Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydideswas an Athenian historian and general. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientific history" because of his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods, as outlined in his introduction to his work...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionHistorian
winning moments applause
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
taken men winning
In general, the men of lower intelligence won out. Afraid of their own shortcomings and of the intelligence of their opponents, so that they would not lose out in reasoned argument or be taken by surprise by their quick-witted opponents, they boldly moved into action. Their enemies,on the contrary, contemptuous and confident in their ability to anticipate, thought there was no need to take by action what they could win by their brains.
reflection winning past
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.
winning past romance
The absence of romance from my history will, I fear, detract somewhat from its interest; but if it be judged useful by those inquirers who desire an exact knowledge of the past as an aid to the interpretation of the future, which in the course of human things must resemble if it does not reflect it, I shall be content. In fine, 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.
best man
We should remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school.
despise men naturally respect
Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them.
injured until
Justice will not come to Athens until those who are not injured are as indignant as those who are injured.
cheated compelled excited legal looks men second violent wrong
Men's indignation, it seems, is more excited by legal wrong than by violent wrong; the first looks like being cheated by an equal, the second like being compelled by a superior.
freedom happiness secret
The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage.
i-miss-you missing-you long-distance-relationship
As contraries are known by contraries, so is the delight of presence best known by the torments of absence.
danger interest involved
When tremendous dangers are involved, no one can be blamed for looking to his own interest.
people barbarians
the Thracian people, like the bloodiest of the barbarians, being ever most murderous when it has nothing to fear.
war mean army
By day certainly the combatants have a clearer notion, though even then by no means of all that takes place, no one knowing much of anything that does not does not go on in his own immediate neighborhood; but in a night engagement ( and this was the only one that occurred between great armies during the war) how could anyone know anything for certain?
yield succeed certain
And it is certain that those who do not yield to their equals, who keep terms with their superiors, and are moderate towards their inferiors, on the whole succeed best.