228 REPLY OF THE THEBANS [ill that neither our baseness nor their superior reputation may benefit them, and that, before you judge, you may hear the truth both about us and them. Our quarrel with them arose thus : — Some time after our first occupation of Boeotia^ we settled Plataea and other places, out of which we drove a mixed multitude. But the Plataeans refused to acknowledge our leadership according to the original agree- ment, and, separating themselves from the other Boeotians, deserted the traditions of their ancestors. When force was applied to them they went over to the Athenians, and, assisted by them, did us a great deal of mischief; and we retaliated. 62 ' They say that when the Barbarian invaded Hellas they They say that zve sided ^ere the Only Boeotians who did not 7viih the Persian in the join the Persian ; and this is their great war of liberation. To j^j. ^^^ ^^j. „^^^^ reproach. But whtch zve reply that ive , ... , . , . , . , , were not our oivn we Say that if they did not Side With the masters, and that after- Persians, it was Only because the Athe- zvardsive fought at Co. j^j^,-,^ ^j^j j^^j . ^^^ ^^ ^y^^ game prin- roncafor the liberation , . . . r 11 1 t-> of Hellas from Athens, ciplc, they alone of all the Boeotians and are nozv fghting afterwards sidcd with the Athenians f°^- when the liberties of Hellas were at- tacked by them. But, consider how different were the circumstances in which we and they acted. In those days our state was not governed by an oligarchy which granted equal justice to all, nor yet by a democracy; the power M'as in the hands of a small cabal, than which nothing is more opposed to law or to true political order, or more nearly resembles a tyrann3 The rulers of the state, hoping to strengthen their private interest if the Persian won, kept the people down and brought him in. The city at large, when she acted thus, was not her own mistress ; and she cannot be fairly blamed for an error which she committed when she had no constitution. After the Per- sian departed and she obtained a constitution, you may see how wo fought against the Athenians when they became " Cn. i. 12.
