Force has no place where there is need of skill. Herodotus More Quotes by Herodotus More Quotes From Herodotus If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it. Herodotus knowingfunmen The secret of success is that it is not the absence of failure, but the absence of envy. Herodotus envysecretabsence Men trust their ears less than their eyes. Herodotus trustmusiceye Adversity has the effect of drawing out strength and qualities of a man that would have laid dormant in its absence. Herodotus drawingadversitymen Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use. Herodotus forceuselittles Haste in every business brings failures. Herodotus hastefailurebusiness In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons. Herodotus militarypeacefather Those who are skilled in archery bend their bow only when they are preparing to use it; when they do not require it, they allow it to remain unbent, for otherwise it would remain unserviceable when the time for using it arrived. So it is with man. If he were to devote himself unceasingly to a dull round of business, without breaking the monotony by cheerful amusements, he would fall imperceptibly into idiocy, or be struck by paralysis Herodotus businessmenfall But this I know: if all mankind were to take their troubles to market with the idea of exchanging them, anyone seeing what his neighbor's troubles were like would be glad to go home with his own. Herodotus would-behomeideas Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects. Herodotus eternitytimehistory Of all possessions a friend is the most precious. Herodotus precious-friendsprecious-possessionspossession 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 passionriskaction Whatever comes from God is impossible for a man to turn back. Herodotus godmenpeople 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 favoursuccessfulreason This king [Sesostris] divided the land among all Egyptians so as to give each one a quadrangle of equal size and to draw from each his revenues, by imposing a tax to be levied yearly. But everyone from whose part the river tore anything away, had to go to him to notify what had happened; he then sent overseers who had to measure out how much the land had become smaller, in order that the owner might pay on what was left, in proportion to the entire tax imposed. In this way, it appears to me, geometry originated, which passed thence to Hellas. Herodotus egyptkingsscience It is better to be envied than pitied. Herodotus enviedenvy The most hateful grief of all human griefs is to have knowledge of a truth, but no power over the event. Herodotus destinyeventsgrief 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 egyptcountryworld A multitude of rulers is not a good thing. Let there be one ruler, one king. Herodotus rage-from-the-iliadgood-thingskings Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances. Herodotus chancecircumstancesmen
