History of the Peloponnesian War

For you will not merely become allies to them, but also enemies to us instead of being at truce with us. For it will be necessary for us, if you go with them, to include you when we proceed to take vengeance upon them.

And yet the right course for you would be, preferably, to stand aloof from us both,—or else to go with us against them, remembering that you are under treaty with the Corinthians, but have never had with the Corcyraeans even an arrangement to refrain from hostilities for a time,—and not to establish the precedent of admitting into your alliance those who revolt from the other side.

Why, when the Samians[*](440 B.C. cf. Thuc. 1.115.) revolted from you, and the other Peloponnesians were divided in their votes on the question of aiding them, we on our part did not vote against you;

on the contrary, we openly maintained that each one should discipline his own allies without interference. If you receive and assist evil-doers, you will surely find that full as many of your allies will come over to us, and the precedent you establish will be against yourselves rather than against us.

" These, then, are the considerations of right which we urge upon you—and they are adequate according to the institutions of the Hellenes; but we have also to remind you of a favour and to urge a claim based upon it;