78 Quotes by Xenophon

Leaders must always set the highest standard. In a summer campaign, leaders must always endure their share of the sun and the heat and, in winter, the cold and the frost. In all labors, leaders must prove tireless if they want to enjoy the trust of their followers.

The man who doesn’t know his own ability is ignorant of himself.

Brevity is the soul of command.

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

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.

Truly, men often fail to understand their own weaknesses,” I said neutrally, “and their lack of self-knowledge can bring terrible disasters down on their own heads.

A man may hate cruelty and lies, but if he’s never given an opportunity to show what he’s made of, no one will remember him when he dies.

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.