WIST Quotations

Thucydides -- Ars Rhetorica, quoted by Dionysius of Halicarnasus, ch. 11

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

History is Philosophy teaching by examples.

Thucydides (c. 460-400 BC) Greek historian
Ars Rhetorica, quoted by Dionysius of Halicarnasus, ch. 11

Thucydides -- History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 3, 82 [tr. Crawley, Wick (1982)]

Dave — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:56:23 +0000

Words had to change their ordinary meaning and to take that which was now given them. Reckless audacity came to be considered the courage of a loyal ally; prudent hesitation, specious cowardice; moderation was held to be a cloak for unmanliness; ability to see all sides of a question, inaptness to act on any. Frantic violence became the attribute of manliness; cautious plotting, a justifiable means of self-defence. The advocate of extreme measures was always trustworthy; his opponent a man to be suspected. To succeed in a plot was to have a shrewd head, to divine a plot a still shrewder; but to try to provide against having to do either was to break up your party and to be afraid of your adversaries.

Thucydides (c. 460-400 BC) Greek historian
History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 3, 82 [tr. Crawley, Wick (1982)]

Thucydides -- History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 5, ch. 89 [tr. Crawley and Wick (1982)]

Dave — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 12:46:06 +0000

The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

Thucydides (c. 460-400 BC) Greek historian
History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 5, ch. 89 [tr. Crawley and Wick (1982)]

Thucydides -- The Speeches of Pericles, “The Funeral Speech” [tr. Edinger (1979)

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

Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave.

Thucydides (c. 460-400 BC) Greek historian
The Speeches of Pericles, “The Funeral Speech” [tr. Edinger (1979)

Alt trans.:

"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage."
"Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous."