Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotuswas a Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Cariaand lived in the fifth century BC, a contemporary of Socrates. He is widely referred to as "The Father of History"; he was the first historian known to have broken from Homeric tradition to treat historical subjects as a method of investigation—specifically, by collecting his materials systematically and critically, and then arranging them into a historiographic narrative. The Histories is the only work which he is known to have produced, a record...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionHistorian
loss errors begets
The hastening of any undertaking begets error, from which great losses are wont to come.
military movement lines
History is marked by alternating movements across the imaginary line that separates East from West in Eurasia.
successful favour reason
Those who are guided by reason are generally successful in their plans; those who are rash and precipitate seldom enjoy the favour of the gods.
dream incidents
Dreams in general take their rise from those incidents which have most occupied the thoughts during the day.
men suffering wheels
Mens fortunes are on a wheel, which in its turning suffers not the same man to prosper for ever.
believe men calumny-is
A man calumniated is doubly injured -- first by him who utters the calumny, and then by him who believes it.
life happiness success
One man envies the success in life of another, and hates him in secret; nor is he willing to give him good advice when he is consulted, except it be by some wonderful effort of good feeling, and there are, alas, few such men in the world. A real friend, on the other hand, exults in his friend?s happiness, rejoices in all his joys, and is ready to afford him the best advice.
distance rain night
These 'messengers' 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.
rain night snow
Not snow, no, nor rain, nor heat, nor night keeps them from accomplishing their appointed courses with all speed.
change time cities
For of those [cities] that were great in earlier times, most of them have now become small, while those which were great in my time were small formerly.
freedom-of-speech way good-things
It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing.
drunk house decision
If an important decision is to be made, they [the Persians] discuss the question when they are drunk, and the following day the master of the house where the discussion was held submits their decision for reconsideration when they are sober. If they still approve it, it is adopted; if not, it is abandoned. Conversely, any decision they make when they are sober, is reconsidered afterwards when they are drunk.
country together able
As the old saw says well: every end does not appear together with its beginning. It's impossible for someone who is human to have all good things together, just as there is no single country able to provide all good things for itself.
thinking giving advice
To think well and to consent to obey someone giving good advice are the same thing.