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It is my opinion that if anyone should come here from another part of the world and behold the spectacle of the present state of our affairs, he would charge both the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians with utter madness, not only because we risk our lives fighting as we do over trifles when we might enjoy in security a wealth of possessions, but also because we continually impoverish our own territory while neglecting to exploit that of Asia.
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As for the barbarian, nothing is more to his purpose than to take measures to prevent us from ever ceasing to make war upon each other; while we, on the contrary, are so far from doing anything to embroil his interests or foment rebellion among his subjects that when, thanks to fortune, dissensions do break out in his empire we actually lend him a hand in putting them down. Even now, when the two armies are fighting in Cyprus,Reference to the ten years’ war between Artaxerxes and Evagoras, king of Salamis. For Evagoras see introduction to Isoc. 2, and for the war see Isoc. 9.64 ff. we permit him to make use of the oneThe armament of Tiribazus, composed largely of an army of Greek mercenaries and a navy drawn from Ionian Greeks. and to besiege the other,That of Evagoras. although both of them belong to Hellas;
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for the Cyprians, who are in revolt against him, are not only on friendly terms with usSee Isoc. 9.53-54; Xen. Hell. 4.8.24. but are also seeking the protection of the Lacedaemonians; and as to the forces which are led by Tiribazus, the most effective troops of his infantry have been levied from these parts,Greeks who sold their services as mercenary troops because of poverty at home. See Isoc. 4.168 and note. and most of his fleet has been brought together from Ionia; and all these would much more gladly make common cause and plunder Asia than risk their lives fighting against each other over trifling issues.
