Political Quotes

Demosthenes: “The natural result was, that Greece, was formidable to the Barbarian, not the Barbarian to Greece. 'Tis not so now…”

On the recordc. 349 BC
The natural result was, that Greece, was formidable to the Barbarian, not the Barbarian to Greece. 'Tis not so now: since neither in this nor in other respects are your sentiments the same.
Said by
Demosthenes

Editor's note · Context

From a speech lamenting the decline of Greek power and spirit, on the reversal of roles between Greece and its foreign adversaries.

Share

More from Demosthenes

c. 349 BC

For this reason he will show us no mercy, if he get us into his power: and therefore you must make up your minds, that the struggle will be one for life and death.

gutenberg.org
c. 349 BC

Such is the truth, spoken with perfect freedom, purely from good-will and for the best: not a speech fraught with flattery and mischief and deceit, to earn money for the speaker, and to put the commonwealth into the hands of our enemies.

gutenberg.org
c. 349 BC

Because our city is the only one where liberty is allowed to speak for the enemy, where a man taking a bribe may safely address the people, though they have been deprived of their possessions.

gutenberg.org
c. 349 BC

But I suppose, you inherit a reputation from your father and grandfather, which it were disgraceful in your own person to extinguish, whereas the ancestry of the state was ignoble and mean.

gutenberg.org

Other voices in this conversation