historians-from-greece

"Εἰμί μὲν οὐ φιλόοινος: ὅταν δ᾽ ἐθέλῃς με μεθύσσαι, πρῶτα σὺ γευομένη πρόσφερε, καὶ δέχομαι. εἰ γὰρ ἐπιψαύσεις τοῖς χείλεσιν, οὐκέτι νήφειν εὐμαρὲς, οὐδὲ φυγεῖν τὸν γλυκὺν οἰνοχόον πορθμεύει γὰρ ἔμοιγε κύλιξ παρὰ σοῦ τὸ φίλημα, καί μοι ἀπαγγέλλει τὴν χάριν ἣν ἔλαβεν."

"Τῇ Παφίῃ στεφάνους, τῇ Παλλάδι τὴν πλοκαμῖδα, Ἀρτέμιδι ζώνην ἄνθετο Καλλιρόη: εὕρετο γὰρ μνηστῆρα τὸν ἤθελε, καὶ λάχεν ἥβην σώφρονα, καὶ τεκέων ἄρσεν ἔτικτε γένος."

"Εἰργομένη φιλέειν με κατὰ στόμα δῖα Ῥοδάνθη ζώνην παρθενικὴν ἐξετάνυσσε μέσην, καὶ κείνην φιλέεσκεν ἐγὼ δέ τις ὡς ὀχετηγὸς ἀρχὴν εἰς ἑτέρην εἷλκον ἔρωτος ὕδωρ, αὐερύων τὸ φίλημα: περὶ ζωστῆρα δὲ κούρης μάστακι ποππύζων, τηλόθεν ἀντεφίλουν. ἦν δὲ πόνου καὶ τοῦτο παραίφασις: ἡ γλυκερὴ γὰρ ζώνη πορθμὸς ἔην χείλεος ἀμφοτέρου."

"Εἰ μὲν ἀπὸ Σπάρτης τις ἔφυς, ξένε μή με γελάσσηις· οὐ γὰρ ἐμοὶ μούνηι ταῦτα τέλεσσε Τύχη· εἰ δέ τις ἐξ Ἀσίης, μὴ πένθεε· Δαρδανικοῖς γὰρ σκήπτροις Αἰνεαδῶν πᾶσα νένευκε πόλις. εἰ δὲ θεῶν τεμένη καὶ τείχεα καὶ ναετῆρας ζηλήμων δηίων ἐξεκένωσεν Ἄρης, εἰμὶ πάλιν· βασίλεια σὺ δ', ὦ τέκος, ἄτρομε Ῥώμη, βάλλε καθ' Ἑλλήνων σῆς ζυγόδεσμα δίκης."

