Ἀρχίδαμος

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İngilizce İngilizce

80 But perhaps, you will object, they will join forces and with their united armies will follow us up and prevent us from doing them harm. Yet what better thing could we wish than to find close at hand, drawn up in line of battle and encamped against us face to face on the same difficult ground, an undisciplined and motley rabble, serving under many leaders? For there would be need of no great effort on our part; no, we should quickly force them to give battle, choosing the moment propitious for ourselves and not for them.

81 But the remainder of the day would fail me if I undertook to set forth the advantages we should gain by such a course. This much, at any rate, is clear to all—that we have been superior to all the Hellenes, not because of the size of our city or the number of its inhabitants,Sparta was about six miles in circumference. The number of pure Spartan inhabitants never exceeded 10,000. but because the government which we have established is like a military camp, well administered and rendering willing obedience to its officers.The whole life of a Spartan youth was supervised by military officers of one sort or another. Those over twenty years of age ate at a common table, or military mess. War was the first and only duty of a Spartan citizen, and obedience more important even than life. If, then, we shall create in reality that which it has profited us to imitate, there can be no doubt that we shall easily overcome our foes.