History of the Peloponnesian War

That war is an evil is a proposition so familiar to every one that it would be tedious to develop it. No one is forced to engage in it by ignorance, or kept out of it by fear, if he fancies there is anything to be gained by it. To the former the gain appears greater than the danger, while he latter would rather stand the risk than put up with any immediate sacrifice.

But if both should happen to have chosen the wrong moment for acting in this way, advice to make peace would not be unserviceable;