Quotes By Herodotus

Men's fortunes are on a wheel, which in its turning suffers not the same man to prosper for ever.

I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.

The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless.

All men's gains are the fruit of venturing.

If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.

Force has no place where there is need of skill.

Knowledge may give weight, but accomplishments give lustre, and many more people see than weigh.

Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.

Men trust their ears less than their eyes.

If someone were to put a proposition before men bidding them choose, after examination, the best customs in the world, each nation would certainly select its own.

Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; While others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.

How much better a thing it is to be envied than to be pitied.

When a woman removes her garment, she also removes the respect that is hers.

Many exceedingly rich men are unhappy, but many middling circumstances are fortunate.

It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.

Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances.