346 WAYS AND MEANS ch.v.§3-7

wealthy dealers in corn and wine ^ and oil, the owner of many
cattle. And not these only, but the man who depends upon
his wits, whose skill is to do business and make gain out of
money ^ and its employment. And here another crowd,
artificers of all sorts, artists and artisans, professors of wisdom,'
philosophers, and poets, with those who exhibit and popular-
ise their works.* And next a new train of pleasure-seekers,
eager to feast on everything sacred or secular,^ which may
captivate and charm eye and ear. Or once again, where are
all those who seek to effect a rapid sale or purchase of
a thousand commodities, to find what they want, if not at
Athens ?

But if there is no desire to gainsay these views — only that
certain people, in their wish to recover that headship ** which
was once the pride of our city, are persuaded that the accom-
plishment of their hopes is to be found, not in peace but in
war, I beg them to reflect on some matters of history, and to
begin at the beginning,' the Median war. Was it by high-
handed violence, or as benefactors of Hellenes, that we
obtained the headship of the naval forces, and the trusteeship
of the treasury of Hellas?* Again, when through the too
cruel exercise of her presidency, as men thought, Athens was
deprived of her empire, is it not the case that even in those
days,^ as soon as we held aloof from injustice we were once
more reinstated by the islanders, of their own free will, as
presidents of the naval force ? Nay, did riot the very Thebans,
in return for certain benefits, grant to us Athenians to exercise
leadership over them ? ''■" And at another date the Lacedae-
monians suffered us Athenians to arrange the terms of
hegemony^i at our discretion, not as driven to such submission,

^ After Zurborg, I omit oix o! TiSiowoi.
