Plato, 427? BC-347? BC / 2008-06-24 00:00:00
And then shone forth
the power and valour of our city. Her enemies had supposed that she was
exhausted by the war, and our ships were blockaded at Mitylene. But the
citizens themselves embarked, and came to the rescue with sixty other
ships, and their valour was confessed of all men, for they conquered their
enemies and delivered their friends. And yet by some evil fortune they
were left to perish at sea, and therefore are not interred here. Ever to
be remembered and honoured are they, for by their valour not only that sea-
fight was won for us, but the entire war was decided by them, and through
them the city gained the reputation of being invincible, even though
attacked by all mankind. And that reputation was a true one, for the
defeat which came upon us was our own doing. We were never conquered by
others, and to this day we are still unconquered by them; but we were our
own conquerors, and received defeat at our own hands. Afterwards there was
quiet and peace abroad, but there sprang up war at home; and, if men are
destined to have civil war, no one could have desired that his city should
take the disorder in a milder form. How joyful and natural was the
reconciliation of those who came from the Piraeus and those who came from
the city; with what moderation did they order the war against the tyrants
in Eleusis, and in a manner how unlike what the other Hellenes expected!
And the reason of this gentleness was the veritable tie of blood, which
created among them a friendship as of kinsmen, faithful not in word only,
but in deed.
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