History of the Peloponnesian War

Indeed it was but a trifling and inconsiderable degree in which the city was of use to them towards gaining the victory over the enemy; and they had lost nothing in losing those who had neither any more money to send them, (but the soldiers provided it themselves,) nor yet good counsel to give them, for the sake of which a state has authority over armaments. On the contrary, even on these points the other party had done wrong by abolishing the laws of their fathers; while they themselves maintained those laws, and would endeavour to make them do it also. So that neither had they the inferiority as regarded those who should give good counsel.