"Τὰ γὰρ ἔθνη ταῦτα, Σκλαβηνοί τε καὶ Ἄνται, οὐκ ἄρχονται πρὸς ἀνδρὸς ἑνός, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ ἐκ παλαιοῦ βιοτεύουσι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀεὶ τά τε ξύμφορα καὶ τὰ δύσκολα ἐς κοινὸν ἄγεται. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὡς εἰπεῖν ἅπαντα ἑκατέροις ἐστί τε καὶ νενόμισται τούτοις ἄνωθεν τοῖς βαρβάροις. θεὸν μὲν γὰρ ἕνα τὸν τῆς ἀστραπῆς δημιουργὸν ἁπάντων κύριον μόνον αὐτὸν νομίζουσιν εἶναι, καὶ θύουσιν αὐτῷ βόας τε καὶ ἱερεῖα πάντα· εἱμαρμένην δὲ οὔτε ἴσασιν οὔτε ἄλλως ὁμολογοῦσιν ἔν γε ἀνθρώποις ῥοπήν τινα ἔχειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπειδὰν αὐτοῖς ἐν ποσὶν ἤδη ὁ θάνατος εἴη, ἢ νόσῳ ἁλοῦσιν ἢ ἐς πόλεμον καθισταμένοις, ἐπαγγέλλονται μέν, ἢν διαφύγωσι, θυσίαν τῷ θεῷ ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτίκα ποιήσειν, διαφυγόντες δὲ θύουσιν ὅπερ ὑπέσχοντο, καὶ οἴονται τὴν σωτηρίαν ταύτης δὴ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῖς ἐωνῆσθαι. σέβουσι μέντοι καὶ ποταμούς τε καὶ νύμφας καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα δαιμόνια, καὶ θύουσι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἅπασι, τάς τε μαντείας ἐν ταύταις δὴ ταῖς θυσίαις ποιοῦνται. οἰκοῦσι δὲ ἐν καλύβαις οἰκτραῖς διεσκηνημένοι πολλῷ μὲν ἀπ᾿ ἀλλήλων, ἀμείβοντες δὲ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ τὸν τῆς ἐνοικήσεως ἕκαστοι χῶρον. ἐς μάχην δὲ καθιστάμενοι πεζῇ μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους οἱ πολλοὶ ἴασιν ἀσπίδια καὶ ἀκόντια ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες, θώρακα δὲ οὐδαμῆ ἐνδιδύσκονται. τινὲς δὲ οὐδὲ χιτῶνα οὐδὲ τριβώνιον ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ μόνας τὰς ἀναξυρίδας ἐναρμοσάμενοι μέχρι ἐς τὰ αἰδοῖα, οὕτω δὴ ἐς ξυμβολὴν τοῖς ἐναντίοις καθίστανται. ἔστι δὲ καὶ μία ἑκατέροις φωνὴ ἀτεχνῶς βάρβαρος. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ εἶδος ἐς ἀλλήλους τι διαλλάσσουσιν. εὐμήκεις τε γὰρ καὶ ἄλκιμοι διαφερόντως εἰσὶν ἅπαντες, τὰ δὲ σώματα καὶ τὰς κόμας οὔτε λευκοὶ ἐσάγαν ἢ ξανθοί εἰσιν οὔτε πη ἐς τὸ μέλαν αὐτοῖς παντελῶς τέτραπται, ἀλλ᾿ ὑπέρυθροί εἰσιν ἅπαντες. δίαιταν δὲ σκληράν τε καὶ ἀπημελημένην, ὥσπερ οἱ Μασσαγέται, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔχουσι, καὶ ῥύπου ᾗπερ ἐκεῖνοι ἐνδελεχέστατα γέμουσι, πονηροὶ μέντοι ἢ κακοῦργοι ὡς ἥκιστα τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, ἀλλὰ κἀν τῷ ἀφελεῖ διασώζουσι τὸ Οὐννικὸν ἦθος. καὶ μὴν καὶ ὄνομα Σκλαβηνοῖς τε καὶ Ἄνταις ἓν τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ἦν· Σπόρους γὰρ τὸ παλαιὸν ἀμφοτέρους ἐκάλουν, ὅτι δὴ σποράδην, οἶμαι, διεσκηνημένοι τὴν χώραν οἰκοῦσι. διὸ δὴ καὶ γῆν τινα πολλὴν ἔχουσι· τὸ γὰρ πλεῖστον τῆς ἑτέρας τοῦ Ἴστρου ὄχθης αὐτοὶ νέμονται."

"No one was without a share in the grief. In the alleys, in the streets, in the temples, complaints, weeping, lamentations, grief, the groaning of men, the shrieks of women, wounds, rape, captivity, the separation of those most closely united. Nobles wandered about ignominiously, those of venerable age in tears, the rich in poverty. Thus it was in the streets, on the corners, in the temple, in the dens, for no place remained unassailed or defended the suppliants. All places everywhere were filled full of all kinds of crime. Oh, immortal God, how great the afflictions of the men, how great the distress!"

"Ἐσμὲν γὰρ οὖν... Ἕλληνες τὸ γένος, ὡς ἥ τε φωνὴ καὶ ἡ πάτριος παιδεία μαρτυρεῖ."

"Nor can the violation of the Great Church be listened to with equanimity. For the sacred altar, formed of all kinds of precious materials and admired by the whole world, was broken into bits and distributed among the soldiers, as was all the other sacred wealth of so great and infinite splendor. [...] Nay more, a certain harlot, a sharer in their guilt, a minister of the furies, a servant of the demons, a worker of incantations and poisonings, insulting Christ, sat in the patriarch's seat, singing an obscene song and dancing frequently."

"In the early 1960s, Kuhn and Feyerabend pointed out that the meaning of scientific terms changes over time."

"Science started having significant applications more than a hundred and fifty years ago (e.g., in the rising chemical and electrical industries) and those applications were based on theories that have been abandoned (e.g., on an ether-based electromagnetic theory)."

"There is nothing more conducive to the destruction of a nation, whether it be republic or monarchy, than the lack of men of wisdom or intellect."

"It is not history’s duty to solve the problems of the future, but simply to remind us of the solutions that were chosen during similar situations. But history that teaches only one solution is a dangerous thing."

"Hope is something to comfort the weak."

"The French, you know, have a good quality: They don’t tolerate arrogance. I’m the same way. I voted for him, but when I heard him tell an unemployed man asking for a job to “go across the street” and get one, and especially after the cover-up of the Benalla scandal – when Macron’s security officer beat up a protester – he was finished as far as I was concerned."

