Yea, and it is disgraceful to exclaim on any occurrence, when it is too late, "Who would have expected it?
Demosthenes: “Yea, and it is disgraceful to exclaim on any occurrence, when it is too late, "Who would have expected it?”
Editor's note · Context
Demosthenes warns against the disgrace of expressing surprise at misfortunes that could have been prevented, emphasizing the importance of foresight.
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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.
You can not surely allege, that Aristodemus ought to be of importance at Athens, and Athens to be of no account among the Greeks.
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.
How is it equitable, that certain of these men, returned from prison, should not know themselves, while the state, that once protected all Greece and held the foremost place, is sunk in ignominy and humiliation?





