Demosthenes

"ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκίας, οἶμαι, καὶ πλοίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων τὰ κάτωθεν ἰσχυρότατ᾽ εἶναι δεῖ, οὕτω καὶ τῶν πράξεων τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις ἀληθεῖς καὶ δικαίας εἶναι προσήκει"

"The easiest thing in the world is self-deceit; for every man believes what he wishes, though the reality is often different."

"Delivery, delivery, delivery."

"The readiest and surest way to get rid of censure, is to correct ourselves."

"It is not possible to found a lasting power upon injustice, perjury, and treachery."

"No man can tell what the future may bring forth, and small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises."

"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."

"Every advantage in the past is judged in the light of the final issue."

"Whatever shall be to the advantage of all, may that prevail!"

"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."

"Of orators, if I must choose you any, it shall be Demosthenes, both for the argument he handles, and for that his eloquence is more proper to a statesman than Cicero's."

"Demosthenes would have saved his country had it consented to be saved."

"Demosthenes met war with war only because submitting to brute force can give but a debasing peace. The strong who hold all the rewards in their hands had no degrading attraction for him. At one stroke and for always he gave himself to that subtly inconsequential people — inconsequential because its yoked strength and weakness pulled against each other as they were alternately attracted by the fleeting flatteries it was eager to give and to receive. In the worst trials, respectful of the Athenian ideal to which he had consecrated his life, he remained immutably faithful to his City and to Hellas, through which the civilization that we glory in was enabled to live and flourish."

"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.""