History of the Peloponnesian War

The herald having spoken to this effect, the Athenians sent their own herald to the Boeotians, and said, that as for the sanctuary, they had neither done it any injury, nor would they in future voluntarily damage it; for neither had they originally entered it for that purpose, but to avenge themselves from it on those who were rather injuring them.

Now the law of the Greeks was, that whoever in any case had command of the country, whether more or less extensive, to them the temples always belonged, provided they received such honours as the occupiers had the power to pay, [*]( Literally, in addition to what were usual. ) without limiting them to what were usual.

For the Boeotians, and most others who had expelled any people from their country and taken forcible possession of it, had proceeded against temples which originally belonged to others, and now held them as their own. And if the Athenians had been able to make themselves masters of the Boeotian territory to a greater extent, such would have been the case:

but as it was, from the part in which they then were they would not, if they could help it, retire; as they considered that it belonged to them.

The water they had disturbed under the pressure of necessity, which they had not wantonly brought on themselves; but they were compelled to use it while defending themselves against the Boeotians, who had first come against their country.

And every thing, it was natural to suppose, done under pressure of war, or any other danger, would be considered as pardonable even in the eyes of the god. For the altars were a place of refuge in unintentional offences; and transgression was a term applied to those who were wicked through no compulsion, and not to those who had ventured to do any thing in consequence of their misfortunes.

Nay, the Boeotians were much more impious in wishing to give back dead bodies in return for sanctuaries, than they were who would not at the price of sanctuaries recover things not suitable [for such bartering].

They begged, then, that they would simply tell them to take up their dead, not

after evacuating the territory of the Boeotians

on making a truce according to the custom of their fathers.