facts as he ought to be, we will declare them
to him. The Athenians came to this country first to effect the conquest
of Sicily, and after that, if successful, of Peloponnese and the rest of
Hellas, possessing already the greatest empire yet known, of present or
former times, among the Hellenes. Here for the first time they found
in you men who faced their navy which made them masters everywhere; you
have already defeated them in the previous sea-fights, and will in all
likelihood defeat them again now. When men are once checked in what they
consider their special excellence, their whole opinion of themselves
suffers more than if they had not at first believed in their
superiority, the unexpected shock to their pride causing them to give
way more than their real strength warrants; and this is probably now the
case with the Athenians.

"With us it is different. The original estimate of ourselves which gave
us courage in the days of our unskilfulness has been strengthened, while
the conviction superadded to it that we must be the best seamen of the
time, if we have conquered the best, has given a double measure of
hope to every man among us; and, for the most part, where there is the
greatest hope, there is also the greatest ardour for action. The means
to combat us which they have tried to find in copying our armament are
familiar to our warfare, and will be met by proper provisions; while
they will never be able to have a number of heavy infantry on their
decks, contrary to their custom, and a number of darters (born landsmen,
one may say, Acarnanians and others, embarked afloat, who will not know
how to discharge their weapons when they have to keep still), without
hampering their vessels and falling all into confusion among themselves
through fighting not according to their own tactics. For they will gain
nothing by the number of their ships--I say this to those of you who may
be alarmed by having to fight against odds--as a quantity of ships in a
confined space will only be slower in executing the movements required,
and most exposed to injury from our means of offence. Indeed, if you
would know the plain truth, as we are credibly informed, the excess of
their sufferings and the necessities of their present distress have made
them desperate; they have no confidence in their force, but wish to
try their fortune in the only way they can, and either to force their
passage and sail out, or after this to retreat by land, i