black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

For so remarkably perverse is the nature of man that he despises whoever courts him, and admires whoever will not bend before him.

Thucydides

In a democracy, someone who fails to get elected to office can always console himself with the thought that there was something not quite fair about it.
THUCYDIDES

Democracy Election Failure Fair Office Quite
Love of power, operating through greed and through personal ambition, was the cause of all these evils.
THUCYDIDES

Ambition Evil Love Operation Personal Power Reason
Knowledge without understanding is useless.
THUCYDIDES

Knowledge Understand Wasted
The secret of freedom, courage.
THUCYDIDES

Courage Freedom One Liner Secret
An avowal of poverty is no disgrace to any man; to make no effort to escape it is indeed disgraceful.
THUCYDIDES

Effort Escape Grace Man Poverty
Those who have experienced good and bad luck many times have every reason to be skeptical of successes.
THUCYDIDES

Experience Reason Success Time
They are surely to be esteemed the bravest spirits who, having the clearest sense of both the pains and pleasures of life, do not on that account shrink from danger.
THUCYDIDES

Brave Dangerous Happiness Pain Spirit
But the prize for courage will surely be awarded most justly to those who best know the difference between hardship and pleasure and yet are never tempted to shrink from danger.
THUCYDIDES

Award Best Courage Dangerous Difference Hard Time Prize Temptation
He passes through life most securely who has least reason to reproach himself with complaisance toward his enemies.
THUCYDIDES

Enemy Himself Life Reason Secure
Speculation is carried on in safety, but, when it comes to action, fear causes failure.
THUCYDIDES

Action Carry Failure Fear Safety
It is useless to attack men who could not be controlled even if conquered, while failure would leave us in an even worse position.
THUCYDIDES

Attack Conquer Control Failure Man Position Worst
It is men who make a city, not walls or ships.
THUCYDIDES

Infrastructure Man Wall
What made the war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta.
THUCYDIDES

Fear Growth Reason War
Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.
THUCYDIDES

Action Assasination Best Brave
Stories happen to those who tell them.
THUCYDIDES

Convey Story Talk
It is a common mistake in going to war to begin at the wrong end, to act first, and wait for disasters to discuss the matter.
THUCYDIDES

Beginning Disaster Discussion Mistake War

For so remarkably perverse is the nature of man that he despises whoever courts him, and admires whoever will not bend before him.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

For so remarkably perverse is the nature of man that he despises whoever courts him, and admires whoever will not bend before him.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Thucydides Quotes