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Before a man dies, hold back and call him not happy but lucky.

Herodotus

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.
HERODOTUS

Enjoyment Favour God Reason Success
Unless a variety of opinions are laid before us, we have no opportunity of selection, but are bound of necessity to adopt the particular view which may have been brought forward.
HERODOTUS

Decision Necessary Opinion Opportunity View
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.
HERODOTUS

Country Goodness Human Philosophy Togetherness
It is a law of nature that fainthearted men should be the fruit of luxurious countries, for we never find that the same soil produces delicacies and heroes.
HERODOTUS

Born Country Hero Law Men Nature
Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change.
HERODOTUS

Change Men Resistance
The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless.
HERODOTUS

Fortune Luck Men Side
Force has no place where there is need of skill.
HERODOTUS

Force Military Need Skill
Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.
HERODOTUS

Chance Circumstances Men Philosophy
History is marked by alternating movements across the imaginary line that separates East from West in Eurasia.
HERODOTUS

History Imagination Movement War
But I like not these great successes of yours; for I know how jealous are the gods.
HERODOTUS

God Greatness Jealous Success
In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons.
HERODOTUS

Death Father Peace War
We have two useless gods who never leave our island, but like to dwell in it constantly, Poverty and Helplessness.
HERODOTUS

God Help Islands Poor
I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.
HERODOTUS

Believe Bound Cases Myself
The worst pain a man can have is to know much and be impotent to act.
HERODOTUS

Act Knowledge Men Pain Worst
The wooden wall alone should remain unconquered.
HERODOTUS

Alone Ships Wall
The gods loves to punish whatever is greater than the rest.
HERODOTUS

God Greatness Love

Before a man dies, hold back and call him not happy but lucky.

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Before a man dies, hold back and call him not happy but lucky.

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