wrong, Athenians, in beginning war, and breaking treaty: for while we are avenging ourselves on our enemies, you stand in our way, and raise arms against us. Now if your purpose is to stop our sailing to Corcyra, or wherever else we wish, and if you mean to break the treaty, [*](λύετε is the present tense with a kind of future signification, as it often has. If you are for breaking, etc.) then seize us here in the first place, and treat us as enemies.