History of the Peloponnesian War

Thus every kind of villany arose in Greece from these seditions. Simplicity which is a very large ingredient in a noble nature, was laughed down and disappeared; and mutual opposition of feeling, with a want of confidence, prevailed to a great extent.

For there was neither promise that could be depended on, nor oath that struck them with fear, t put an end to their strife; but all being in their calculations more strongly inclined to despair of any thing proving trustworthy, they looked forward to their own escape from suffering more easily than they could place confidence [in arrangements with others].

And the men of more homely wit, generally speaking, had the advantage; for through fearing their own deficiency and the cleverness of their opponents, lest thy might be worsted in words, and be first plotted against by means of the versatility of their enemy's genius, they proceeded boldly to deeds.

Whereas their opponents, arrogantly thinking that they should be aware beforehand, and that there was no need for their securing by action what they could by stratagem, were unguarded and more often ruined.

It was in Corcyra then that most of these things were first ventured on; both the deeds which men who were governed with a spirit of insolence, rather than of moderation, by those who afterwards afforded them an opportunity of vengeance, would do as the retaliating party; or which those who wished to rid themselves of their accustomed poverty, and passionately desired the possession of their neighbours' goods, might unjustly resolve on; or which those who had begin the struggle, not from covetousness, but on a more equal fooling, might savagely and ruthlessly proceed to, chiefly through being carried away by the rudeness of their anger.

Thus the course of life being at that time thrown into confusion in the city, human nature, which is wont to do wrong even in spite of the laws, having then got the mastery of the law, gladly showed itself to be unrestrained in passion, above reward for justice, and an enemy to all superiority. They would not else have preferred vengeance to region, and gain to innocence; in which state envy would have had no power to hurt them.

And so men presume in their acts of vengeance to be the first to violate those common laws on such questions, from which all have a hope secured to them of being themselves rescued from misfortune; and they will not allow them to remain, in case of any one's ever being in danger and in need of some of them.

Such then were the passions which the Corcyraeans in the city indulged towards one another, being the first that did so. And Eurymedon and the Athenians sailed away with their ships;