§1.71.1‘ταύτης μέντοι τοιαύτης ἀντικαθεστηκυίας πόλεως, ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, διαμέλλετε καὶ οἴεσθε τὴν ἡσυχίαν οὐ τούτοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀρκεῖν οἳ ἂν τῇ μὲν παρασκευῇ δίκαια πράσσωσι, τῇ δὲ γνώμῃ, ἢν ἀδικῶνται, δῆλοι ὦσι μὴ ἐπιτρέψοντες, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ λυπεῖν τε τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀμυνόμενοι μὴ βλάπτεσθαι τὸ ἴσον νέμετε.
'Yet, though such a city is established against you, Lacedaemonians, you delay and do not think that quiet is longest preserved for those men who, while they do what is just with their preparations, make it clear that their mind will not submit if they are wronged; rather, you measure out fairness on the condition of not hurting others and not being hurt yourselves even when defending.
§1.71.2μόλις δ’ ἂν πόλει ὁμοίᾳ παροικοῦντες ἐτυγχάνετε τούτου· νῦν δ᾽, ὅπερ καὶ ἄρτι ἐδηλώσαμεν, ἀρχαιότροπα ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα πρὸς αὐτούς ἐστιν.
Indeed, you would scarcely have obtained this if you were living next to a state like yourselves; but now, as we have just shown, your practices are old-fashioned compared to theirs.
§1.71.3ἀνάγκη δὲ ὥσπερ τέχνης αἰεὶ τὰ ἐπιγιγνόμενα κρατεῖν·
And it is necessary, just as in an art, that what is newly developed should always prevail.
καὶ ἡσυχαζούσῃ μὲν πόλει τὰ ἀκίνητα νόμιμα ἄριστα, πρὸς πολλὰ δὲ ἀναγκαζομένοις ἰέναι πολλῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπιτεχνήσεως δεῖ.
While for a quiet city unchanged customs are best, for those who are compelled to go into many enterprises, there is need of much new invention.
δι’ ὅπερ καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀπὸ τῆς πολυπειρίας ἐπὶ πλέον ὑμῶν κεκαίνωται.
For this reason, also, the institutions of the Athenians have been modernized far more than yours, owing to their great experience.
§1.71.4μέχρι μὲν οὖν τοῦδε ὡρίσθω ὑμῶν ἡ βραδυτής·
Let your procrastination, then, be bounded at this point.
νῦν δὲ τοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ Ποτειδεάταις, ὥσπερ ὑπεδέξασθε, βοηθήσατε κατὰ τάχος ἐσβαλόντες ἐς τὴν Ἀττικήν, ἵνα μὴ ἄνδρας τε φίλους καὶ ξυγγενεῖς τοῖς ἐχθίστοις προῆσθε καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἄλλους ἀθυμίᾳ πρὸς ἑτέραν τινὰ ξυμμαχίαν τρέψητε.
Now, aid the rest of your allies and the Potidaeans, as you promised, by making a speedy invasion into Attica, so that you may not betray men who are your friends and kinsmen to their worst enemies, and turn the rest of us in despair to some other alliance.
§1.71.5δρῷμεν δ’ ἂν ἄδικον οὐδὲν οὔτε πρὸς θεῶν τῶν ὁρκίων οὔτε πρὸς ἀνθρώπων τῶν αἰσθανομένων· λύουσι γὰρ σπονδὰς οὐχ οἱ δι’ ἐρημίαν ἄλλοις προσιόντες, ἀλλ’ οἱ μὴ βοηθοῦντες οἷς ἂν ξυνομόσωσιν.
In doing so, we should commit no injustice either before the gods of oaths or before men of understanding; for treaties are broken not by those who, because they are abandoned, go to others, but by those who fail to assist those with whom they have sworn.
§1.71.6βουλομένων δὲ ὑμῶν προθύμων εἶναι μενοῦμεν· οὔτε γὰρ ὅσια ἂν ποιοῖμεν μεταβαλλόμενοι οὔτε ξυνηθεστέρους ἂν ἄλλους εὕροιμεν.
But if you are willing to show zeal, we will remain; for we should neither act piously by changing our course, nor should we find others more congenial to us.
§1.71.7πρὸς τάδε βουλεύεσθε εὖ καὶ τὴν Πελοπόννησον πειρᾶσθε μὴ ἐλάσσω ἐξηγεῖσθαι ἢ οἱ πατέρες ὑμῖν παρέδοσαν. ’
Deliberate well on these things, and try to lead the Peloponnese in no less a state than your fathers handed down to you.'