History of the Peloponnesian War

For the Chians are the only people that I am acquainted with, after the Lacedaemonians, who were at once prosperous and prudent; and the more their city increased in greatness, the more secure were their arrangements.

And even their present revolt, if any think that they executed this without regard for the safer course, they did not venture to make, before they were likely to run the risk in concert with many brave allies, and perceived that even the Athenians themselves no longer denied, after their disaster in Sicily, that without doubt their circumstances were utterly bad. But if they were somewhat disappointed by the unexpected results that occur in the life of man, they found out their mistake in company with many others, who had in the same way imagined that the power of the Athenians would be quickly destroyed.