People are inclined to accept all stories of ancient times in an uncritical way -even when those stories concern their own native counties...Most peo… - Thucydides

Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.

Most people, in fact, will not take trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.

People are inclined to accept all stories of ancient times in an uncritical way – even when these stories concern their own native countries.

self-control contains honour as a chief constituent, and honour bravery.

when people are entering upon a war they do things the wrong way round. Action comes first, and it is only when they have already suffered that they begin to think.

(Corinthian:) And if we allow ourselves to be divided or are not united against them (Athenians) heart and soul — the whole confederacy and every nation and city in it — they will easily overpower us. It may seem a hard saying, but you may be sure that defeat means nothing but downright slavery,

and the bare mention of such a possibility is a disgrace to the Peloponnese: — shall so many states suffer at the hands of one? Men will say, some that we deserve our fate, others that we are too cowardly to resist: and we shall seem a degenerate race. For our fathers were the liberators of Hellas,but we cannot secure even our own liberty; and while we make a point of overthrowing the rule of a single man in this or that city, we allow a city which is a tyrant to be set up in the midst of us.

(Book 1 Chapter 122.2-3)