History of the Peloponnesian War

Author: Thucydides
Translator: Xu Songyan, Huang Xianquan
American Samoa / U.S. Samoa
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Features: [41] "In a nutshell, our city-state is the school of Hellas. I believe that no people in the world are as independent, refined, and versatile in many aspects of their personal lives as the Athenians. These are not empty boasts for this occasion but actual facts, and it is through these qualities that our city-state has gained its power. Among existing states, only Athens has been proven greater than its reputation when tested; only Athens has had invaders who were not ashamed of defeat; only Athens has had subjects who did not complain about incompetent rulers. Not only will modern times but also future generations will marvel at us. For although our great power has left no living witnesses, the monuments we have left behind are immense. We do not need Homer to sing our praises, nor do we need the praise of anyone else, for their praise can only intoxicate us temporarily, and their impression of the facts is not sufficient to reflect the truth. We boldly ventured into every ocean and onto every land; the misfortunes we brought or the blessings we bestowed① on all these places have left immortal memories for future generations. This is Athens, this is the city-state where these people fought and died generously for it, for as soon as they thought of leaving it, they would shudder. Every descendant of these people should be prepared to endure all this suffering. [42] "Indeed, I have spoken at length about the characteristics of our city-state because I wanted to show you that our goals are far greater than those pursued by people who lack these qualities. Therefore, I will now express my remembrance of the fallen soldiers with concrete evidence. Now, regarding the most important part of praising the fallen soldiers, I have already completed it. Because I have praised Athens and the heroism of these people and those like them who made our city-state great, you will find that they are not like most other Greeks; their reputation is worthy of their deeds. In my opinion, such deaths are a test of a person's worth, whether it is the first manifestation of their qualities or the final proof. Fairly speaking, their steadfast belief in fighting for their country should cancel out any shortcomings in other aspects of their lives; their virtues compensate for their flaws, and their contributions as citizens outweigh the harm they may have caused as individuals.② Among these people, the rich did not become cowards to enjoy their wealth in the future, and the poor did not avoid danger to gain freedom and prosperity later. What they needed was not personal happiness but revenge on their enemies. In their eyes, this was the most glorious adventure. They joyfully decided to take revenge on their enemies, firmly believing they could defeat them and abandoning everything else. They did not place great hope on uncertain future victories but charged forward in the actual battle, trusting themselves. Therefore, they preferred to die in resistance rather than live in submission; they did not do anything dishonorable; they stood firm in the face of danger. At the peak of their destiny, not the peak of fear, but the peak of their glory, they left me.