History of the Peloponnesian War

So it was that every form of depravity showed itself in Hellas in consequence of its revolutions, and that simplicity, which is the chief element of a noble nature, was laughed to scorn and disappeared, while mutual antagonism of feeling, combined with mistrust, prevailed far and wide.

For there was no assurance binding enough, no oath terrible enough, to reconcile men; but always, if they were stronger,[*](Or, as Shilleto, “leaning in calculation to considering that security was hopeless, they rather took precautions . . .” cf. Schol., ῥέποντες δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωτοι τοῖς λογισμοῖς πρὸς τὸ υὴ ἐλπίζειν τινὰ πίστιν καὶ βεβαίοτητα.) since they accounted all security hopeless, they were rather disposed to take precautions against being wronged than able to trust others.

And it was generally those of meaner intellect who won the day; for being afraid of their own defects and of their opponents' sagacity, in order that they might not be worsted in words, and, by reason of their opponents' intellectual versatility find themselves unawares victims of their plots, they boldly resorted to deeds.

Their opponents, on the other hand, contemptuously assuming that they would be aware in time and that there was no need to secure by deeds what they might have by wit, were taken off their guard and perished in greater numbers.

It was in Corcyra,[*](This chapter is bracketed as spurious by Hude and nearly all recent commentators, because it is condemned by the ancient grammarians, is not mentioned by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and is obelised in Codex F.) then, that most of these atrocities were first committed—all the acts of retaliation which men who are governed with highhanded insolence rather than with moderation are likely to commit upon their rulers when these at last afford them opportunity for revenge; or such as men resolve upon contrary to justice when they seek release from their accustomed poverty, and in consequence of their sufferings are likely to be most eager for their neighbours' goods;[*](Or, μάλιστα δ’ ἂν διὰ πάθους ἐπιθυμοῦντες, “would be above all men passionately eager for. . .”) and assaults of pitiless cruelty, such as men make, not with a view to gain, but when, being on terms of complete equality with their foe, they are utterly carried away by uncontrollable passion.