Herodotus Quotes

The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence.
HERODOTUS

Fortune Hate Human Men Wisdom
Many exceedingly rich men are unhappy, but many middling circumstances are fortunate.
HERODOTUS

Fortunate Happiness Men Rich
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
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 trials of living and the pangs of disease make even the short span of life too long.
HERODOTUS

Disease Live Long Time Trials
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
In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons.
HERODOTUS

Death Father Peace War
The gods loves to punish whatever is greater than the rest.
HERODOTUS

God Greatness Love
A woman takes off her claim to respect along with her garments.
HERODOTUS

Naked Respect Women
If someone were to put a proposition before men bidding them choose, after examination, the best customs in the world, each nation would certainly select its own
HERODOTUS

Bidding Choice Men Nation World
Historia (Inquiry); so that the actions of of people will not fade with time.
HERODOTUS

Action End Fade Life People Time
Let there be nothing untried; for nothing happens by itself, but men obtain all things by trying.
HERODOTUS

Inspirational Learning Men Philosophy Trying
How much better a thing it is to be envied than to be pitied.
HERODOTUS

Better Envy
God does not suffer presumption in anyone but himself.
HERODOTUS

God Himself Suffering
Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use.
HERODOTUS

Force Little 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
The period of a [Persian] boy’s education is between the ages of five and twenty, and he is taught three things only: to ride, to use the bow, and to speak the truth.
HERODOTUS

Age Chilren Education
Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.
HERODOTUS

Forever History Time
It [Egypt] has more wonders in it than any other country in the world and provides more works that defy description than any otherplace.
HERODOTUS

Country Egypt World
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
Love of honor is a very shady sort of possession.
HERODOTUS

Honor Love Possession Shady
Haste in every business brings failures.
HERODOTUS

Business Failure Haste
The wooden wall alone should remain unconquered.
HERODOTUS

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

Beginning End Together
The king’s might is greater than human, and his arm is very long.
HERODOTUS

Greatness Human Kings Power
It is better to be envied than pitied.
HERODOTUS

Better Envy One Liner
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

Famous Writer