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Demosthenes

Read through the most famous quotes from Demosthenes




Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.


— Demosthenes


#beginning #enterprises #often #opportunities #small

A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.


— Demosthenes


#believes #dupe #easiest #generally #his

All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action.


— Demosthenes


#action #empty #speech #unless #vain

Every dictator is an enemy of freedom, an opponent of law.


— Demosthenes


#enemy #every #freedom #law #opponent

No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods.


— Demosthenes


#apply #friends #gods #help #himself

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.


— Demosthenes


#cannot #conduct #his #man #mean

As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not; so men are proved, by their speeches, whether they be wise or foolish.


— Demosthenes


#foolish #known #men #proved #sound

Beware lest in your anxiety to avoid war you obtain a master.


— Demosthenes


#avoid #beware #lest #master #obtain

Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.


— Demosthenes


#despots #free #never #safe #states

Excessive dealings with tyrants are not good for the security of free states.


— Demosthenes


#excessive #free #good #security #states






About Demosthenes

Demosthenes Quotes




Did you know about Demosthenes?

After Philip's death Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new King of Macedonia Alexander the Great. θəniːz/ Greek: Δημοσθένης Dēmosthénēs [dɛːmostʰénɛːs]; 384–322 BC) was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His father—also named Demosthenes—who belonged to the local tribe Pandionis and lived in the deme of Paeania in the Athenian countryside was a wealthy sword-maker.

Demosthenes grew interested in politics during his time as a logographer and in 354 BC he gave his first public political speeches. After Philip's death Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new King of Macedonia Alexander the Great. He sought to preserve his city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon in an unsuccessful attempt to impede Philip's plans to expand his influence southwards by conquering all the other Greek states.

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