History of the Peloponnesian War

That such an outcome should even be spoken of as a possibility, or that so many cities might suffer ill at the hands of one, is a disgrace to the Peloponnesus. In such a case men would say of us, either that we deserved our fate, or that through cowardice we submitted to it, and that we were clearly degenerate sons of our fathers, who liberated Hellas, whereas we, so far from making this liberty secure, should be allowing a city to be established as a tyrant in our midst, though we claim the reputation of deposing the monarchs in single states.

We know not how such a course can be acquitted of one of the three gravest errors, stupidity or cowardice, or carelessness. For I cannot suppose that, escaping those errors, you have reached that most fatal spirit of proud disdain[*](καταφρόνησις is that proud and haughty spirit which precedes and invites a fall. It seems impossible to reproduce in English the assonance of the words καταφρόνησις ἀφροσύνη Thucydides was fond of paronomasia; cf. Thuc. 1.33.4.) which has ruined so many men that it has taken on a new name, that of despicable folly.