Penguinking, I like that one a lot: do you have a more complete citation?
Ibrahim, I'm eager to have some non-Graeco-Roman sources, but the quotes still have to fit into the general framework, i.e. relating to the period and people. If we take in quotes from a later time, they're still going to have to relate to the game somehow. Do you know of any early Arabic histories of the EB period? That kind of thing would be worth considering, or something like;
Quote:
And surely I recollected you, even when the lances were drinking my blood,
and bright swords of Indian make were dripping with my blood.
The Poem of Antar
Otherwise we have to look in Herodotus and Strabo for possible quotes, i.e.;
Quote:
Mariaba, the capital of the Sabaeans, is situated upon a mountain, well wooded. A king resides there, who determines absolutely all disputes and other matters; but he is forbidden to leave his palace, or if he does so, the rabble immediately assail him with stones, according to the direction of an oracle.
Strabo, Geography,XVI.iv.19
Quote:
Augustus Caesar's...intention [was] either to conciliate or subdue the Arabians...He hoped to acquire either opulent friends, or to overcome opulent enemies.
Strabo, Geography, XVI.iv.22
Quote:
The Nabataeans are prudent, and fond of accumulating property.
Strabo, Geography, XVI.iv.26
I'm surprised that no-one has put up Xenophon's most famous quote: I copied the whole passage as it's well worth reading (the quote will be shorter:laugh4:)
Quote:
καὶ ἀφικνοῦνται ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τῇ πέμπτῃ ἡμέρᾳ: ὄνομα δὲ τῷ ὄρει ἦν Θήχης. ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ πρῶτοι ἐγένοντο ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ κατεῖδον τὴν θάλατταν, κραυγὴ πολλὴ ἐγένετο. [22] ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ξενοφῶν καὶ οἱ ὀπισθοφύλακες ᾠήθησαν ἔμπροσθεν ἄλλους ἐπιτίθεσθαι πολεμίους: εἵποντο γὰρ ὄπισθεν ἐκ τῆς καιομένης χώρας, καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀπισθοφύλακες ἀπέκτεινάν τέ τινας καὶ ἐζώγρησαν ἐνέδραν ποιησάμενοι, καὶ γέρρα ἔλαβον δασειῶν βοῶν ὠμοβόεια ἀμφὶ τὰ εἴκοσιν. [23] ἐπειδὴ δὲ βοὴ πλείων τε ἐγίγνετο καὶ ἐγγύτερον καὶ οἱ ἀεὶ ἐπιόντες ἔθεον δρόμῳ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀεὶ βοῶντας καὶ πολλῷ μείζων ἐγίγνετο ἡ βοὴ ὅσῳ δὴ πλείους ἐγίγνοντο+, [24] ἐδόκει δὴ μεῖζόν τι εἶναι τῷ Ξενοφῶντι, καὶ ἀναβὰς ἐφ' ἵππον καὶ Λύκιον καὶ τοὺς ἱππέας ἀναλαβὼν παρεβοήθει: καὶ τάχα δὴ ἀκούουσι βοώντων τῶν στρατιωτῶν θάλαττα θάλαττα καὶ παρεγγυώντων. ἔνθα δὴ ἔθεον πάντες καὶ οἱ ὀπισθοφύλακες, καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια ἠλαύνετο καὶ οἱ ἵπποι. [25] ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφίκοντο πάντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον, ἐνταῦθα δὴ περιέβαλλον ἀλλήλους καὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ λοχαγοὺς δακρύοντες. καὶ ἐξαπίνης ὅτου δὴ παρεγγυήσαντος οἱ στρατιῶται φέρουσι λίθους καὶ ποιοῦσι κολωνὸν μέγαν.
kai aphiknountai epi to oros têi pemptêi hêmerai: onoma de tôi orei ên Thêchês. epei de hoi prôtoi egenonto epi tou orous kai kateidon tên thalattan, kraugê pollê egeneto. [22] akousas de ho Xenophôn kai hoi opisthophulakes ôiêthêsan emprosthen allous epitithesthai polemious: heiponto gar opisthen ek tês kaiomenês chôras, kai autôn hoi opisthophulakes apekteinan te tinas kai ezôgrêsan enedran poiêsamenoi, kai gerra elabon daseiôn boôn ômoboeia amphi ta eikosin. [23] epeidê de boê pleiôn te egigneto kai enguteron kai hoi aei epiontes etheon dromôi epi tous aei boôntas kai pollôi meizôn egigneto hê boê hosôi dê pleious egignonto+, [24] edokei dê meizon ti einai tôi Xenophônti, kai anabas eph' hippon kai Lukion kai tous hippeas analabôn pareboêthei: kai tacha dê akouousi boôntôn tôn stratiôtôn thalatta thalatta kai parenguôntôn. entha dê etheon pantes kai hoi opisthophulakes, kai ta hupozugia êlauneto kai hoi hippoi. [25] epei de aphikonto pantes epi to akron, entautha dê perieballon allêlous kai stratêgous kai lochagous dakruontes. kai exapinês hotou dê parenguêsantos hoi stratiôtai pherousi lithous kai poiousi kolônon megan.
