herodotus

Cleomenes recovered them after they had been left behind. 91. At thistime, then, when the Lacedemonians had recovered the oracles and whenthey saw that the Athenians were increasing in power and were not atall willing to submit to them, observing that the Athenian race nowthat it was free was becoming[74] a match for their own, whereas whenheld down by despots it was weak and ready to be ruled,--perceiving, Isay, all these things, they sent for Hippias the son of Peisistratosto come from Sigeion on the Hellespont, whither the family ofPeisistratos go for refuge;[75] and when Hippias had come upon thesummons, the Spartans sent also for envoys to come from their otherallies and spoke to them as follows: "Allies, we are conscious withinourselves that we have not acted rightly; for incited by counterfeitoracles we drove out into exile men who were very closely united withus as guest-friends and who undertook the task of rendering Athenssubmissive to us, and then after having done this we delivered overthe State to a thankless populace, which so soon as it had raised itshead, having been freed by our means drove out us and our king withwanton outrage; and now exalted with pride[76] it is increasing inpower, so that the neighbours of these men first of all, that is theBœotians and Chalkidians, have already learnt, and perhaps some othersalso will afterwards learn, that they committed an error.[76a] Ashowever we erred in doing those things of which we have spoken, wewill try now to take vengeance on them, going thither together withyou;[77] since it was for this very purpose that we sent for Hippias,whom ye see here, and for you also, to come from your cities, in orderthat with common counsel and a common force we might conduct him toAthens and render back to him that which we formerly took away."92. Thus they spoke; but the majority of the allies did not approve oftheir words. The rest however kept silence, but the CorinthianSocles[78] spoke as follows: (a) "Surely now the heaven shall be belowthe earth, and the earth raised up on high above the heaven, and menshall have their dwelling in the sea, and fishes shall have thathabitation which men had before, seeing that ye, Lacedemonians, aredoing away with free governments[79] and are preparing to bring backdespotism again into our cities, than which there is no more unjust ormore murderous thing among men. For if in truth this seems to you tobe good, namely that the cities should be ruled by despots, do yeyourselves first set up a despot in your own State, and then endeavourto establish them also for others: but as it is, ye are actingunfairly towards your allies, seeing that ye have had no experience ofdespots yourselves and provide with the greatest care at Sparta thatthis may never come to pass. If however ye had had experience of it,as we have had, ye would be able to contribute juster opinions of itthan at present. (b) For the established order of the Corinthian Statewas this:--the government was an oligarchy, and the oligarchs, who