On the Peace (46-50)

And we have reached such a degree of imbecility that, although we are ourselves in need of the necessities of daily existence, we have undertaken to support mercenary troops and we do violence to our own allies and extort money from them in order to provide pay for the common enemies of all mankind.[*]

And so far are we inferior to our ancestors, both those who enjoyed the esteem of the Hellenes and those who incurred their hatred,[*] that whereas they, when they resolved to wage war against any state, deemed it their duty, notwithstanding that the Acropolis was stored with silver and gold,[*] to face danger in their own persons in support of their resolutions, we, on the other hand, not withstanding that we are in such extreme poverty[*] and are so many in number, employ, as does the great King, mercenary armies!

In those days, when they manned their triremes, they put on board crews of foreigners and slaves but sent out citizens to fight under heavy arms. Now, however, we use mercenaries as heavy-armed troops but compel citizens to row the ships,[*] with the result that when they land in hostile territory these men, who claim the right to rule over the Hellenes, disembark with their cushions[*] under their arms, while men who are of the character which I have just described take the field with shield and spear!

However, if one could see that the domestic policy of Athens was well managed he might be of good cheer as to our other affairs. But is it not about this very thing that he would feel most aggrieved? For we assert that we are sprung from our very soil[*] and that our city was founded before all others,[*] but although we ought to be an example to all the world of good and orderly government, we manage our state in a worse manner and with more disorder than those who are just founding their cities.

We glory and take great pride in being better born than the rest but we are readier to share this noble birth-right with any who desire it[*] than are the Triballians or the Leucanians[*] to share their ignoble origin. We pass a multitude of laws,[*] but we care so little about them (for if I give you a single instance you will be able to judge of the others as well) that, although we have prescribed the penalty of death for anyone who is convicted of bribery, we elect men who are most flagrantly guilty of this crime as our generals[*] and we pick out the man who has been able to deprave the greatest number of our citizens and place him in charge of the most important affairs.