History of the Peloponnesian War

"It is both [*](προσήκει μοι, 'on account of my wealth, birth, and magnificent expenditure;' ἄξιος ἅμα νομίζω εἶναι, 'on account of my personal worth and tried services.' —Arnold.) befitting, Athenians, for me, more than others, to enjoy command, (for with this topic must I commence my speech,]since Cleon has attacked me upon it,) and at the same time, I deem myself worthy of it. For those things about which [*]( Or, to use a more colloquial expression, cried out against. ) I am so assailed with clamour, confer honour on my ancestors and myself, and benefit on my country at the same time.

For the Greeks considered our state to be greater than they had ever done, even beyond its actual power, through the splendour of my display as its deputy to the Olympic games; (whereas they hoped before that it had been exhausted by the war;) inasmuch as I entered seven chariots—a number which no private individual had ever yet entered—and gained the first prize, and was second and fourth, and provided every thing else in a style worthy of my victory. For according to the usual view of them, such things are a subject of honour; while, from the practice of them, an idea of power is also formed.

And again, whatever distinction I gain at home by my [*]( On the whole subject of the χορηγίαι, see Böckh Public Econ. of Athens, vol. ii. p. 207, Eng. Trans.) exhibitions of choruses, or in any other way, it is naturally envied by my fellow—citizens, but for foreigners [*]( Arnold translates this,—and Bloomfield borrows his version,— this appears to be even strength: but the position of the καί seems to me to be incompatible with such a sense; reading, as they both ZZZ instead of αὐτή.) this too has an appearance of power. And this is no useless folly, when a man benefits at his own costs, not himself only, but his country also. Nor is it unfair for one who prides himself on his own prosperity, to refuse to be on an equality with the mass;

since in the same way he who is unfortunate shares his calamities with no one else. But as we are not courted when in adversity, by the same rule let a man also submit to be slighted by the prosperous; or let him treat the unfortunate as on an equal footing, [when he is in prosperity,] and so claim the like treatment in return, [when he is himself in adversity].

I know, however, that men in such circumstances, and all who ever surpassed others in splendour of any kind, though disliked in their own life—time, most of all in their dealings with their equals, and then with the rest of the world also, have yet left to some of those who came after them a desire to claim connexion with them, even where there were no grounds for it; and a subject for glorying to the country they belonged to, not as for aliens, or offenders, but as for countrymen, who had achieved glorious things.

And in my case, who aim at such things, and am therefore in private assailed with clamour, consider, with regard to public affairs, whether I administer them in a manner inferior to any one else, or not. For having united the most powerful states of the Peloponnese, without any great danger or expense to you, I brought the Lacedaemonians to a single day's struggle for their all at Mantinea; in consequence of which, although they were victorious in the battle, they do not ever now feel any firm confidence in themselves.