But think how far greater was the sacrifice made by our grandsires,
who refused the fairest offers from Persia, and gave up all they had,
rather than betray the common cause. Athens and Attica were then all
the country they had, and these lost they had nothing left but their
ships, their strong arms, and their stout hearts. In our case, on the
other hand, all the essential elements of our power--our city, our
fleet, our colonial empire--remain untouched. Shall we, then, sell our
honour to save a few vineyards and olive-grounds from temporary
damage? That would be a short-sighted policy indeed, and in the end
would involve not only dishonour, but the loss of our whole empire.
Let us act, then, in the spirit of our fathers, and send away the
Spartan ambassadors with the only answer which is consistent with our
dignity and our interest."
The reply to the Spartan ultimatum was framed as Pericles had
directed, and from this moment all negotiations ceased. And here we
close our account of the events which led to the Peloponnesian War.
THE SURPRISE OF PLATAEA
I
On the northern slope of Cithaeron, the mountain range which divides
Attica from Boeotia, lies the little town of Plataea. By race and by
geographical position the Plataeans were naturally included in the
Boeotian confederacy, under the leadership of Thebes.
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