"Greece and Europe have been intrinsically linked notions since the time of Herodotus. We need to remember that. And we need to learn to live in a European and globalized society without saying “us” and “them.”"

"I was always in favor of the term “New Macedonia,” because North Macedonia naturally suggests a South Macedonia and in this case, North Macedonia is a country and the South Macedonia that is implied is a region in another country."

"Yes, I haven’t changed my mind. For decades, anything that was decided in Europe came with a footnote, an asterisk, added by the British. But we can’t move forward with asterisks; they have to go."

"Today, unfortunately, education does not start in the home and school is in no position to fill that void."

"I’m not scared of the far-right: It’s like a growing boil that needs to be lanced and I have a feeling it’s already happening."

"When the incompetent are allowed to govern, it is the fault of the able."

"Speaking as a historian, there has never been an empire that was not multinational."

"We have come to the point of believing complacency to be a virtue. Yet complacency is the biggest form of cowardice. The worst thing we can do to our children is to teach them to remain quiet. In ancient Greece, during periods of crisis and division, citizens who would not take a position were fined. We tell our young people to be irresponsible, to stay off the pitch, instead of teaching them that we all need to be on the pitch and to fight. When you deny yourself the right of participation and choice, you’re denying your freedom."

"Europe has always been mixed-race, it has never had such a thing as biological purity. The crucial question today is how the migrants and refugees will be assimilated. Unfortunately, we continue making the same huge mistake – in Europe and in Greece. We treat foreign nationals like a separate community that cannot be assimilated. By doing so, we create a foreign territory within our own. The Arabs say that the land of Islam is wherever there is a single Muslim. The people coming to Greece, therefore, need to learn our language and customs, to be assimilated into Greek institutions in a manner that is not just restricted to the islands of the eastern Aegean and the hot spots, but which includes the entire country. We’re afraid of losing our culture by sharing it. But without contact with others, culture ceases being a culture."

"A leftist is a person who does leftist things, not one who claims to be one. The left is a way of life, not a manner of speech. Someone who likes to talk but not listen, who is not willing to stand up for those who are wronged, including their rivals, is not a leftist in my book. Defending your rival’s rights is the greatest virtue. This is why there is no such thing as a virtuous politician as far as I’m concerned. And if I continue to claim that I am a leftist, it is because I still hope for a more just distribution of wealth and an education system that teaches this virtue."

"‘[…] the Brahmins […] already knew all those doctrines concerning nature which were subsequently taught by the Greeks.’"

"We have three versions of a statement by Megasthenes... Pliny (VI. xxl.4-5) reports about the Indians: "From the days of Father Bacchus to Alexander the Great, their kings are reckoned at 154, whose reigns extend over 6451 years and 3 months." Solinus (52.5) says: "Father Bacchus was the first who invaded India, and was the first of all who triumphed over the vanquished Indians. From him to Alexander the Great 6451 years are reckoned with 3 months additional, the calculation being made by counting the kings, who reigned in the intermediate period, to the number of 153." Arrian (Indica, I. ix.) observes: "From the time of Dionysus to Sandrocottus the Indians counted 153 kings and a period of 6042 years, but among these a republic was thrice established... and another to 300 years, and another to 120 years. The Indians also tell us that Dionysus was earlier than Heracles by fifteen generations, and that except him no one made a hostile invasion of India but that Alexander indeed came and overthrew in war all whom he attacked...""

"Of several remarkable customs existing among the Indians, there is one prescribed by their ancient philosophers which one may regard as truly admirable: for the law ordains that no one among them shall, under any circumstances, be a slave, but that, enjoying freedom, they shall respect the equal right to it which all possess: for those, they thought, who have learned neither to domineer over nor to cringe to others will attain the life best adapted for all vicissitudes of lot: for it is but fair and reasonable to institute laws which bind all equally, but allow property to be unevenly distributed."' Among the Indians officers are appointed even for foreigners, whose duty is to see that no foreigner is wronged. Should any of them lose his health, they send physicians to attend him, and take care of him otherwise, and if he dies they bury him, and deliver over such property as he leaves to his relatives. The judge also decides cases in which foreigners are concerned, with the greatest care, and come down sharply on those who take unfair advantage of them."

"[Their] law ordains that no one among them shall, under any circumstances, be a slave, but that, enjoying freedom, they shall respect the equal right to it which all possess: for it is but fair and reasonable to institute laws which bind all equally, but allow property to bo unevenly distributed."

