The History of the Grecian War

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G. & W.B. Whittaker, J. Parker, and R. Bliss, 1823 - Greece - 479 pages
 

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Page v - For the principal and proper work of history being to instruct and enable men, by the knowledge of actions past, to bear themselves prudently in the present and providently towards the future...
Page vi - But Thucydides is one, who, though he never digress to read a lecture, moral or political, upon his own text, nor enter into men's hearts further than the acts themselves evidently guide him: is yet accounted the most politic historiographer that ever writ.
Page 141 - To these succeeded others lightly armed, that carried the darts, for whom they that came after carried targets at their backs, that they might be the more expedite to get up, which targets they were to deliver to them when they came to the enemy. At length, when most of them were ascended, they were heard by the watchmen that were in the towers ; for one of the Plataeans, taking hold of the battlements, threw down a tile, which made a noise in the fall, and presently there was an alarm; and the army...
Page vi - a man of understanding might have added to his " experience, if he had then lived a beholder of their " proceedings, and familiar with the men and business " of the time; so much almost may he profit now, by " attentive reading of the same here written. He may " from the narrations draw out lessons to himself, and " of himself be able to trace the drifts and counsels of
Page 107 - ... was not so much led by them as he led them. Because, having gotten his power by no evil arts, he would not humour them in his speeches but out of his authority durst anger them with contradiction. Therefore, whensoever he saw them out of season insolently bold, he would with his orations put them into a fear; and again, when they were afraid without reason, he would likewise erect their spirits and embolden them. It was in name a state democratical, but in fact a government of the principal man.
Page 417 - Cacyparis, to the end when they came thither to march upwards along the river side, through the heart of the country. For they hoped that this way, the Siculi to whom they had sent, would meet them. When they came to the river, here also they found a certain guard of the Syracusians stopping their passage with a wall and with piles. When they had quickly forced this guard...
Page 101 - Insomuch as they justified a speedy fruition of their goods even for their pleasure, as men that thought they held their lives but by the day. As for pains, no man was forward in any action of honour to take any because they thought it uncertain whether they should die or not before they achieved it. But what any man knew to be delightful and to be profitable to pleasure, that was made both profitable and honourable. Neither the fear of the gods nor laws of men awed any man...
Page 311 - So that we are confident, not altogether so much without reason as you think." 105. Ath. "As for the favour of the gods, we expect to have it as well as you; for we neither do nor require anything contrary to what mankind hath decreed, either concerning the worship of the gods or concerning themselves.* For of the gods we think according to the common opinion; and of men, that for certain by necessity of nature they will everywhere reign over such as they be too strong for. Neither did we make this...
Page 420 - For for eight months together, they allowed no more but to every man a cotyle2 of water by the day, and two cotyles of corn. And whatsoever misery is probable that men in such a place may suffer, they suffered. Some seventy days they lived thus thronged. Afterwards, retaining the Athenians, and such Sicilians and Italians as were of the army with them, they sold the rest. How many were taken in all, it is hard to say exactly : but they were seven thousand at the fewest.
Page 13 - The causes why they brake the same, and their quarrels, I have therefore set down first, because no man should be to seek from what ground so great a war amongst the Grecians could arise. And the truest quarrel, though least in speech, I conceive to be the growth of the Athenian power, which putting the Lacedaemonians into fear, necessitated the war.

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