History of the Peloponnesian War

And when, in answer to this question, they all admitted there was no other hope, he thereupon told them plainly: “Well, this cannot be attained by us unless we form a wiser government and put the offices to a greater extent into the hands of a few, in order that the King may trust us, and unless in our deliberations we take less heed at present about the form of our government than about our salvation (for afterwards it will be possible for us to make a change if there is anything we do not like), and recall Alcibiades, who is the only man in the world to-day who is able to bring this result to pass.”