There was in the field one Lucilius, an excellent man, and a friend of Brutus, who, seeing some barbarian horse taking no notice of any...

Cleomenes King of Sparta: He himself instructed all by his example; he was a living pattern of temperance before every man’s eyes; and...

Agis, on the contrary, in fineness of nature and elevation of mind, not only far excelled Leonidas, but in a manner all the kings that...

Cato’s assiduity also, and indefatigable diligence, won very much upon the people. He always came first of any of his colleagues to the...

It is said of Cato that even from his infancy, in his speech, his countenance, and all his childish pastimes, he discovered an inflexible...

Alexander the Great sent a gift to Phocion, a famous Athenian statesman: As for his munificence to him, it is well known he sent him a...

When at the table of Valerius Leo, who entertained him at supper at Milan, a dish of asparagus was put before him on which his host...

Alexander, now intent upon his expedition into India, took notice that his soldiers were so charged with booty that it hindered their...

During a time of starvation in Rome, Pompey acted bravely. Thus Pompey, being appointed chief purveyor, and having within his...

So in the case of the Himeraeans; for when Pompey had determined on severely punishing their city, as they had been abettors of the...

Good fortune will elevate even petty minds, and give them the appearance of a certain greatness and stateliness, as from their high place...

“If so and so criticizes me I shall take care to render an account of my acts and words; if he persists, our enmity will be mutual.”...

After that, calling in his friends and asking whether it seemed to them that he had played the comedy of life fitly, he added the tag:...

Augustus to Tiberius: My dear Tiberius, do not be carried away by the ardour of youth in this matter, or take it too much to heart that...

Suetonius in his Life of Julius Caesar: As quaestor it fell to his lot to serve in Farther Spain. When he was there, while making the...

Napoleon... becoming more and more excited, he walked up and down the room with great strides for above an hour, giving vent to his...

It is known that the principal motive alleged for the creation of the Empire was to discourage attacks on the life and temporary power of...

But what each one of us, intimate witnesses of Bonaparte’s private life, owes to his memory, (without denying his ambition, which from...

For this purpose I had recourse to a method of life which had been forced upon me at the Admiralty in 1914 and 1915, and which I found greatly extended my daily capacity for work. I always went to bed at least for one hour as early as possible in the afternoon and exploited to the full my happy gift of falling almost immediately into deep sleep. By this means I was able to press a day and a half’s work into one. Nature had not intended mankind to work from eight in the mornin

Churchill:

Churchill:

But if thou feelest thyself to be a man, and a ruler of men, lay this first to heart, that there is a wheel on which the affairs of men revolve, and that its movement forbids the same man to be always fortunate.

When, in obedience to the orders which they had received, the Persians came with their reaping-hooks, Cyrus led them to a tract of ground, about eighteen or twenty furlongs each way, covered with thorns, and ordered them to clear it before the day was out. They accomplished their task; upon which he issued a second order to them, to take the bath the day following, and again to come to him. Meanwhile he collected together all his father’s flocks, both sheep and goats, and all

When someone remarked that the Chiefs of Staff system was a good one, he commented: ‘Not at all. It leads to weak and faltering decisions – or rather indecisions. Why, you may take the most gallant sailor, the most intrepid airman, or the most audacious soldier; put them at a table together – what do you get? The sum total of their fears!’