Thucydides Quotes - Page 4

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It is the habit of mankind to entrust to careless hope what they long for, and to use sovereign reason to thrust aside what they do not desire

Thucydides

Long, Desire, Use

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.282, Simon and Schuster

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... Athenians are addicted to innovation. They are daring beyond their judgment they toil on with little opportunity for enjoying, being ever engaged in getting, they were born into the world to take no rest themselves, and to give none to others.

Thucydides

Opportunity, Giving, Innovation

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The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men.

Thucydides

Men, Woven, Earth

Thucydides (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Thucydides (Illustrated)”, p.118, Delphi Classics

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Now the only sure basis of an alliance is for each party to be equally afraid of the other

Thucydides

Party, Alliances, Bases

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.164, Simon and Schuster

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speculation is carried on in safety, but, when it comes to action, fear causes failure.

Thucydides

Safety, Causes, Action

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.66, Simon and Schuster

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Mankind are tolerant of the praises of others as long as each hearer thinks that he can do as well or nearly as well himself, but, when the speaker rises above him, jealousy is aroused and he begins to be incredulous.

Thucydides

Thinking, Long, Praise

Thucydides (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Thucydides (Illustrated)”, p.114, Delphi Classics

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we know that there can never be any solid friendship between individuals, or union between communities that is worth the name, unless the parties be persuaded of each others honesty

Thucydides

Honesty, Party, Names

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.163, Simon and Schuster

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In practice we always base our preparations against an enemy on the assumption that his plans are good; indeed, it is right to rest our hopes not on a belief in his blunders, but on the soundness of our provisions. Nor ought we to believe that there is much difference between man and man, but to think that the superiority lies with him who is reared in the severest school.

Thucydides

Lying, Believe, School

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.47, Simon and Schuster

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He passes through life most securely who has least reason to reproach himself with complaisance toward his enemies.

Thucydides

Enemy, Reason, Reproach

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They are surely to be esteemed the bravest spirits who, having the clearest sense of both the pains and pleasures of life, do not on that account shrink from danger.

Thucydides

Pain, Spirit, Pleasure

Thucydides (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Thucydides (Illustrated)”, p.116, Delphi Classics

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Wars spring from unseen and generally insignificant causes, the first outbreak being often but an explosion of anger.

Thucydides

Spring, War, Anger

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We must not disguise from ourselves that we go to found a city among strangers and enemies, and he who undertakes such an enterprise should be prepared to become master of the country the first day he lands, or failing in this find everything hostile to him.

Thucydides

Country, Land, Cities

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.375, Simon and Schuster

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An avowal of poverty is no disgrace to any man; to make no effort to escape it is indeed disgraceful.

Thucydides

Men, Effort, Poverty

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Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.

Thucydides

Bravery, Action, Contempt

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.381, Simon and Schuster

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For the love of gain would reconcile the weaker to the dominion of the stronger, and the possession of capital enabled the more powerful to reduce the smaller cities to subjection.

Thucydides

Powerful, Cities, Stronger

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.7, Simon and Schuster

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For if many ill-conceived plans have succeeded through the still greater lack of judgment of an opponent, many more, apparently well laid, have on the contrary ended in disgrace. The confidence with which we form our schemes is never completely justified in their execution; speculation is carried on in safety, but, when it comes to action, fear causes failure.

Thucydides

Safety, Opponents, Causes

Thucydides (1996). “The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War”

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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.

Thucydides

Men, Design, Inward

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.181, Simon and Schuster

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Indeed it is generally the case that men are readier to call rogues clever than simpletons honest, and are ashamed of being the second as they are proud of being the first.

Thucydides

Clever, Men, Proud

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.200, Simon and Schuster

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They whose minds are least sensitive to calamity, and whose hands are most quick to meet it, are the greatest men and the greatest communities.

Thucydides

Men, Hands, Community

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.127, Simon and Schuster

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The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine.

Thucydides

Wine, Vines, Olives

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Indeed men too often take upon themselves in the prosecution of their revenge to set the example of doing away with those general laws to which all can look for salvation in adversity, instead of allowing them to subsist against the day of danger when their aid may be required

Thucydides

Revenge, Adversity, Men

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.201, Simon and Schuster

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I have written my work, not as an essay which is to win the applause of the moment, but as a possession for all time

Thucydides

Winning, Moments, Applause

History of the Peloponnesian War bk. 1, ch. 1

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There is, however, no advantage in reflections on the past further than may be of service to the present. For the future we must provide by maintaining what the present gives us and redoubling our efforts; it is hereditary to us to win virtue as the fruit of labour, and you must not change the habit, even though you should have a slight advantage in wealth and resources; for it is not right that what was won in want should be lost in plenty.

Thucydides

Reflection, Winning, Past

Thucydides, T. E. Wick (1982). “The Peloponnesian War”, McGraw-Hill Companies

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Full of hopes beyond their power though not beyond their ambition.

Thucydides

Ambition

Thucydides, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert B. Strassler (2008). “The Landmark Thucydides”, p.178, Simon and Schuster

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With reference to the narrative of events, far from permitting myself to derive it from the first source that came to hand, I did not even trust my own impressions, but it rests partly on what I saw myself, partly on what others saw for me, the accuracy of the report always being tried by the most severe and detailed tests possible. My conclusions have cost me some labour from the want of coincidence between accounts of the same occurrences by different eye-witnesses, arising sometimes from imperfect memory, sometimes from undue partiality for one side or the other.

Thucydides

Memories, Eye, Hands

"The History of the Peloponnesian War".

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Born: 460 BC
Died: 395 BC
Occupation: Historian
Cite this Page: Citation

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