history

The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.

That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.

If men could foresee the future, they would still behave as they do now.

-- Russian proverb

Study the past, if you would divine the future.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history.

...we should pass over all biographies of 'the good and the great,' while we search carefully the slight records of wretches who died in prison, in Bedlam, or upon the gallows.

In 532, the Byzantines and Persians signed what they called The Perpetual Peace, so named because it was expected to last forever. It lasted eight years. After the ensuing war, the Byzantines and Persians, now less optimistic, named their new treaty The Fifty Year Peace. It lasted ten years.

1915. The Kaiser is informed that Italy will switch sides, General von Falkenhayn said: it makes no differences. If they are against us, it will take 10 divisions to defeat them. If they are with us, it will take 10 divisions to support them.

I am firmly convinced that Spain is the strongest country of the world. Century after century trying to destroy herself and still no success.

The other day I was reading a book and I came across a little anecdote. It was about the great Athenian general Themistocles. Before the battle of Salamis, he was locked in a vigorous debate with a Spartan general about potential strategies for defeating the Persians.

Themistocles was clearly in the minority with his views (but which ultimately turned out to be right and saved Western Civilization). He continued to interrupt and contradict the other generals. Finally, the Spartan general threatened to strike Themistocles if he didn’t shut up and stop. “Strike!” Themistocles shouted back, “But listen!”