"We have a political system that does not emulate the laws of other nations, and more than imitators of Moreover, we are a role model. Your name, because the government depends on a few but most is democracy. In regard to private affairs, equality under our laws, it reaches everybody, while the election of public officials do not oppose the reasons of personal merit class, according to the prestige enjoyed by every citizen in their activity, and no one, because of their poverty, is hampered by the darkness of their social status if you are able to provide a service to the city.
In our relations with the state we live as free citizens and, likewise, with regard to mutual own suspicions of daily interaction, we do not feel anger against our neighbor if he does anything he likes and does not go glances of reproach, that pose no harm, but are painful. If we avoid disturb our private relationships in public life, a respectful fear is the main reason not to commit violations, because those who pay allegiance to happen in government and laws, and especially to those established to help who suffer injustice and that, even without being written, who bring the breach of a shame for all recognized ...
In the system of preparing for war also we differ from our opponents in these ways: our city is open to everyone, and never resorted to expulsions of foreigners to prevent progression to information or observation of something that, if kept secret, could be useful to the enemy found out. This is because not so confident in the preparations and schemes and the value that comes out of ourselves in the time to take action ...
We do not grieve too soon for future penalties and, eventually, no show us lesser mortals that continue to haunt those who walk, and our city is worthy of admiration in these and other aspects.
simply love the beauty and knowledge without relaxation. We use wealth rather as an opportunity for action as a pretext for vainglory, and between us is not a shame for anyone to recognize their poverty, but it is not doing anything to prevent it. The same people can devote to turn their attention to particular topics and audiences, and people engaged in different activities are sufficient criterion regarding public affairs.
We are the only ones who did not take part in these matters we consider not a casual, but a useless ( idiots, the idiot who does not participate ...) and us in person at least give our opinion on the issues, or study time because, in our opinion, are the words that would undermine the action, but not informed by the word prior to necessary by the action. Also we differ in that they are extraordinarily daring while we do our calculations on the actions that we undertake, while the other gives them courage, ignorance, and calculation, indecision. And just who are considered the strongest in spirit who, even knowing full well the hardships and pleasures, why not depart from the dangers.
also with regard to the generosity we are different from most because we won the Friends receive no favors, but making them. And who has done the favor is better able to keep alive, through sampling of benevolence towards those to whom he granted the favor, gratitude is owed. He who must, however, shown off, knowing that returns the favor not to view a thank but to pay a debt. We're the only addition, we offer our help with confidence, not so much a calculation of convenience as the confidence that comes from freedom.
short, I say that our city is in whole, an example for Greece, and that each of our individual citizens can, in my opinion, to demonstrate a sufficiently trained to engage in the most diverse forms of activity with extraordinary skill and grace ...
For among the cities today, ours is the only one, testing was shown to be superior to his fame, and the only one that does not raise indignation in the enemy he attacks when it considers the qualities of who you are because of their evils, or, in his subjects, the reproach of being ruled by unworthy men.
And since our power to show significant evidence, and without that we lack the witnesses, we will be admired by our contemporaries and future generations, and we have no need for us to Homer or any praise poet who delight the moment with his verses, but the truth of the facts Destroy your assumptions about them, we simply have forced every sea and the entire Earth to be accessible to our daring, and everywhere have left eternal monuments in remembrance of evils and goods. Such, then, the city that these men have fought and died nobly opposing them was seized, and it is natural that all who are left are willing to suffer for it. "
(History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides. Biblioteca Clásica Gredos)
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