Achaeus At Selge
While this was going on frequent meetings for discussion took place between the camp and the town, and it
became quite an ordinary thing for the soldiers to go into the
town to purchase corn. This is a state of things which has
on many occasions proved fatal. And it appears to me that
of all animals the most easily deceived is man, though he has
the credit of being the most cunning. For consider how
many entrenched camps and fortresses, how many and what
great cities have been betrayed by this kind of trick! And yet
in spite of such frequent and conspicuous examples of the many
people to whom it has happened, somehow or another we are
always new to such deceit, and fall into the trap with the inexperience of youth. The reason is that we do not keep ready
for reference in our minds the disasters of those who have made
mistakes before us in this or that particular. But while preparing with great labour and cost stores of corn and money, and a
provision of walls and weapons to meet unforeseen eventualities,
that which is the easiest of all and the most serviceable in the
hour of danger—that we all neglect; although we might obtain
this experience from history and research, which in themselves
add a dignity to leisure and a charm to existence.
Achaeus then duly arrived at the time expected: and after
Failure of the treason of Logbasis. |
conference with him, the Selgians had great
hopes of experiencing some signal kindness at
his hands. But in the interval Logbasis had
little by little collected in his house some of the soldiers who
came into the town from the camp; and now advised the
citizens not to let slip the opportunity, but to act with the
display of Achaeus's kindly disposition towards them before their
eyes; and to put the finishing stroke to the treaty, after holding
a general assembly of the whole community to discuss the
situation. An assembly was at once convened, to which even
those on guard were all summoned to assist in bringing the
treaty to completion; and the citizens began deliberating on
the state of affairs.
