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…”
Editor'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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They say that you should keep quiet, though you are injured; but they can not themselves keep quiet among you, though no one injures them.
If we admitted the truth of what would be your best possible answer, namely, that all you do is for honor and renown, I wonder what puts it into your head, that you ought from such motives to exert yourself and undergo toil and danger…
For the riches of a state I consider to be allies, confidence, good-will; of all which you are destitute.
You can not surely allege, that Aristodemus ought to be of importance at Athens, and Athens to be of no account among the Greeks.





