Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.37

[1] "The Corcyraeans in their oration having made mention not only of your taking them into league, but also that they are wronged and unjustly warred on, it is also necessary for us first to answer concerning both those points, and then afterwards to proceed to the rest of what we have to say: to the end you may foreknow that ours are the safest demands for you to embrace, and that you may upon reason reject the needy estate of those others.

[2] Whereas they allege in defence of their refusing to enter league with other cities that the same hath proceeded from modesty, the truth is that they took up that custom not from any virtue but mere wickedness, as being unwilling to have any confederate for a witness of their evil actions, and to be put to blush by calling them.

[3] Besides, their city being by the situation sufficient within itself, giveth them this point, that when they do any man a wrong, they themselves are the judges of the same, and not men appointed by consent. For going seldom forth against other nations, they intercept such as by necessity are driven into their harbour.

[4] And in this consisteth their goodly pretext for not admitting confederates, not because they would not be content to accompany others in doing evil, but because they had rather do it alone; that where they were too strong, they might oppress; and when there should be none to observe them, the less of the profit might be shared from them; and that they might escape the shame when they took anything.

[5] But if they had been honest men (as they themselves say they are), by how much the less they are obnoxious to accusation, so much the more means they have, by giving and taking what is due, to make their honesty appear.

„Da die Kerkyräer in ihrer Rede nicht bei dem Ansuchen
um eure Bundesgenossenschaft stehen geblieben sind, sondern auch
behauptet haben, daß wir hart und ungerecht gegen sie verfahren, und
daß sie selbst gegen alles Recht mit Krieg überzogen werden, so müssen
auch wir uns zuerst über diese beiden Punkte auslassen, ehe wir zum
eigentlichen Zweck unserer Rede kommen, damit ihr von vorn herein
deutlich seht, was wir wollen, und damit wir euch triftige Gründe an
die Hand geben. Dieser Ansuchen zurückzuweisen. Wie sie sagen,
hätte sie die Klugheit bewogen, sich mit Niemanden in ein Bündniß
einzulassen, aber das ist nur aus bösem Willen, nicht aus
rühmenswerther Gesinnung geshcehen. Sie konnten zu ihren Schändlichkeiten
keine Gehilfen und keine Zeugen brauchen und wollten sich durch
Zuziehung Anderer keiner Beschämung aussetzen. Auch gibt ihnen die
Lage ihres Inselstaates eine unabhängige Stellung und gestattet ihnen,
in eigener Person über Diejenigen Richter zu sein, denen sie selbst
Unrecht zufügen, ohne sich an Verträge binden zu müssen. Denn sie
selbst besuchen mit ihren Schiffen Niemanden, wohl aber sind
Andere oft genöthigt, bei ihnen Zuflucht zu suchen ^). Das ist der
Grund ihrer gerühmten Zurückhaltung von fremder
Bundesgenoffenschast. Sie wollen nicht, wie sie vorschützen, an fremdem Unrecht
unbetheiligt bleiben, sondern auf eigene Rechnung Unrecht ausüben und,
wo sie die Macht dazu in Händen haben, Gewalt brauchen, wo es
aber heimlich geschehen kann. Andere Übervortheilen; in jedem Fall
aber wollen sie keiner Beschämung ausgesetzt sein, wenn sie irgendwo
Raub verübt haben. Wären sie rechtliche Leute, wie sie sich
rühmen, so könnten sie durch Rechtgeben und Nehmen ihre Tugend
um so Heller leuchten lassen, je unangreifbarer ihre Stellung nach
Außen ist.

