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lives in defence of the common liberty, as to prefer the Safety of the Enemies, before the Honour of those that have deserved so well. You have made a Law, that the Sepulchers of your Countrymen shall be adorned and beautify'd: What greater Ornament can ye invent, than to destroy their Murderers? Unless it be (if the Gods permit) that by making these Enemies Free-men of the City, you determine to set them up as living Trophies for the remembrance of your Dead Friends. But now the Denomination of Enemies is changed into that of Suppliants. From whence arises this Tenderness? For they who first compiled Laws concerning these matters, decreed Mercy to the Distressed, but Punishment to them that acted Wickedly. And now under which of these Denominations shall we account the Prisoners? As Distressed and Afflicted? But what evil Spirit was it that compell'd them to make War against the Syracusians without any Provocation? and breaking all the Bonds of Peace (which is so desirable amongst all) to plot and contrive the destruction of your City? Therefore as they began an unjust War, let them with Courage or without, suffer and undergo the events of War: For if they had been Conquerors, we should have felt their inexorable Cruelty; but now being subdu'd, they seek to avoid the Punishment in the most low and humble posture of Distressed Suppliants. What if they should be answered, that their Covetousness and wicked Ambition has hurl'd them into these Calamities? Let them not therefore accuse Fortune, nor challenge to themselves the name of Suppliants; for this is only due to them who are fallen into Misfortunes, and yet have preserv'd their Innocency and Integrity: But they who make it the business of their Lives to act all manner of Injustice, shut up all the Doors and Passages of Mercy against themselves. What is it that is most base which they will not devise? What Wickedness will they not commit? It's the special property of Covetousness, not to be content with its present Condition, but violently to lust after things remote, and what is not our own; which is most notoriously done by these Men: For though they were the most happy and prosperous of all the Grecians, yet not being able to bear the weight of their own greatness, they thirsted after Sicily (though separated from them by so large a Sea) to divide it by Lot amongst themselves. A most horrid and wicked thing it is to make War upon them, who never gave any occasion or provocation: And this these Men have done. These are they who not long agoe entred into a League with us of Peace and Friendship, and then on a sudden begirt our City with their Forces. Certainly it's a great piece of Pride and Presumption, to forejudge the Events of a War, and to order and determine the Punishment of an Enemy, before the Conquest: And this they did not omit; for before they came into Sicily, it was enacted in their common Assemblies, That the Syracusians and Selinuntians should be made Slaves, and all the rest brought under Tribute. And now when so many complicated Vices center in these Men, as insatiable Covetousness, Fraud and Treachery, insufferable Pride and Insolency, what Man in his Wits can shew them Mercy? especially when it is so well known how they dealt with them of Mitylene: For after they had subdu'd them, although they had committed no Offence, but only desir'd to preserve their Liberty, yet they commanded them all to be put to the Sword; a most cruel and barbarous Act, and this against Grecians, against Confederates, and against those that had merited better things at their Hands. And therefore let them not think it grievous to suffer that themselves, which they have executed upon others: For it's but just that he who makes a Law to bind others, should be subject to the same himself. But why do I speak of this? when they took Melus, they most miserably destroy'd all the Youth of the City. And the Scioneans of the Colony of the Meleans underwent the same Fate. So that these Two sorts of People, when they fell into the cruel Hands of the Athenians, were so totally destroy'd, that there was none left to bury the Dead. They who acted these things, are not Scythians; but a People who boast of Humanity and Mercy above all other. These are they that by Publick Edict, utterly destroy'd these Cities. Now can ye imagin how they would have dealth with the City of Syracuse, if they had taken it? Certainly, they who are so cruel towards their own Confederates, would have invented something more vile and horrid to have executed upon Strangers. By all the Rules of Law and Justice therefore,
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The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
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Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.