Nor must you forget that the attention of the whole world is fixed upon this assembly and
 on the decision which you shall reach here. Let each one of you, therefore, govern his
 thoughts as one who is giving an account of his own character in a public theater, as it
 were, before the assembled Hellenes. Now it is a simple matter to reach a wise decision on this question. For if we are
 willing to die for our just rights, not only shall we gain renown, but in time to come we
 shall be able to live securely; but if we show that we are afraid of danger, we shall
 plunge ourselves into endless confusion. Let us, therefore, challenge one another to pay back to our fatherland the price of our
 nurture, and not suffer Lacedaemon to be outraged
 and contemned, nor cause those who are friendly to us to be cheated of their hopes, nor
 let it appear that we value life more highly than the esteem of all the world, always remembering that it is a nobler thing to exchange a mortal body for immortal
 glory, and to purchase with a life which at best we shall retain for only a few years a
 fame which will abide with our descendants throughout all the ages For the language cf. Dem. 60.27 , and Hyp. 6.24 . —a far nobler course than to cling greedily to a
 little span of life and cover ourselves with great disgrace! But I think that you would most of all be aroused to prosecute the war if in imagination
 you could see your parents and your children standing, as it were, beside you, the former
 exhorting you not to disgrace the name of Sparta , nor the laws under which we were reared, nor the memory of the
 battles fought in their time; the latter demanding the restoration of the country which
 their forefathers bequeathed to them, together with the dominion and the leadership among
 the Hellenes which we ourselves received from our fathers. Not a word could we say in
 answer; never could we deny the justice of either plea.