I am amazed at those who hold power in our states, The
 same complaint against the leading statesmen is made in Isoc.
 Letter 9.8 . if they think that they have occasion to be proud when they
 have never been able either to propose or to conceive a remedy for a situation so
 momentous; for they ought, if they had been worthy of their present reputation, to have
 dropped all else, and have proposed measures and given counsel about our war against the
 barbarians. Perhaps they might have helped us to get something done; but even if they had given up
 before gaining their object, they would, at any rate, have left to us their words as
 oracles for the future. But as things are, those who are held in highest honor are intent
 on matters of little consequence, and have left it to us, who stand aloof from public
 life, For Isocrates’ aloofness from public life see Isoc. 5.81 ; Isoc. 12.9-10 ; Isoc. Letter 1.9 ; Isoc. Letter
 8.7 ; and General Introd. p. xix. to advise on matters of so great
 moment. Nevertheless, the more faint-hearted our leading men happen to be, the more vigorously
 must the rest of us look to the means by which we shall deliver ourselves from our present
 discord. For as matters now stand, it is in vain that we make our treaties of peace; for
 we do not settle our wars, but only postpone them and wait for the opportune moment when
 we shall have the power to inflict some irreparable disaster upon each other. We must clear from our path these treacherous designs and pursue that course of action
 which will enable us to dwell in our several cities with greater security and to feel
 greater confidence in each other. What I have to say on these points is simple and easy:
 It is not possible for us to cement an enduring peace unless we join together in a war
 against the barbarians, nor for the Hellenes to attain to concord until we wrest our
 material advantages from one and the same source and wage our wars against one and the
 same enemy. That is, instead of warring among themselves
 and plundering each other, the Greeks must wage their wars against, and seek their
 plunder from, the barbarians. Cf. 15 and 187; Isoc.
 5.9 .