History of the Peloponnesian War

And yet, if they were, as they say, honest men, the more impregnable they were to their neighbours, the more manifestly might they have shown their virtue, by giving and taking what was just.

"But neither to others nor to us are they of such a character; but although our colonists, they have all along revolted from us, and are now making war upon us; saying that they were not sent out to be ill-treated.

But we say that neither did we settle them there to be insulted by them, but to be their leaders, and to be properly respected by them.

Our other colonies, at least, honour us, and we are very much beloved by our colonists;

and it is evident, that if we are pleasing to the greater part, we should not, on a right view of the case, be displeasing to these alone; nor do we attack them unbecomingly, [*]( i. e. as we should do, if we were not signally injured by them.—Göller takes the ἐπιστρατεύομεν in a more general sense, as expressing the habitual policy of the Corinthians. Neque solemus bellulm inferre indigno majoris patriae modo, nisi insigni injuria cogimur. ) without being also signally injured by them.