Novelists From The United States

"For aught I know, he may have told that silly tale so oft that he’s come to believe it himself."

"“Then who were the Ancient Ones?” Halran shrugged. “There are as many interpretations of those myths as there are mythographers.”"

"Self-interest, acting in divergent directions, can in time make the bitterest foes of the firmest friends and the closest kinsmen."

"The only sure defense against reproach, sir, is obscurity."

"“Why told you not the entire tale?” “It is foolish to entangle oneself, any more deeply than can be helped, in the struggles of the great. The man who is down today may be up tomorrow, and rancor outlasts gratitude as stone outlasts wood.”"

"“You make me feel very ignorant, my Greek friend.” “I am sorry—” The First Prophet cackled. “Tsk, tsk; apologize not. I, like other men, own up to minor failings in hope of convincing others that I have no major ones.”"

"Three things should not be counted upon: the level of a river, the tameness of a lion, and the promise of a king."

"In the early years of his reign, everyone praised you-know-who to the skies. And indeed he did well at the outset. But I suppose the responsibilities and the temptations of kingship, acting together, in time break down the strongest character."

"Demon land has no fury like that of a priest who is asked to pay taxes as ordinary folk must."

"While a hundred wives and concubines may satisfy the vanity of a king, you would search the wide world over ere you found a king who could satisfy a hundred wives and concubines."

"My master Herakleitos used to say: Most men might as well be blind and deaf, for all that they comprehend what lies about them. If you would gain wisdom, he said, get about, see things for yourself, and subject the impressions thus gained to the divine power of reason."

"Although laid out in more orderly fashion than any Greek city, Babylon had no true civic life and so was not, in the strict Greek sense of the word, a city at all. Here were hundreds of thousands of human beings, whose only concern with the government of their city was to avoid the police and cheat the tax gatherers. It reminded Myron of the swarming life sometimes found under a flat stone."

"“Obeying its natural instincts, it would have snapped up a tasty citizen or two. Then nought would have dissuaded your thick-skulled military from slaying the beast, as if one mountain dragon were not worth a score of human beings. Thorolf raised his eyebrows. “How reckon you that?” “The mountain dragon is an endangered species, whereas the world swarms with humanity. Man is in no danger of extermination, unless it destroy itself any devilish novel weapons like those Serican thunder tubes I hear of. It would serve the species right.” Thorolf gave a quiet laugh. “I never thought of it thus. Doubtless being human has warped my thinking.”"

"Gontran was a rancorous, vengeful man, who never forgave what he deemed a slight or let bygones be bygones. Hatred and grudges so filled his mind as to render him impervious to reason."

"Men make promises according to their hopes and keep them according to their fears."

"That which seems but meet and proper to us may appear odd to our friends, eccentric to strangers, and barbarous to foreigners."

"Bessas scowled. “I trust, sir banker, that you seek not to take advantage of our simplicity to squeeze unwonted wealth from us. You money-grubbers would pick a farthing from a dunghill with your teeth.”"

"But the king spoke: “This Hellenic passion to see all and pry into all is a curious new form of insanity. I am told that there are even people among you called wisdom-lovers, who devote their entire lives to this pursuit. How do you pronounce it? Fir—firos—” “Philosophers, sire. Your slave studied under one of the great ones, Herakleitos of Ephesos. I hope some day to be considered a wisdom-lover myself. And now may—” “Curious,” persisted Xerxes, running his fingers through his beard. “I should not care to rule an entire nation of these wisdom-lovers. They would demand a reason for every command or ever they obeyed it, and nought would get done.”"

"The moving shadow saith: “Swift Time doth run, And soon he’ll hale thee where there is no sun.” Well then, am I Time’s slave? I’ll mock the fiend, And gaily revel till my course be done!"

"Folly is mortals’ self-chosen misfortune."

"“Now, cut your arm a little and swear by all your gods that you will adhere faithfully to me and be my friend, helper, and defender, sharing in need and standing fast in danger, until our quest be done or until death part us!” “If you like; though it’s the man who makes us believe the oath, not the oath the man.”"

"I soon found, however, that most of these parties bored me to tears. These magnates are not really such villains as the poor are wont to think them; their worst fault is dullness. They talk about their games and sports, their children and relatives, their purchases and sales, their aches and pains, and they talk about them over and over."

"There’s more magic in a well-aimed three-talent ball than in all the wizards of Egypt."

"Some give their dead to earth, and some to fire, And some to beasts that roam the deserts dire; But since the dead do not return to rail, For aught I care, my guts may string a lyre!"

"All we can say for sure is that monotheism proved as deadly a foe to learning as war and barbarism. Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum."

