History of the Peloponnesian War

Mel.

But it is on this very ground that we now rely on their sense of interest, and believe that they will not be tray us Melians, who are their colonists, and so lose the confidence of those Greeks who wish them well, while they help those who are hostile to them.

Ath.

Then you do not think that interest is connected with security, whereas justice and honour are practised with danger; a course on which the Lacedaemonians, generally speaking, least of all men venture.

Mel.

Nay, but we are of opinion that they would even incur dangers for our sake, more than usual, and would regard them as less hazardous than [*](ἐς ἄλλους.] Arnold thinks that perhaps παρακινδυνεῦσαι or παραβαλεῖν may be substituted for the kindred substantive κινδύνους, so as to avoid the harsh construction of κινδύνους ἐς ἀλλους, pericula propter alios suscepta, as Scholefield renders it. But there seems no necessity for any such change, if ἐς be taken in the more general sense of relation, which it frequently admits of. Compare 105. 1, τῆς ἀνθρωπείας τῶν μὲν ἐς τὸ θεῖον νομίσεως τῶν δ᾽ ἐς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς βουλήσεως.—The same sense must, I think, be attributed to the genitive τῆς γνώμης in the last clause of the chapter: though Poppo objects to it, and proposes to substitute either the dative or accusative.) in the case of others; in as much as we he near the Peloponnese, for the execution of their measures; while in feeling we are, through our kindred with them, more to be trusted than another party would be.

Ath.

Ay, but to men going to take part in a quarrel safety does not appear to consist in the good feeling of those who call them to their aid, but in the fact of their being far superior in power for action; and the Lacedaemonians look to this even more than the rest of the world. At any rate, through their mistrusting their own resources, it is only in concert with many allies that they attack those who are near to them; so that it is not likely they will cross over to an island, while we are masters of the sea.