, but on the most favourable supposition, friends to our direst
enemies, and at feud with our natural friends.

"For myself, though, as I said at first, the representative of a great
city, and able to think less of defending myself than of attacking
others, I am prepared to concede something in prevision of these
dangers. I am not inclined to ruin myself for the sake of hurting my
enemies, or so blinded by animosity as to think myself equally master
of my own plans and of fortune which I cannot command; but I am ready
to give up anything in reason. I call upon the rest of you to imitate
my conduct of your own free will, without being forced to do so by the
enemy. There is no disgrace in connections giving way to one another,
a Dorian to a Dorian, or a Chalcidian to his brethren; above and beyond
this we are neighbours, live in the same country, are girt by the same
sea, and go by the same name of Sicilians. We shall go to war again, I
suppose, when the time comes, and again make peace among ourselves by
means of future congresses; but the foreign invader, if we are wise,
will always find us united against him, since the hurt of one is the
danger of all; and we shall never, in future, invite into the island
either allies or mediators. By so acting we shall at the present moment
do for Sicily a double service, ridding her at once of the Athenians,
and of civil war, and in future shall live in freedom at home, and be
less menaced from abroad."

Such were the words of Hermocrates. The Sicilians took his advice, and
came to an understanding among themselves to end the war, each keeping
what they had--the Camarinaeans taking Morgantina at a price fixed to
be paid to the Syracusans--and the allies of the Athenians called the
officers in command, and told them that they were going to make peace
and that they would be included in the treaty. The generals assenting,
the peace was concluded, and the Athenian fleet afterwards sailed
away from Sicily. Upon their arrival at Athens, the Athenians banished
Pythodorus and Sophocles, and fined Eurymedon for having taken bribes
to depart when they might have subdued Sicily. So thoroughly had the
present prosperity persuaded the citizens that nothing could withstand
them, and that they could achieve what was possible and impracticable
alike, with means ample or inadequate it mattered not. The secret of
this was their general extraordinary success, which made them confuse
their strength wi