Quote of the day 4th June 2023

This quote has been wrongly attributed to various ancient figures including Euripides and Confucius.

I understand the earliest confirmed version in exactly these words was by the Reverend William Anderson Scott in 1854, although he described it as a "heathen proverb." The concept does go back to ancient Greece however, as there is a phrase of similar meaning in one of Sophocles' plays.

It certainly has modern relevance: you only have to look at the actions of those currently in authority in Russia (see next post.) 




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