History of the Peloponnesian War

When tidings of what had taken place at Pylus reached Sparta, it was determined that, in so great a calamity, the authorities should go down to the camp, and [*]( Haack, Göller, and Dindorf retain the old reading,πρὸς τὸ χρῆμα, depending on ὁρῶντας, on inspection of the case. ) immediately decide on inspection what they thought best.

They, seeing that it was impossible to assist their men, and not wishing to run the risk of their perishing by starvation, or being overpowered and taken by superior numbers, determined to conclude with the Athenian generals, if they were willing, an armistice concerning matters at Pylus, and then send ambassadors to Athens on the subject of a convention, and to try to recover their men as quickly as possible.

The generals having acceded to their proposal, an armistice was concluded on the following terms:

That the Lacedaemonians should bring to Pylus, and deliver up to the Athenians, the ships with which they had fought the battle, and all in Laconia that were vessels of war; and should make no attack on the fort, either by land or sea. That the Athenians should allow the Lacedaemonians on the mainland to send over to their men in the island a stipulated quantity of corn, ready-kneaded, viz. two Attic choenixes of barley-meal a man, with two cotylae of wine and a piece of flesh; and half that quantity for [*]( i. e. each of those who are called, ch. 8. 9, εἵλωτες οἱ περὶ αὐτούς.) each attendant. That they should send in these rations under the eyes of the Athenians, and that no vessel should sail in by stealth. That the Athenians should keep guard over the island, nevertheless, so long as they did not land on it, and should abstain from attacking the forces of the Peloponnesians, either by land or by sea.

That if either party should break any of these terms, in any particular whatever, the armistice should at once be void. That it should be in force till the Lacedaemonian ambassadors returned from Athens, the Athenians conveying them thither in a trireme, and bring ing them back again. That on their arrival this armistice should be void, and the Athenians should deliver back the ships, in the same condition as they had received them.

The armistice was concluded on these terms; and accordingly the ships, amounting to about sixty, were given up, and the ambassadors despatched; who, on their arrival at Athens, spoke as follows:

"Athenians, the Lacedaemonians have sent us to effect, in behalf of our men in the island, whatever arrangement we may prove to be most advantageous for you, while at the same time it would be most creditable for us with regard to our misfortune, as far as present circumstances allow.

Nor will it be contrary to our habit that we shall address you at some length; but it is the fashion of our country, where few words are sufficient, not to use many; but to use more than ordinary, when there is occasion for proving by words a point of importance to us, and so effecting our purpose.

Receive then what we say, not in a hostile spirit, nor as though you were considered ignorant and were being instructed by us;

but rather regarding it as an admonition to take good advice, offered to men who are well informed. For it is in your power honourably to secure your present good fortune, keeping the advantages you have, and receiving an recession of honour and renown; and not to feel as men do that gain any advantage contrary to their habit; for through hope they are ever grasping for more, because they have unexpectedly enjoyed even their present good luck.

But those who have had most changes of fortune both ways, ought fairly to be most distrustful of prosperity. And this might reasonably be the case, both with your city, owing to its great experience, and with ourselves.

"You may learn this lesson by looking at our present misfortunes; for though enjoying the highest reputation of all the Greeks, we are now come [with this request] to you, though we were before accustomed to think that we had ourselves more power to grant what we have now come to sue for.

And yet we were not reduced to this either from decay of power, or from insolence on account of greater accession to it, but from failure in our plans, while reckoning on our ordinary resources;