twice already (6) stood here to treat for conclusion of war, and on both
embassies succeeded in arranging a mutually agreeable peace. Now for
the third time I am come, and I flatter myself that to-day again I shall
obtain a reconciliation, and on grounds exceptionally just. My eyes bear
witness that our hearts are in accord; you and we alike are pained at
the effacement of Plataeae and Thespiae. Is it not then reasonable that
out of agreement should spring concord rather than discord? It is never
the part, I take it, of wise men to raise the standard of war for the
sake of petty differences; but where there is nothing but unanimity they
must be marvellous folk who refuse the bond of peace. But I go further.
It were just and right on our parts even to refuse to bear arms against
each other; since, as the story runs, the first strangers to whom our
forefather Triptolemus showed the unspeakable mystic rites of Demeter
and Core, the mother and the maiden, were your ancestors;--I speak of
Heracles, the first founder of your state, and of your two citizens, the
great twin sons of Zeus--and to Peloponnesus first he gave as a gift the
seed of Demeter's corn-fruits. How, then, can it be just or right either
that you should come and ravage the corn crops of those from whom you
got the sacred seed of corn, or that we should not desire that they to
whom the gift was given should share abundantly of this boon? But if, as
it would seem, it is a fixed decree of heaven that war shall never cease
among men, yet ought we--your people and our people--to be as slow as
possible to begin it, and being in it, as swift as possible to bring it
to an end."

(6) B.C. 387 and 374; see Curtius, "H. G." vol. iv. p. 376 (Eng. ed.)

After him Autocles (7) spoke: he was of repute as a versatile lawyer and
orator, and addressed the meeting as follows: "Lacedaemonians, I do not
conceal from myself that what I am about to say is not calculated to
please you, but it seems to me that, if you wish the friendship which
we are cementing to last as long as possible, we are wise to show each
other the underlying causes of our wars. Now, you are perpetually saying
that the states ought to be independent; but it is you yourselves
who most of all stand in the way of independence--your first and last
stipulation with the allied states being that they should follow you
whithersoever you choose to lead; and yet what has this principle of
follow-my-leader got to do