On the fifth day they did in fact reach the mountain; its name was Theches. Now as soon as the vanguard got to the top of the mountain, a great shout went up. [22] And when Xenophon and the rearguard heard it, they imagined that other enemies were attacking in front; for enemies were following behind them from the district that was in flames, and the rearguard had killed some of them and captured others by setting an ambush, and had also taken about twenty wicker shields covered with raw, shaggy ox-hides. [23] But as the shout kept getting louder and nearer, as the successive ranks that came up all began to run at full speed toward the ranks ahead that were one after another joining in the shout, and as the shout kept growing far louder as the number of men grew steadily greater, it became quite clear to Xenophon that here was something of unusual importance; [24] so he mounted a horse, took with him Lycius and the cavalry, and pushed ahead to lend aid; and in a moment they heard the soldiers shouting, “The Sea! The Sea!” and passing the word along. Then all the troops of the rearguard likewise broke into a run, and the pack animals began racing ahead and the horses. [25] And when all had reached the summit, then indeed they fell to embracing one another, and generals and captains as well, with tears in their eyes. And on a sudden, at the bidding of some one or other, the soldiers began to bring stones and to build a great cairn.
...They heard the soldiers shouting, "The Sea! The Sea!"...and when all had reached the summit, then indeed they fell to embracing one another, and generals and captains as well, with tears in their eyes.
Xenophon, Anabasis, 4.7.21-25
Quote:
ταῦτα ἔδοξε, καὶ ἐποίουν ὀρθίους τοὺς λόχους. Ξενοφῶν δὲ ἀπιὼν ἐπὶ τὸ εὐώνυμον ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἔλεγε τοῖς στρατιώταις: ἄνδρες, οὗτοί εἰσιν οὓς ὁρᾶτε μόνοι ἔτι ἡμῖν ἐμποδὼν τὸ μὴ ἤδη εἶναι ἔνθα πάλαι σπεύδομεν: τούτους, ἤν πως δυνώμεθα, καὶ ὠμοὺς δεῖ καταφαγεῖν.
tauta edoxe, kai epoioun orthious tous lochous. Xenophôn de apiôn epi to euônumon apo tou dexiou elege tois stratiôtais: andres, houtoi eisin hous horate monoi eti hêmin empodôn to mê êdê einai entha palai speudomen: toutous, ên pôs dunômetha, kai ômous dei kataphagein.
This plan was decided upon, and they proceeded to form the companies in column. And as Xenophon was going back from the right wing to the left, he said to the troops: “Soldiers, these men yonder whom you see are the only ones who still stand in the way of our being forthwith at the place we have long been striving to reach; if we possibly can, we must simply eat these fellows raw.”
Xenophon, Anabasis, 4.8.14
Quote:
εἴς γε μὴν τὸ εὐπειθεῖς εἶναι τοὺς ἀρχομένους μέγα μὲν τὸ [καὶ] λόγῳ διδάσκειν ὅσα ἀγαθὰ ἔνι ἐν τῷ πειθαρχεῖν, μέγα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἔργῳ [κατὰ τὸν νόμον] πλεονεκτεῖν μὲν ποιεῖν τοὺς εὐτάκτους, μειονεκτεῖν δὲ ἐν πᾶσι τοὺς ἀτακτοῦντας.
To make the men who are under your command obedient, it is important to impress on them by word of mouth the many advantages of obedience to authority, and no less important to see that good discipline brings gain and insubordination loss in every respect.
Xenophon, The Cavalry Commander, 1.1.24
Quote:
καὶ κατασκόπων δὲ πρὶν πόλεμον εἶναι δεῖ μεμεληκέναι
You must also have taken steps to enlist the services of spies before the outbreak of war.
Xenophon, The Cavalry Commander, 4.1.7