§6.84.1‘ὑπολάβῃ δὲ μηδεὶς ὡς οὐδὲν προσῆκον ὑμῶν κηδόμεθα, γνοὺς ὅτι σῳζομένων ὑμῶν καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀσθενεῖς ὑμᾶς ὄντας ἀντέχειν Συρακοσίοις ἧσσον ἂν τούτων πεμψάντων τινὰ δύναμιν Πελοποννησίοις ἡμεῖς βλαπτοίμεθα.
'But let no one suppose that we care for you when it is no business of ours, knowing that if you are preserved, and by your not being weak but holding out against the Syracusans, they would be less likely to send any force to the Peloponnesians, and we would be less harmed.
§6.84.2καὶ ἐν τούτῳ προσήκετε ἤδη ἡμῖν τὰ μέγιστα.
And in this respect you already concern us in the highest degree.
διόπερ καὶ τοὺς Λεοντίνους εὔλογον κατοικίζειν μὴ ὑπηκόους ὥσπερ τοὺς ξυγγενεῖς αὐτῶν τοὺς ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ, ἀλλ’ ὡς δυνατωτάτους, ἵνα ἐκ τῆς σφετέρας ὅμοροι ὄντες τοῖσδε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν λυπηροὶ ὦσιν.
Therefore, it is also reasonable to resettle the Leontines not as subjects, like their kinsmen in Euboea, but as strong as possible, so that, being neighbors to these men from their own territory, they may be troublesome to them on our behalf.
§6.84.3τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀρκοῦμεν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, καὶ ὁ Χαλκιδεύς, ὃν ἀλόγως ἡμᾶς φησὶ δουλωσαμένους τοὺς ἐνθάδε ἐλευθεροῦν, ξύμφορος ἡμῖν ἀπαράσκευος ὢν καὶ χρήματα μόνον φέρων, τὰ δὲ ἐνθάδε καὶ Λεοντῖνοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι φίλοι ὅτι μάλιστα αὐτονομούμενοι.
For as to affairs there, we ourselves are sufficient against our enemies, and the Chalcidians—whom he says we enslaved illogically while liberating those here—are useful to us by being unarmed and only bringing tribute; but as to affairs here, both the Leontines and our other friends are most useful by being as independent as possible.'