Demosthenes famous quotes
Last updated: Sep 5, 2024
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Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.
-- Demosthenes -
A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.
-- Demosthenes -
We need money, for sure, Athenians, and without money nothing can be done that ought to be done.
-- Demosthenes -
There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots - suspicion.
-- Demosthenes -
All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action.
-- Demosthenes -
There are all kinds of devices invented for the protection and preservation of countries: defensive barriers, forts, trenches, and the like... But prudent minds have as a natural gift one safeguard which is the common possession of all, and this applies especially to the dealings of democracies. What is this safeguard? Skepticism. This you must preserve. This you must retain. If you can keep this, you need fear no harm.
-- Demosthenes -
Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.
-- Demosthenes -
Beware lest in your anxiety to avoid war you obtain a master
-- Demosthenes -
You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit.
-- Demosthenes -
Small opportunities often presage great enterprises.
-- Demosthenes -
He who confers a favor should at once forget it, if he is not to show a sordid ungenerous spirit. To remind a man of a kindness conferred and to talk of it, is little different from reproach.
-- Demosthenes -
Good fortune is the greatest of blessings, but good counsel comes next, and the lack of it destroys the other also.
-- Demosthenes -
Excessive dealings with tyrants are not good for the security of free states.
-- Demosthenes -
Whatever shall be to the advantage of all, may that prevail!
-- Demosthenes -
It is not possible to found a lasting power upon injustice, perjury, and treachery. These may, perhaps, succeed for once, and borrow for awhile, from hope, a gay and flourishing appearance. But time betrays their weakness, and they fall into ruin of themselves. For, as in structures of every kind, the lower parts should have the greatest firmness--so the grounds and principles of actions should be just and true.
-- Demosthenes -
Everything great is not always good, but all good things, are great.
-- Demosthenes -
Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real state of things.
-- Demosthenes -
The man who flies shall fight again. [Lat., Qui fugiebat, rusus praeliabitur.]
-- Demosthenes -
The end of wisdom is consultation and deliberation.
-- Demosthenes -
The more able a man is, if he make ill use of his abilities, the more dangerous will he be to the commonwealth.
-- Demosthenes -
It is not possible to found a lasting power upon injustice, perjury, and treachery.
-- Demosthenes -
The sower of the seed is assuredly the author of the whole harvest of mischief.
-- Demosthenes -
The readiest and surest way to get rid of censure, is to correct ourselves.
-- Demosthenes -
As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not; so men are proved, by their speeches, whether they be wise or foolish.
-- Demosthenes -
No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods.
-- Demosthenes -
What we have in us of the image of God is the love of truth and justice.
-- Demosthenes -
It is impossible for men engaged in low and groveling pursuits to have noble and generous sentiments. A man's thought must always follow his employment.
-- Demosthenes -
The most noble title any child can have is Third.
-- Demosthenes -
By persistent labor man may attain to all excellence.
-- Demosthenes -
Clouds cannot cover secret places, nor denials conceal truth.
-- Demosthenes -
Every dictator is an enemy of freedom, an opponent of law.
-- Demosthenes -
To remind a man of the good turns you have done him is very much like a reproach.
-- Demosthenes -
Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.
-- Demosthenes -
Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous in the extreme to suppose we could ever look at sociable, tool-making creatures who are from other evolutionary paths and see not beasts, but brothers, not rivals, but fellow pilgrims journeying to the shrine of intelligence...The difference... is not in the creature judged, but in the creature judging.
-- Demosthenes -
Every advantage in the past is judged in the light of the final issue.
-- Demosthenes -
Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.
-- Demosthenes -
Do you remember that in classical times when Cicero had finished speaking, the people said, "How well he spoke" but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, they said, "Let us march.
-- Demosthenes -
The man who has received a benefit ought always to remember it, but he who has granted it ought to forget the fact at once.
-- Demosthenes -
Nothing is more easy than to deceive one's self, as our affections are subtle persuaders.
-- Demosthenes
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