"Berosos sighed. “Ah me! Once we, too, were a race of warriors and conquerors.” “Be thankful you are no longer,” said Dikaiarchos. “These kings reap a bit of glory, but what do they accomplish besides burning cities, killing and enslaving multitudes, and destroying the accumulated wealth and wisdom of the ages to aggrandize their own mediocre selves? He who ascertains a new law of nature or invents a new device is greater than all your conquerors, and in the long run has more influence.”"

"“I must be stupid,” I said. “I don’t doubt that his talk is full of profound hidden truths, but I find it terribly hard to understand.” Dikaiarchos laughed. “I’ll tell you a secret, Chares. I cannot understand it, either.” “You, sir?” “Yes. It may be that we are both stupid, or it may be that there is nothing to understand. It is a good practical rule that, if a man cannot explain himself in terms that any reasonably intelligent listener can comprehend, he doesn’t know what he is talking about himself.”"

"Whereas you believe in no gods but Iao, he carries this skepticism to its logical conclusion and believes in no gods at all. The difference seems slight to me."

"“You cannot expect men to be rational about national enmities,” said Dikaiarchos. “As everyone knows, people like to have friends, but they also like to have enemies. A hereditary foe is a useful thing to have. It gives you somebody to feel superior to; it provides a handy target for all the furies and hatreds which you have boiling around inside you but which you dare not direct at those nearer you.”"

"The trouble with Rhodes is, it’s got too many orators and not enough engineers."

"Folly is mortals’ self-selected misfortune."

"“How goes the City of the Persians?” “The same as ever: plots and intrigues in the palace; Persian arrogance in the streets; peasant ignorance in the countryside.”"

"The Knossians did not like to give up piracy themselves; in fact, many of their young men went elsewhere to enlist in piratical crews. However, they loved an excuse to meddle in the other cities’ affairs; for, next to robbery on the high seas, cutting their neighbors’ throats is the greatest joy of the Cretans."

"Now I said: “It’s unjust, Father. A man’s fate should be determined impersonally, on the basis of his virtues and abilities alone, without regard to all these petty personal likes and dislikes.” My father replied: “Perhaps it should be but it isn’t. If they like you, they’ll excuse your faults; if they dislike you, they’ll overlook your virtues.” “Then they’re a lot of stupid fools!” “Are you only just now learning that? But if they are, you won’t change them, not in one lifetime."

"Verily, the great man finds gold and rubies more easily come by than true friendship."

"“So you studied under Lysippos? Didn’t you find him a somewhat thorny character?” “At times, though I should prefer a difficult teacher of the first rank to an amiable mediocrity.”"

"As they say, no tears are shed when an enemy dies."

"As all young men must, I was learning the painful lesson that there is no substitute for experience."

"Mighty is the empire of habit."

"“When I met him in Antigoneia, he seemed a man of truly kingly quality.” Nikolaos, the full citizen, said: “If by kingly quality you mean cold-blooded treachery and murder, then Antigonos is your man.”"

"A king’s wrath is as lasting as the hills, but his favor is as dew upon the grass."

"Let me tell you a little secret. A man’s ability as a swordsman of the other kind, to borrow your words, hinges much upon his health of body and peace of mind. If you’d fain cause his—ah—resolution to droop, you have but oft to berate him in harsh and wounding terms. If you’re fain to have him serve you with vigor, flatter and praise him; make him think himself worthier than in his heart he knows himself to be."

"“I have met Master Parthenius,” growled Thorolf. “He is the sort to whom, if he were drowning, I should be happy to throw an anvil.”"

"Some are true gentlemen everywhere; the problem is to pick them out of the mass."

"I have deeply studied the female mind. Somewhat to my surprise, I found it, not the same as the male, but on balance quite as able."

"In Viagens Interplanetarias, Sprague’s interstellar travel takes place in Earth's backyard, so to speak; among stars, that is, within a reasonable number of light-years from the sun. Further, his concept of interstellar travel has . This makes the stories harder to write. I once asked him why he did this and he explained that since travel faster than the speed of light was impossible, it would take far too long to reach the really distant stars. I pointed out that if he used “hyper-space” as most writers did, that wouldn’t matter. (Hyperspace is a mythical term among s.f. writers and can be used in a vague and foggy way to excuse any speeds up to infinity.) Sprague said he didn't believe in hyperspace. I said neither did I but I used it. He just put his pipe in his mouth and shook his head. "If I don’t believe a thing is possible," he said, "I don't use it.""

"Certes, if we hanged everyone with a murderer in’s pedigree, not enough would survive to bury the bodies!"

"As the Persians say, kindness to the lion is cruelty to the lamb."

"That man has convinced me that he is a veritable philosopher. No ordinary man could be so awkward and absent-minded."

"Kanadas, watching from the rail, said: “I wish I go with them.” A tear ran down his dark face. “It is against my religion to travel over sea.” “Everything’s against your religion, laddie,” I said. “Of course. That shows it is very pure, moral religion.”"