Quotes by
Thucydides |
Θουκυδίδης, 460-394 BC , Ancient Greek historian
The greatest of ancient Greek historians and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the struggle between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history because of his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods.He has also been called the father of the school of political realism.
| 15 quotes | 5,966 visits |
Quotations
| • | In a democracy, someone who fails to get elected to office can always console himself with the thought that there was something not quite fair about it. 16 |
| • | The secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage. 15 |
| • | Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them. 13 |
| • | Justice is an issue only between equals, otherwise those in power do what they can and the weak forgive. 11 |
| • | Still hope leads men to venture; and no one ever yet put himself in peril without the inward conviction that he would succeed in his design 9 |
| • | It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men. 6 |
| • | Τhose who do not yield to their equals, who keep terms with their superiors, and are moderate towards their inferiors, on the whole succeed best. Ως οίτινες τοις μεν ίσοις μη είκουσι, τοις δε κρείσσοσι καλώς προσφέρονται, προς δε τους ήσσους μέτριοί εισι, πλείστ’ αν ορθοίντο. 4 |
| • | Now the only sure basis of an alliance is for each party to be equally afraid of the other. 2 |
Ancient Greek
| • | Although we bless your ignorance of evil, we do not envy your stupidity. Μακαρίσαντες υμών το απειρόκακον ού ζηλούμεν το άφρον. 14 |
| • | Fortune helps the brave. Τοις τολμώσιν η τύχη ξύμφορος. 13 |
| • | Ignorance is bold, knowledge is reserved. Αμαθία μεν θράσος, λογισμός δε όκνον φέρει. 11 |
| • | Great men have the whole earth for their tomb. Ανδρών επιφανών πάσα η γη τάφος. (in Pericles' Funeral Oration) 8 |
| • | War is a violent teacher. Ο δε πόλεμος... βίαιος διδάσκαλος. 8 |
| • | War is a matter not so much of arms as of expenditure. Έστιν ο πόλεμος ουχ όπλων το πλέον, αλλά δαπάνης. 4 |
| • | I don’t blame those who want to rule but those who are more ready to obey. Ου τοις άρχειν βουλομένοις μέμφομαι, αλλά τοις υπακούειν ετοιμοτέροις ούσιν. 3 |
