Quotes from Xenophon

And do you think, you fool, added Socrates, that kisses of love are not venomous, because you perceive not the poison? Know that a beautiful person is a more dangerous animal than scorpions, because these cannot wound unless they touch us; but beauty strikes at a distance: from what place soever we can but behold her, she darts her venom upon us, and overthrows our judgment.

In heaven's name, let us not wait for other people to come to us and call upon us to do great deeds. Let us instead be the first to summon the rest to a path of honor.

He neglected not his own body, and praised not those that neglected theirs.  In like manner, he blamed the custom of some who eat too much, and afterwards use violent exercises; but he approved of eating till nature be satisfied, and of a moderate exercise after it, believing that method to be an advantage to health, and proper to unbend and divert the mind. 

I will choosing to die rather than to remain alive without freedom and beg, as an alternative to death, a vastly inferior life.

but that it is only the writings and precepts of the philosophers and other fine writers that are the true riches, because they enrich with virtue the minds of those that possess them. Euthydemus

Shamelessness, they hold, treads close on the heels of ingratitude, and thus ingratitude is the ringleader and chief instigator to every kind of baseness.

it is no disgrace but honourable rather to steal, except such things as the law forbids;

Don't give them enough time to arrange a solid defense. We've got to appear against them like an uncontrollable nightmare of spears and battle-axes and flashing swords!

Let No One Fall Idle  

Remember too," I added, "that getting rid of scoundrels ends the danger of contamination for the rest of the army. Men are drawn closer to virtue when they see the dishonor that falls on misleaders.

Well-Trained Personnel Always Come Through in a Pinch

Let's banish these misleaders from among us, and when we do, we shouldn't fill their places from our Persian peerage alone. As our journey continues, we're going to be joined by many races of men. Just as we choose our horses from the best stocks, not limiting ourselves to our national breed, we should choose the best men to join us in the work of command, regardless of their country or color." A

Separated from Hellas by more than a thousand miles, they had not even a guide to point the way.

Nothing that is really good and admirable is granted by the gods to men without some effort and application.

You know, I need hardly remind you, it is not numbers or strength that gives victory in war; but, heaven helping them, to one or other of two combatants it is given to dash with stouter hearts to meet the foe, and such onset, in nine cases out of ten, those others refuse to meet.

we must not give way to a lust for plunder until the enemy is completely scattered. The man who's too quick to plunder is no longer a man. He turns himself into a beast of burden and ought to be treated like a traitor.

Gentlemen," I said to my officers, "let's talk about discipline within our army, and let's consider our danger from no-account leaders. Unfortunately, such rogues sometimes find more followers than good leaders. Promising everyone a good time with plenty of instant rewards, these scoundrels can exert much more influence than virtuous men, who end up alone on steep, rocky paths.

My study of history had taught me that humanity has always been full of illusions about its own possibilities, and that ambitious leaders have led their people into deep affliction more often than wide empire. Then

We must also be careful to educate our sons and daughters when children are born to the women whom we've taken as wives. Striving to set the best example we can for our children will make us act even more nobly.

We're bound to be proud of the way our children turn out if they see nothing unseemly and hear nothing shameful. They, like us, will live in the light of all that's good, and their virtue—like ours—will be their strength.

do you not take him to be just who commits no manner of injustice? It

When soldiers are sick or wounded, doctors can fix them up, but you've got to save them from falling ill in the first place.

Most of all I vowed that my followers would learn more from my own example than from any legal code or set of regulations. As important to the people as written laws may be, the leader serves as a living law. He not only acts as a competent guide but also functions as a wise judge, detecting and punishing those who fail to serve the people with justice and honesty.

If an army is to win through to victory, it has to spend all its time helping itself or hurting its foe. Therefore, an army should never be idle.