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10. 'I tell you that in going to Sicily you are leaving many enemies behind you, and seem to be bent on bringing new ones hither. [2] You are perhaps relying upon the treaty recently made, which if you remain quiet may retain the name of a treaty; for to a mere name the intrigues of certain persons both here and at Lacedaemon have nearly succeeded in reducing it. But if you1 meet with any serious reverse, your enemies will be upon you in a moment, for the agreement was originally extracted from them by the pressure of misfortune, and the discredit of it was on their side not on ours2. In the treaty itself there are many disputed points; [3] and, unsatisfactory as it is, to this hour several cities, and very powerful cities too, persist in rejecting it. Some of these are at open war with us already3; others may declare war at ten days' notice4; and they only remain at peace because the Lacedaemonians are indisposed to move. [4] And in all probability, if they find our power divided (and such a division is precisely what we are striving to create), they will eagerly join the Sicilians, whose alliance in the war they would long ago have given anything to obtain. [5] These considerations should weigh with us. The state is far from the desired haven, and we should not run into danger and seek to gain a new empire before we have fully secured the old. The Chalcidians in Thrace have been rebels all these years and remain unsubdued, and there are other subjects of ours in various parts of the mainland who are uncertain in their allegiance. And we forsooth cannot lose a moment in avenging the wrongs of our allies the Egestaeans, while we still defer the punishment of our revolted subjects, whose offences are of long standing.

1 The state of our affairs in Hellas is uncertain, and while we are dreaming of conquests abroad we shall be attracting enemies at home. The Chalcidians are still in rebellion.

2 Cp. 5.46 init.

3 Cp. 5.115 med.

4 Cp. 5.26 med., 6.7 fin.

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  • Commentary references to this page (18):
    • Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus, 698
    • Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone, 124
    • T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8, 8.82
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER LXXIII
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.16
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.26
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.89
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.114
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.37
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.107
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.114
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.137
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.141
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.33
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.77
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, Introduction
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.63
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.67
  • Cross-references to this page (6):
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.1.2
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.2.3
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.2.4
    • William Watson Goodwin, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb, Chapter IV
    • Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, Tenses
    • Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, Concord of the adjective attribute.
  • Cross-references in notes from this page (4):
    • Thucydides, Histories, 5.115
    • Thucydides, Histories, 5.26
    • Thucydides, Histories, 5.46
    • Thucydides, Histories, 6.7
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (13):
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