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Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.

Herodotus

As the old saw says well: every end does not appear together with its beginning.
HERODOTUS

Beginning End Together
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
How can a monarchy be a suitable thing, which allows a man to do as he pleases with none to hold him to account. And even if you were to take the best man on earth, and put him into a monarchy, you put outside him the thoughts that usually guide him.
HERODOTUS

Himself Men Politics Rule
History is marked by alternating movements across the imaginary line that separates East from West in Eurasia.
HERODOTUS

History Imagination Movement War
All of life is action and passion, and not to be involved in the actions and passions of your time is to risk having not really lived at all.
HERODOTUS

Action Deep Life Passion Philosophy Risk Time
Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.
HERODOTUS

Friendship Material Value
A woman takes off her claim to respect along with her garments.
HERODOTUS

Naked Respect Women
It is better to be envied than pitied.
HERODOTUS

Better Envy One Liner
It is sound planning that invariably earns us the outcome we want; without it, even the gods are unlikely to look with favour on our designs.
HERODOTUS

Design Effort Favour Outcomes Result
The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence.
HERODOTUS

Fortune Hate Human Men Wisdom
It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing.
HERODOTUS

Alone Equality Freedom Goodness Talk
It is the gods’ custom to bring low all things of surpassing greatness.
HERODOTUS

God Greatness Lows
Adversity has the effect of drawing out strength and qualities of a man that would have laid dormant in its absence.
HERODOTUS

Absence Adversity Drawing Mad Men Strength
I never yet feared those men who set a place apart in the middle of their cities where they gather to cheat one another and swear oaths which they break.
HERODOTUS

Break Cheating Fear Men Place
The worst pain a man can have is to know much and be impotent to act.
HERODOTUS

Act Knowledge Men Pain Worst
The sun will not shine on any country that has borders with ours.
HERODOTUS

Ourselves Shine War

Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.

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Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.

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