Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"When everyone dislikes a man, enquiry is necessary; when everyone likes a man, enquiry is necessary."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XV, section 27) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

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Emperor Claudius

Emperor Claudius (r. 41-54)

"I decide in favour of the party which has told the truth."

• The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius, translated by Robert Graves and edited by James B. Rives. New York: Penguin Classics, 2007.

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Thucydides

Thucydides (c. 460-400 BCE)

"Different eye-witnesses give different accounts of the same events, speaking out of partiality for one side or the other or else from imperfect memories."

• History of the Peloponnesian War (Book I) by Thucydides, translated by Rex Warner (Penguin Classics, 1972).

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Arrian

Arrian (lived approx. 90-173+)

"Most people, if they know they have done wrong, foolishly suppose they can conceal their error by defending it, and finding a justification for it; but in my belief there is only one medicine for an evil deed, and that is for the guilty man to admit his guilt and show that he is sorry for it."

• The Campaigns of Alexander (Book 7) by Arrian, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt and revised by J. Hamilton. New York; Penguin Classics, 1971.

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Aristotle

Aristotle (c. 384-322 BCE)

"As a matter of fact, every bad man is ignorant of what he ought to do and refrain from doing, and it is just this sort of fault that makes people unjust and generally bad."

• From The Nicomachean Ethics (Book III, i) by Aristotle, translated by J. A. K. Thomson (Penguin Classics, 2004).

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Cassius Dio

Cassius Dio (c. 163-235)

"To tolerate the offences of the great mass of citizens is a task which demands great prudence and great power, but if anyone were to punish them all indiscriminately as they deserve, he would destroy before he knew it the greater part of mankind."

• From Cassius Dio's The Roman History (Book 55, chapter 20), translated by Ian Scott-Kilvert (Penguin Classics, 1987). Dio wrote this quote in the character of Livia, Augustus' wife, in a scene where she gives advice to her husband. 

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Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1080-1118 CE)

Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118 CE)

According to Anna Komnene (1083-1153), this is the coded message that her father, Alexios Komnenos, sent to Kaiser John Doukas, announcing the revolt that would eventually make Alexios the emperor of Constantinople:

"We have prepared a very fine dish, not without rich savory sauce. If you would like to share the feast, come as soon as you can to sit with us at the perfect banquet."

• From The Alexiad by Anna Komnene, translated by E. R. A. Sewter (Penguin Classics edition).

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Thomas More

Thomas More (1478-1535)

"Instead of inflicting these horrible punishments, it would be far more to the point to provide everyone with the means of livelihood, so that nobody's under the frightful necessity of becoming first a thief and then a corpse."

• From "Humanistic Solutions to Social Problems" in Thomas More's Utopia, translated by Paul Turner.

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Mo Tzu

Mo Tzu (5th century BCE Chinese philosopher and theologian)

"If the worthy are not rewarded and the wicked are not punished, then there will be no way to encourage the worthy or put a stop to evil."

• From Mo Tzu's Basic Writings.

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Kakuei Tanaka

Kakuei Tanaka (1918-1993)

"Politics is power. Power is numbers."

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