"[The Indians] live happily enough,... being simple in their manners, and frugal. They never drink wine except at sacrifice. . . . The simplicity of their laws and their contracts is proved by the fact that they seldom go to law. They have no suits about pledges and deposits, nor do they require either seals or witnesses, but make their deposits and confide in each other. . . . Truth and virtue they hold alike in esteem. . . . The greater part of the soil is under irrigation, and consequently bears two crops in the course of the year. . . . It is accordingly affirmed that famine has never visited India, and that there has never been a general scarcity in the supply of nourishing food."

"All Indians are free, and not one of them is a slave."

"Megasthenes, for example, who visited the Maurya court at Pataliputra in the fourth century bc, noted: All Indians are free, and none of them is a slave…. Indians neither invade other peoples, nor do other peoples invade India…. They fare happily, because of their simplicity and their frugality…. Since they esteem beauty, they practise everything that can beautify their appearance. Further, they respect alike virtue and truth…."

"Στην πραγματικότητα κανείς δεν μπορεί να αποδείξει αν είναι γνήσια ή πλαστά τα “Πρωτόκολλα των Σοφών της Σιών”. Ομως ο καθένας μπορεί να καταλάβει αν εφαρμόζονται ή όχι. Αρα, ακόμη και αν είναι πλαστά, τα “Πρωτόκολλα των Σοφών της Σιών” εφαρμόζονται πλήρως. [...] οι Εβραίοι κάνουν τη δουλειά τους τόσο καλά ώστε σήμερα μπορούν και ελέγχουν σε ποσοστό 80% τουλάχιστον την αμερικανική εξωτερική πολιτική, ενώ οι ίδιοι είναι ένα έθνος ολίγων εκατομμυρίων."

"Στον καπιταλισμό οι κουμουνιστές είναι πάντα καλύτεροι"

"Δείξατε στον κόσμο ότι όλα τα ωραία μεγάλα λόγια ήταν μια καρέκλα και ένας μετακλειτός υπάλληλος"

"Οι πολιτικοί μου αντίπαλοι προσπαθούν με αυτές τις γελοίες εναντίον μου κατηγορίες να ακυρώσουν τον πολιτικό μου λόγο"

"Κάθε μεσημέρι-βράδυ-πρωί ακούμε δηλώσεις και αντιδηλώσεις αυτού του κόμματος που λέγεται Νέα Δημοκρατία και που κατά την γνώμη μου είναι η ντροπή της Δεξιάς. [...] Δεν μπορώ να πιστέψω ότι θα μπορούσα να έχω οποιαδήποτε ιδεολογική ή πολιτική συγγένεια με αυτό το γελοίο τσίρκο."

"Η διαφορά δεξιάς-αριστεράς να ξέρετε είναι αυτή: ο αριστερός ζει στον φαντασιακό κόσμο, πάντα συζητάει για το τι θα ήθελε να συμβαίνει ο δεξιός, εμείς δηλαδή, ζούμε στον πραγματικό κόσμο κοιτάμε να δούμε τι μπορεί να γίνει"

"Πάντα η ηγεσία έχει την ευθύνη"

"Ξέρεις τι ωραίο που είναι να είσαι αριστερός και να τρως αστακομακαρονάδα στα σύννεφα;"

"Eratosthenes of Cyrene, employing mathematical theories and geometrical methods, discovered from the course of the sun the shadows cast by an equinoctial gnomon, and the inclination of the heaven that the circumference of the earth is two hundred and fifty-two thousand stadia, that is, thirty-one million five hundred thousand paces."

"[Eratosthenes] ... is a mathematician among geographers, and yet a geographer among mathematicians; and consequently on both sides he offers his opponents occasions for contradiction."

"In comparison with the great size of the earth the protrusion of mountains is not sufficient to deprive it of its spherical shape or to invalidate measurements based on its spherical shape. For Eratosthenes shows that the perpendicular distance from the highest mountain tops to the lowest regions is ten stades [c.5,000-5,500 feet]. This he shows with the help of dioptras which measure magnitudes at a distance."

"Eratosthenes... knew that the Sun was straight overhead in... Syene at noon on the , but that it was 7.2 degrees south of straight overhead in , located 794 kilometers farther north. He concluded... 794 kilometers corresponded to 7.2 degrees out of the 360 degrees... around Earth's circumference, so that the circumference must be 794 km x 360°/7.2°≈39,700 km... remarkably close to the modern value of 40,000 km. Amusingly Christopher Columbus totally bungled this... confusing Arabic miles with Italian miles..."

"Eratosthenes declares that it is no longer necessary to inquire as to the cause of the overflow of the Nile, since we know definitely that men have come to the sources of the Nile and have observed the rains there."

"You experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. ... Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

"You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you."

"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

"What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight."

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need."

"We must obey God rather than men."