thucydides history of the peloponnesian war book 1

The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War In short, to forestall an intending criminal, or to suggest the idea of a crime where it was lacking was equally commended, until even blood became a weaker tie than party, from the superior readiness of those united by the latter to dare everything without reserve for such associations sought not the blessings derivable from established institutions but were formed by ambition to overthrow them and the confidence of their members in each other rested less on any religious sanction than upon complicity in crime.”

To succeed in a plot was to have a shrewd head, to divine a plot a still shrewder but to try to provide against having to do either was to break up your party and to be afraid of your adversaries.

The advocate of extreme measures was always trustworthy his opponent a man to be suspected. Frantic violence became the attribute of manliness cautious plotting a justifiable means of self-defense. Reckless audacity came to be considered the courage of a loyal supporter prudent hesitation, specious cowardice moderation was held to be a cloak for unmanliness ability to see all sides of a question incapacity to act on any. “Words had to change their ordinary meaning and to take that which was now given them.

Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war book 1