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Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use.

Herodotus

One should always look to the end of everything, how it will finally come out. For the god has shown blessedness to many only to overturn them utterly in the end.
HERODOTUS

Belief Blessing End God Hope Oneself
God does not suffer presumption in anyone but himself.
HERODOTUS

God Himself Suffering
The most hateful grief of all human griefs is to have knowledge of a truth, but no power over the event.
HERODOTUS

Destiny Event Grief Knowledge Truth
The sun will not shine on any country that has borders with ours.
HERODOTUS

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

God Greatness Jealous Success
I know that human happiness never remains long in the same place.
HERODOTUS

Happiness Human Philosophy Remain
But if you know that you are a man too, and that even such are those that rule, learn this first of all: that all human affairs are a wheel which, as it turns, does not allow the same men always to be fortunate.
HERODOTUS

Change Fortunate Human Men Rule
How much better a thing it is to be envied than to be pitied.
HERODOTUS

Better Envy
The worst pain a man can have is to know much and be impotent to act.
HERODOTUS

Act Knowledge Men Pain Worst
There is nothing more foolish, nothing more given to outrage than a useless mob.
HERODOTUS

Foolish Outrage Useless War
Force has no place where there is need of skill.
HERODOTUS

Force Military Need Skill
The man of affluence is not in fact more happy than the possessor of a bare competency, unless, in addition to his wealth, the end of his life be fortunate. We often see misery dwelling in the midst of splendour, whilst real happiness is found in humbler stations.
HERODOTUS

Happiness Humble Life Reality
The king’s might is greater than human, and his arm is very long.
HERODOTUS

Greatness Human Kings Power
History is marked by alternating movements across the imaginary line that separates East from West in Eurasia.
HERODOTUS

History Imagination Movement War
The wooden wall alone should remain unconquered.
HERODOTUS

Alone Ships Wall
Civil strife is as much a greater evil than a concerted war effort as war itself is worse than peace.
HERODOTUS

Effort Evil Philosophy War
Great things are won by great dangers.
HERODOTUS

Danger Greatness Inspirational One Liner
If you have two loaves of bread, keep one to nourish the body, but sell the other to buy hyacinths for the soul.
HERODOTUS

Body Food Health Soul
Good masters generally have bad slaves, and bad slaves have good masters.
HERODOTUS

Goodness Slavery
A multitude of rulers is not a good thing. Let there be one ruler, one king.
HERODOTUS

Goodness Kings Oneself Rule
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
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.
HERODOTUS

Accomplishment Best Distance Night Rain
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
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
Love of honor is a very shady sort of possession.
HERODOTUS

Honor Love Possession Shady
Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.
HERODOTUS

Chance Circumstances Men Philosophy
In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons.
HERODOTUS

Death Father Peace War

Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use.

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Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use.

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