Let the Athenians beware of abusing their
advantage; though they had the upper hand to-day, they might be
brought to their knees to-morrow. War was a game of hazard, in which
the luck was always changing. Now they had an opportunity of
concluding an honourable peace, and establishing a lasting claim to
the gratitude of Sparta. And if the two leading states of Greece were
once united, they could dictate what terms they pleased to the rest.
The notorious selfishness of Spartan policy is glaringly manifested in
this speech. In their anxiety to recover their own citizens, the
Spartans completely ignored the interests of their allies, and held
out the right hand of fellowship to the people whom they had lately
branded as the oppressors and spoilers of Greece. The Athenians might
well distrust the professions of these perfidious statesmen, who
repudiated their sworn obligations with such cynical levity. The
Spartans in Sphacteria were already, they thought, prisoners of
Athens, to be dealt with as they pleased; and were they to resign this
costly prize, in return for a vague promise of friendship from Sparta?
Their answer was framed on the advice of Cleon: they could not, they
said, enter into any discussion, until the men on the island had
surrendered themselves, and been brought to Athens.
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