History of the Peloponnesian War

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.

They spoke to this effect, and all the army of the Corcyraeans that heard them immediately cried out,

Seize them and put them to death!

We are neither commencing war, Peloponnesians, nor breaking the treaty; but we have come to assist the Corcyraeans here, who are our allies. If therefore you wish to sail any where else, we do not stop you; but if you sail against Corcyra, or to any of the places belonging to them, we shall, to the best of our power, not permit it.