So redeten die Kerkyräer, nach ihnen aber die Korinther
folgendermaßen:
„Da die Kerkyräer nicht nur über Aufnahme in euren Bund
geredet, sondern auch behauptet haben, daß sie unwürdig von
uns behandelt und widerrechtlich mit Krieg überzogen würden,
so müssen auch wir, bevor wir zur Sache kommen, zunächst
auf beides eingehen, damit ihr von vornherein wißt, was wir
wollen, und daß ihr guten Grund habt, ihre Bitte abzulehnen.
Sie sagen, aus weiser Selbstbeschränkung hätten sie sich bis­
her mit niemand auf ein Bündnis eingelassen. Dem ist nicht
so; sie haben das nicht aus Rechtlichkeit, sondern in böser Ab­
sicht getan. Sie wollten auf ihren schlechten Wegen keine
Bundesgenossen zu Zeugen bei sich haben, vor denen sie sich
hätten schämen müssen. Auch macht es die glückliche Insellage
ihrer Stadt ihnen um so eher möglich, wo sie anderen unrecht
tun, ihr eigener Richter zu sein, wenn sie durch keine Bundes-
verträge gebunden sind; denn sie selbst kommen selten in die
Lage, fremde Häfen aufzusuchen, während andere vielfach ge­
zwungen sind, Kerkyra anzulaufen. Die ehrbare Neutralitäts­
maske haben sie nicht angenommen, um sich nicht an fremdem
Unrecht beteiligen zu müssen, sondern um auf eigene Hand
Unfug treiben, andere, wo sie die Macht haben, vergewaltigen
oder, wo es niemand merkt, übervorteilen und bei jeder Gelegen­
heit unverschämt zugreifen zu können. Wären sie wirklich die
Biedermänner, wie sie behaupten, so hätten sie als solche um
so eher ihr Licht leuchten und Recht Recht sein lassen sollen,
je weniger andere ihnen beikommen können.

Ainsi parlèrent les Corcyréens ; après eux les Corinthiens s’exprimèrent en ces termes :

« Puisque dans leur discours les Corcyréens ici présents ne se sont pas bornés à réclamer votre alliance, mais qu’à les entendre nous sommes dans nos torts et nous leur faisons une guerre injuste, nous devons préalablement répondre à ce double reproche; après quoi nous aborderons le fond de la question, afin que vous avisiez. plus mûrement sur notre requête et ne repoussiez la leur qu'à bon escient.

« A les entendre, c’est par modération gu’iiS se sont abstenus jusqû'ici de toute alliance. Tant s’en fautl c’est par scélératesse, et nullement par vertu, qu’ils ont suivi ce système; c'est pour n’avoir ni associé ni témoin dans' leurs rapines et pour s’épargner des affronts. Ajoutez que leur ville, par sa position indépendante, leur permet mieux que ne le feraient des traités de se constituer eux-mémes les juges de ceux qu’ils offensent, parce que, fréquentant peu les ports étrangers, ils reçoivent très-souvènt dans le leur les vaisseaux des autres nations, forcés d’y relâcher : à cela sc réduit ce beau principe d’isolement dont ils font étalage ; ce n'est pas qu’ils craignent de tremper dans des iniquités; c’est qu'ils veulent être injustes seuls, user de violence quand ils sont les plus forts, ravir dans l’ombre le bien d’autrui, et nier effrontément leurs usurpations. S’ils avaient cette probité dont ils se vantent, plus iis sont à l’abri des attaques du dehors, plus ils tiendraient à honneur de rester dans les Voies légales.

[1] " Since these Corcyraeans have not confined themselves to the question of their admission into your alliance, but have gone further and urged that we are the wrong-doers and they are unfairly attacked, we too must of necessity touch upon both these points before we proceed to our general argument, in order that you may be more definitely forewarned of the nature of tle demand we have to make, and may have good grounds for rejecting their petition. "They say that 'a wise discretion' has hitherto kept them from accepting an alliance with anyone;

[2] but the fact is that they adopted this policy with a view to villainy and not from virtuous motives, and because they wished in their misdeeds not to have any ally as witness, or to be put to shame if they invited his presence.

[3] Moreover, the insular and independent position of this state causes them to be arbitrary judges of the injuries they do to others instead of being judges appointed by mutual agreement; owing to the fact that they resort very little to the ports of their neighbours, but to a very large extent receive into their ports others who are compelled to put in there.

[4] And meanwhile they have used as a cloak their specious policy of avoiding alliances, adopted not in order to avoid joining others in wrong-doing, but that they may do wrong all alone; that wherever they have power they may use violence, and wherever they can escape detection they may overreach someone; and if, perchance, they can steal a march on anyone, that they may brazen it out.

[5] And yet, if they were really honest men, as they pretend to be, the less liable they were to attack by their neighbours the more clearly they might have demonstrated their virtuous motives by offering and accepting proposals of arbitration.

