It was for this reason, gentlemen of the jury, that all the Greeks exchanged this pledge
 at Plataea , before taking up their posts to
 fight against the power of Xerxes. The formula was not their own but borrowed from the
 oath which is traditional among you. It would be well for you to hear it; for though the
 events of that time are ancient history now we can discern clearly enough, in these
 recorded words, the courage of our forbears. Please read the oath. The Oath.— I will not hold life dearer than freedom nor will I abandon my leaders whether they are alive or dead. I will bury all allies killed in the battle. If I conquer the barbarians in war I will not destroy any of the cities which have fought for Greece but I will consecrate a tenth of all those which sided with the barbarian. I will not rebuild a single one of the shrines which the barbarians have burnt and razed but will allow them to remain for future generations as a memorial of the barbarians’ impiety. They stood by this oath so firmly, gentlemen, that they
 had the favor of the gods on their side to help them; and, though all the Greeks proved
 courageous in the hour of danger, your city won the most renown. Your ancestors faced
 death to save the city from shame; nothing could then be worse than for you to pardon
 those who have disgraced her and allowed our national glory, won through many hardships,
 to perish by the wickedness of men like this. Consider, gentlemen: you are the only Greeks for whom it
 is impossible to ignore any of these crimes. Let me remind you of a few past episodes; and
 if you take them as examples you will reach a better verdict in the present case and in
 others also. The greatest virtue of your city is that she has set the Greeks an example of
 noble conduct. In age Cf. Lyc.
 1.41 and Lyc. 1.100 . she surpasses every
 city, and in valor too our ancestors have no less surpassed their fellows. Remember the reign of Codrus. The story of Codrus is
 told, with minor variations, by other ancient writers,e.g. by Velleius Paterculus i. 2,
 but the version here given by Lycurgus is the earliest extant. The
 Peloponnesians, whose crops had failed at home, decided to march against our city and,
 expelling our ancestors, to divide the land amongst themselves. They sent first to
 Delphi and asked the god if they were going
 to capture Athens , and when he replied that
 they would take the city so long as they did not kill Codrus, the king of the Athenians,
 they marched out against Athens .