History of the Peloponnesian War

And many, as we hinted at the beginning, are the advantages we hold forth to you; bat the greatest of them is, that we both have the same enemies, [*]( Göller observes that we should have expected εἰσίν here, rather than ἦσαν; but the construction is confused, and the imperfect ἦσαν is to be referred to ὑπείπομεν rather than to ἀποδείκνυμεν. We say, what we said before, namely, that we had both the same enemies. —Arnold.) (which is the surest bond,) and those not weak, but able to harm such as have stood aloof from them. And as it is a naval, and not a land alliance that is offered you, the loss of it is not the same; but it were best, if possible, [*]( Arnold says that the infinitive moods ἐᾶν and ἔχειν depend upon a verb understood, which is to be borrowed from the preceding clause: for οὐκ ὁμοία is the same thing in sense as οὐκ ὁμοίως ξυμφέρει; from whence the verb ξυμφέρει is to be tacitly repeated with what follows. —That some such impersonal verb is understood is very probable: but is not οὐκ ὁμοία rather equivalent to οὐκ ὁμοίως ἀξύμφορόν ἐστι? Not merely the same as it would be in the ease of a land alliance, but much greater. Compare two expressions in I. 143. 3, 4, καὶ ἄλλα οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου μεγάλα ἐχειν ... καὶ οὐκέτι ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοίου ἔσται πελοποννήσου μέρος τι τμηθῆναι καὶ τὴν ʼαττικὴν ἅπασαν κ. τ. λ.) to allow no one else to possess ships; but if not, whoever is strongest in them, to have him for your friend.

And whoever thinks that these things which we have urged are indeed expedient, but is afraid that through being persuaded by them he would break the treaty; let him know that his fear, being attended by strength, will cause greater alarm to his enemies; but that his confidence in not having received us, being powerless will be less formidable to his foes who are strong; and also, that it is not about Corcyra more than about Athens too that he is deliberating; and that he is not providing the best for her, when for the war that is coming, and all but here, he hesitates, from present considerations, to receive a country which is made either a friend or a foe, with the greatest opportunities [for good or evil].

For it lies well for the voyage along shore to Italy and Sicily, so as both to prevent a navy from coming thence to the Peloponnesians, and to help on its way a fleet from these parts to those;

and in other respects it is most advantageous. But the shortest summary, [*]( This is Poppo's interpretation of the passage, and it is perhaps impossible to express its full meaning more literally. He considers τοῖς ξύμπασι and ἕκαστον as neuters.) both for general and particular statements, from which you may learn not to give us up, is the following: There being [*]( I have followed the explanation of those who suppose the conjunction δέ to be placed in the apodosis of the sentence. Göller and Poppo supply ἴστε from the preceding μάθοιτε.) but three navies worth mentioning amongst the Greeks, yours, ours, and that of the Corinthians. if you allow two of these to come together, and the Corinthians bring us under their power first, you will have to fight at sea with both Corcyraeans and Peloponnesians; but if you receive us you will be able to contend against them with the greater number of ships on your side.

Thus spoke the Corcyraeans; and the Corinthians after them as follows.