Histories

What have we to fear from them? Have they a massive population or abundance of wealth? Their manner of fighting we know, and we know how weak their power is; we have conquered and hold their sons, those who dwell in our land and are called Ionians and Aeolians and Dorians.

I myself have made trial of these men, when by your father's command I marched against them. I marched as far as Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia and almost to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens itself, yet none came out to meet me in battle.

Yet the Greeks are accustomed to wage wars, as I learn, and they do it most senselessly in their wrongheadedness and folly. When they have declared war against each other, they come down to the fairest and most level ground that they can find and fight there, so that the victors come off with great harm; of the vanquished I say not so much as a word, for they are utterly destroyed.