[1] "Since these Corcyraeans have made their harangue, not only about receiving them. but also to show that we are acting unjustly, and they are unfairly attacked; it is necessary that we too should first touch on both these points, and so proceed to the rest of our speech; that you may know more certainly beforehand the grounds of our request, and may with good reason reject their petition. Now they say that it was from regard to prudence that hitherto they accepted the alliance of no party:

[2] whereas they adopted this practice for villany, and not for virtue; but from wishing to have no ally or witness in their unjust deeds, nor to be put to the blush by calling him to their aid.

[3] And their city also, lying in a self-sufficient position, makes them judges of the injuries they inflict on any one, rather than that there should be judges appointed by agreement; because, while they very seldom sail from home to their neighbours, they very frequently receive others, who of necessity touch there. And herein consists the specious shunning of confederacies, which they have put forward;

[4] not that they may avoid committing injustice with other, but that they may commit them by themselves; and that wherever they have the power, they may act with violence; and where they escape observation, they may take unfair advantage; and if in any case they have seized on something, they may not be put to the blush.

[5] And yet, if they were, as they say, honest men, the more impregnable they were to their neighbours, the more manifestly might they have shown their virtue, by giving and taking what was just.

[1] « Quoniam isti Corcyraei non solum de se m societatem recipiendis verba fecerunt, sed etiam se a nobis injuriam accepisse, et iniquo bello premi, necesse ect, nos quoque utraque de re pauca primum memorare, atque sic ad reliquam orationem accedere, ut et nostra postulata tutiora esse provideatis, et istorum necessitatem non sine ratione repudietis.

[2] Aiunt autem se prudentiae studio nullius societatem unquam recepisse. Illi vero hoc institutum secuti sunt maleficii non autem virtutis studio, quia nullum scelerum socium, nullumque testem habere, neque aliorum opem implorantes erubescere voluerunt.

[3] Simul etiam ipsorum urbs, quae propter situm firma et se contenta est, hoc iis commodum praebet, ut ipsi potius, si cui injuriam fecerint, arbitri sint, quam ex pactis, propterea quod dum ad finitimos rarissime navigant, alios necessitate illuc appellentes saepissime excipiunt.

[4] Atque hac in re positum est illud decorum, quod praetendunt, se ab aliorum societate abhorruisse, non ut aliorum in sceleribus perpetrandis societatem fugiant, sed ut soli scelera perpetrent; utque, ubi quidem potentiores sunt, vim faciant; ubi vero latent, fraude circumveniant, et si quid ceperint, impudentiam induant.

[5] Ac vero si, quemadmodum praedicant, viri essent boni, quo minus ab aliis aflligi poterant, eo magis ipsis virtutem ostendere licebat, aequo jure cum aliis disceptando.

« Avendo questi Corfuotti fatto parola non solo di essere ammessi alla vostra alleanza, ma eziandio di essere ingiuriati da noi, e di soffrire a torto questa guerra, forza è che noi pure tocchiamo prima questi due capi, per passar poi agli altri punti dei quali siamo per parlarvi : così voi preconoscerete esservi maggiormente utili le nostre richieste, e non irragionevolmente rifiuterete i servigi di costoro. Dicono non aver per prudenza fatto mai alleanza con veruno; mentre hanno costumato così più presto per ribalderia che per virtù : perciocché non vogliono avere testimoni alle loro nequizie per non doversi vergognare di averli invitati. La stessa loro città, che colla sua positura ne porge il più bel destro da ciò, li rende, più che se lo fossero per convenzione, giudici delle ingiurie che contro gli altri commettono, perchè senza navigare a casa altrui non fanno altro che intraprender quei che per necessità vi approdano. Ecco la forza del bel pretesto di non conoscere alleanza ; di questo si ammantellano, non per evitare la complicità delle ingiustizie altrui, ma per commetterle da sé soli ; per usar violenza ove abbiano maggiori forze ; per soverchiare altrui, ove riesca tenere occulta la trama ; e per negare sfacciatamente qualunque usurpazione. E pure se fossero uomini dabbene come si vantano, quanto meno erano esposti alle invasioui altrui, tanto più potevano palesemente far mostra di virtù, col rendere , e col ricevere quel che è di giusto diritto.