The Messenians Too Much Inclined to Peace
The Messenian leaders, then, being of oligarchical
tendencies, and aiming at their own immediate advantage, were
always too much inclined to peace. On many critical occasions
indeed they managed to elude fear and danger: but all the while
this policy of theirs was accumulating a heavy retribution for
themselves; and they finally involved their country in the
gravest misfortunes. And the reason in my opinion was this,
that being neighbours to two of the most powerful nations in
the Peloponnese, or I might almost say in Greece, I mean the
Arcadians and Lacedaemonians,—one of which had been
irreconcilably hostile to them from the moment they occupied
the country, and the other disposed to be friendly and protect
them,—they never frankly accepted hostility to the Spartans, or
friendship with the Arcadians. Accordingly when the attention
of the former was distracted by domestic or foreign war, the
Messenians were secure; for they always enjoyed peace and
tranquillity from the fact of their country lying out of the road:
but when the Lacedaemonians, having nothing else on hand
to distract their attention, took to inflicting injuries on them,
they were unable to withstand the superior strength of the
Lacedaemonians by their own power; and, having failed to
secure the support of their true friends, who were ready to do
anything for their protection, they were reduced to the alternatives of becoming the slaves of Sparta and enduring her
heavy exactions; or of leaving their homes to escape from this
servitude, abandoning their country with wives and children.
And this has repeatedly happened to them within comparatively
recent times.
That the present settlement of the Peloponnese may prove a
lasting one, so that no measure such as I am about to describe
may be ever necessary, is indeed my earnest wish: but if anything does happen to disturb it, and threaten revolutionary
changes, the only hope for the Messenians and Megalopolitans
of continuing to occupy their present territory, that I can see,
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is a recurrence to the policy of Epaminondas. They must
resolve, that is to say, upon a cordial and sincere partnership with each other in every danger and labour.
