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History Quotes

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History Quotes

“This I hold to be the chief office of history, to rescue virtuous actions from the oblivion to which a want of records would consign them, and that men should feel a dread of being considered infamous in the opinions of posterity, from their depraved expressions and base actions.”

Men Want Feels Should Action Opinion History Records Expression Office Chiefs Dread Virtuous Rescue Oblivion Posterity Infamous Depraved

Author:Tacitus

“History, which undertakes to record the transactions of the past, for the instruction of future ages, would ill deserve that honourable office if she condescended to plead the cause of tyrants, or to justify the maxims of persecution.”

Ifs Age Past Causes History Records Office Deserve Ill Justify Tyrants Instruction Persecution Maxims Roman Empire Transactions

Book:The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Source: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“The distinctions of personal merit and influence, so conspicuous in a republic, so feeble and obscure under a monarchy, were abolished by the despotism of the emperors; who substituted in their room a severe subordination of rank and office, from the titled slaves who were seated on the steps of the throne, to the meanest instruments of arbitrary power.”

Source: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edited and Abridged): Abridged Edition

“One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and titles in the final judgments men pass on each other. The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart.”

Men Mind Heart Character Shows Care Quality History Office Achievement Judgment Finals Deeds Titles Irony Judgement Preacher Heart And Mind Outstanding Disregard

Author:Samuel Logan Brengle

“My country has contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.”

Men Country Imagination History Office Invention Insignificant

Book:Letters, Addressed to His Wife

Source: Letters, Addressed to His Wife

“The British soldier can stand up to anything except the British War Office.”

War History Office Soldier Witty British British Soldiers

Author:George Bernard Shaw

“You have reckoned that history ought to judge the past and to instruct the contemporary world as to the future. The present attempt does not yield to that high office. It will merely tell how it really was.”

World Doe Past History Judging Ought Office Contemporary Yield

Author:Leopold von Ranke