All speech without action appears vain and idle, but especially that of our commonwealth; as the more we are thought to excel therein, the more is our speaking distrusted by all.
Demosthenes: “All speech without action appears vain and idle, but especially that of our commonwealth; as the more we are thought to…”
On the recordc. 349 BC
Said by
Demosthenes
Source
gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Demosthenes warns the Athenians that their reputation for eloquent speech makes their inaction even more detrimental to their credibility.
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