Blame Those Who Wish to Serve

I am continuing re-reading a translation of Thucydides book “The Peloponnesian War” about the 27 year war between Athens and Sparta back in the fifth century B.C. Thucydides fills his book with speeches purportedly given by people arguing one way or another. He admits that these are not their exact words but are the gist of their position. To construct these speeches, it appears that Thucydides is drawing on the body of ancient Greek proverbs, common wisdom, and cliché arguments. He piles these together in a speech for one side of the argument, then puts the opposite ones together for the other argument.

However, many of the quoted proverbs he used are pretty good, or at least thought provoking. Since he generally gives both sides of the argument, they often express opposite sentiments. Since human nature has not changed in 2400 years, many are not much different from what one hears today. Some are not heard today, but maybe they should be. Here are some of Thucydides’ sound bites from the middle of his book.

My favorite,:
I do not blame them for wanting to rule, I blame those who wish to serve.
[spoken to Sicilians, some of whom were submitting to the Athenians, others allying with them, which amounted to the same thing]

Mutual fear is the only firm basis of an alliance.

What can be more detestable than constantly changing our minds?

A nation whose laws are flawed but inviolable is better off than one whose laws are good but unenforced.

Simple persons make better citizens that brilliant ones.

When there are speeches, you use your eyes, but when action is needed, you use your ears.

Men despise those who flatter them but respect those who stand up to them.

If you impose the same penalty on those who willfully rebel and those who are forced to cooperate with the enemy, who will not revolt for any trivial reason?

Mercy should be reserved for the merciful and not thrown away on those who would have no compassion for us if conditions were reversed.

Forgiveness should be given to those who will be our friends after we are reconciled, not to those who will remain our enemies and hate us nonetheless.

If they were right in revolting, then you must be wrong in ruling.

The two worst things for making the right decision are haste and emotion.

When someone gives you a great benefit, you suspect that somehow he has gained more than he has given.

The question should not be what have they done and what do they deserve, but instead, what is our best interest?

We should be concerned not with the present but with the future.

Poverty leads to necessity and daring; wealth leads to pride and arrogance.

Do not hope to find safety in the severity of your laws but only in the vigilance of their execution.

It is better to suffer a wrong willingly than to punish those whom it is in our better interest to spare.

If we are enemies, then we have not wronged you by defending ourselves; if you think we were your friends, then it is you who have attacked us, and we are not to blame.

If you act wrongly and lead your associates into evil, then it is the leaders who are to blame, not the followers.

It is not ingratitude to refuse to return a kindness, however justly deserved, if it can only be done by committing a crime.

War is a hard master and tends to join men’s character with their condition.

The cause of all these evils was the love of power.

They were animated by a passionate desire for their neighbor’s goods.