[6] As soon as he was appointed, his first act had been to offer sacrifice, and when the omens were favourable he had chosen his two hundred Peers, and each of them had chosen their four comrades.

Then he called the whole body together, and for the first time spoke to them as follows:-- [7] "My friends, I have chosen you for this work, but this is not the first time that I have formed my opinion of your worth: from my boyhood I have watched your zeal for all that our country holds to be honourable and your abhorrence for all that she counts base.

And I wish to tell you plainly why I accepted this office myself and why I ask your help.

[8] I have long felt sure that our forefathers were in their time as good men as we.

For their lives were one long effort towards the self-same deeds of valour as are held in honour now; and still, for all their worth, I fail to see what good they gained either for the state or for themselves.