History of the Peloponnesian War

By thus acting, you will both do what becomes you, and advise the best for yourselves.

Now the Athenians, after hearing both sides, when an assembly had been [*]( The great importance of the subject prevented their deciding in a single day.) even twice held, in the former rather admitted the arguments of the Corinthians; but in the one held the next day they changed their minds, and determined, not indeed to make an alliance with the Corcyraeans, so as to have the same enemies and friends, (for if the Corcyraeans had desired them to sail against Corinth, the treaty with the Peloponnesians would have been broken by them;) but they made a defensive alliance, to succour each other's country, should any one go against Corcyra, or Athens, or their allies. For they thought that, even as it was, they should have the war with the Peloponnesians;

and they wished not to give up Corcyra to the Corinthians, with so large a navy as it had, but to wear them out as much as possible against each other, that both the Corinthians and the rest who had navies might be in a weaker condition when they went to war with them, if it should be necessary to do so.