WIST Quotations

Herodotus -- Histories

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

This I know — if all men should take their troubles to market to barter with their neighbors, not one when he had seen the troubles of other men but would be glad to carry his own home again.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
Histories

Herodotus -- Histories, 7.10

Dave — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:37:24 +0000

Calumny is a monstrous vice: for, where parties indulge in it, there are always two that are actively engaged in doing wrong, and one who is subject to injury. The calumniator inflicts wrong by slandering the absent; he who gives credit to the calumny, before he has investigated the truth, is equally implicated. The person traduced is doubly injured — first by him who propagates, and secondly by him who credits the calumny.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
Histories, 7.10
(Source)

Herodotus -- Histories, Book 1, Ch. 87

Dave — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:59:06 +0000

In peace sons bury fathers, but in war fathers bury sons.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
Histories, Book 1, Ch. 87

Herodotus -- Histories, Book 2, ch. 173

Dave — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:15:19 +0000

If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
Histories, Book 2, ch. 173

Herodotus -- Histories, Book 7, ch. 50

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
Histories, Book 7, ch. 50

Herodotus -- The Histories, Book 1, ch. 8

Dave — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:15:47 +0000

Men trust their ears less than their eyes.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
The Histories, Book 1, ch. 8

Herodotus -- The Persian Wars, 8.98 [tr. Rawlinson (1942)]

Dave — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:07:26 +0000

These will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night.

Herodotus (c.484-c.420 BC) Greek historian
The Persian Wars, 8.98 [tr. Rawlinson (1942)]

Of the Persian messengers. The U.S. Postal Service adopted a variation on this motto: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."