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37.
‘I have often before now been
convinced that a democracy is incapable of empire, and never more so than by
your present change of mind in the matter of Mitylene.
[2]
Fears or plots being unknown to you in your daily relations with each
other, you feel just the same with regard to your allies, and never reflect
that the mistakes into which you may be led by listening to their appeals,
or by giving way to your own compassion, are full of danger to yourselves,
and bring you no thanks for your weakness from your allies; entirely forgetting that your empire is a despotism and your subjects
disaffected conspirators, whose obedience is insured not by your suicidal
concessions, but by the superiority given you by your own strength and not
their loyalty.
[3]
The most alarming feature in the case is the constant change of measures
with which we appear to be threatened, and our seeming ignorance of the fact
that bad laws which are never changed are better for a city than good ones
that have no authority; that unlearned loyalty is more serviceable than quick-witted
insubordination; and that ordinary men usually manage public affairs better than their more
gifted fellows.
[4]
The latter are always wanting to appear wiser than the laws, and to
overrule every proposition brought forward, thinking that they cannot show
their wit in more important matters, and by such behavior too often ruin
their country; while those who mistrust their own cleverness are content to be less
learned than the laws, and less able to pick holes in the speech of a good
speaker; and being fair judges rather than rival athletes, generally conduct affairs
successfully.
[5]
These we ought to imitate, instead of being led on by cleverness and
intellectual rivalry to advise your people against our real opinions.
Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. London, J. M. Dent; New York, E. P. Dutton. 1910.
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References (56 total)
- Commentary references to this page
(21):
- Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Electra, 65
- W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 5.78
- E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6, 6.85
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.102
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.30
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.38
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.40
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.42
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.43
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.45
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.47
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.48
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.54
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.63
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.64
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.67
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.81
- Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.83
- T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8, 8.68
- C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER X
- C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER LXVI
- Cross-references to this page
(4):
- Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges, PREPOSITIONS
- Raphael Kühner, Friedrich Blass, Ausführliche Grammatik der Griechischen Sprache, IV. Unbestimmte und fragende Pronomina.
- Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 1.3.2
- Sir Richard C. Jebb, Selections from the Attic Orators, 13.15
- Cross-references in notes to this page
(3):
- Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.1.5
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thuc. 3.40
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thuc. 6.85
- Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page
(28):
- LSJ, ἄκυ_ρος
- LSJ, ἀδεής
- LSJ, ἀγων-ιστής
- LSJ, ἀκολα^σ-ία
- LSJ, ἀμαθ-ής
- LSJ, ἀμαθ-ία
- LSJ, ἀνεπι-βούλευτος
- LSJ, ἀπιστ-έω
- LSJ, δεξιότης
- LSJ, δεινότης
- LSJ, ἐνδίδωμι
- LSJ, ἐπαίρω
- LSJ, ἐπικίνδυ_ν-ος
- LSJ, εὐμετά-βλητος
- LSJ, εὐμετα-βλησία
- LSJ, φαῦλος
- LSJ, γνώμ-η
- LSJ, ἡμέρα
- LSJ, καθίστημι
- LSJ, κρι^τ-ής
- LSJ, μεταμέλ-εια
- LSJ, οἰκέω
- LSJ, πα^λίμ-βουλος
- LSJ, σφάλλω
- LSJ, τοιοῦτος
- LSJ, τυ^ρανν-ίς
- LSJ, ὡς
- LSJ, χάρις
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