Thucydides

strong do weak accept suffer

"The strong do what they have to do and the weak accept what they have to accept."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

people trouble truth accept first story

"Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

war evil dictation state freedom

"War is an evil thing; but to submit to the dictation of other states is worse.... Freedom, if we hold fast to it, will ultimately restore our losses, but submission will mean permanent loss of all that we value.... To you who call yourselves men of peace, I say: You are not safe unless you have men of action on your side."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

bravest clear vision glory danger meet

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

knowledge understanding useless

"Knowledge without understanding is useless."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

man good best trained severest school

"We must remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

human nature constant history always present

"Human nature is the one constant through human history. It is always there."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

self-control self-respect courage

"Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and respect of self, in turn, is the chief element in courage."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

power greed ambition cause evil

"Love of power, operating through greed and through personal ambition, was the cause of all these evils."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

justice Athens injured outraged

"When will there be justice in Athens? There will be justice in Athens when those who are not injured are as outraged as those who are."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

punish commit crime accuse falsely

"You should punish in the same manner those who commit crimes with those who accuse falsely."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

secret happiness freedom courage

"The secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage."

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

war arms money

“War is a matter not so much of arms as of money.”

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

deprive liberty blame shackles power prevent

“When one is deprived of ones liberty, one is right in blaming not so much the man who puts the shackles on as the one who had the power to prevent him, but did not use it.”

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

peace armistice war continous

“Peace is an armistice in a war that is continuously going on.”

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

collision sea ruin day sailing ship

“a collision at sea will ruin your entire day”

— Thucydides (460-400BC)

knwledge clearly express idea communicate presentation

“A man who has the knowledge but lacks the power clearly to express it is no better off than if he never had any ideas at all.”

— Thucydides (460-400BC)