The Europa Barbarorum Quotes Project

[oudysseos]

Don't everyone talk at once...


Here's an example or two;

Negat ullius consilium imperatoris in speciem audacius, re ipsa tutius fuisse quam suum: ad certam eos se uictoriam ducere
No commander has ever adopted a plan apparently more reckless, but actually more sure of success, than this of mine. I am leading you to certain victory.
Claudius Nero, marching to reinforce Livius at the Metaurus (Livy 27.45)

Basileos Basileon Arsakou Euergetou Dikaiou Epiphanous Philillenos
Of the King of Kings, Arsaces, Beneficent, Just, Outstanding, Friend to Greeks.
Legend on a Parthian Coin

Many of the societies from which we would like to have quotes were non-literate, or like the Gauls wrote mostly inscriptions using Greek letters. That's o.k., we could use some of that if someone can find something good.
The other way to get in quotes from non-literate peoples (or from peoples whose literature has not survived) is to look at Greek and Roman authors who wrote about them: Herodotus wrote about Scythians, Persians, Egyptians and everyone else. Tactitus and Arrian, though from a later time, wrote extensively about Germans, British, Indians and so on. Strabo and the other geographers might also have some quotable passages about almost anywhere on our map. So that's o.k. too.

And be creative: the Milinda Pañha or Questions of Milinda is a Buddhist text which dates from approximately 100 BCE, and it purports to record a dialogue in which the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda in Pali) of Bactria, who reigned in the second century BCE, poses questions on Buddhism to the sage Nāgasena. So maybe there are some good Baktrian quotes there: or as I mentioned one could look in the Edicts of Ashoka:

Amtiyoko nama Yona-raja param ca tena Atiyokena cature 4 rajani Turamaye nama Amtikini nama Maka nama Alikasudaro nama
Now it is conquest by Dhamma that Beloved-of-the-Gods considers to be the best conquest. And it (conquest by Dhamma) has been won here, on the borders, even six hundred yojanas away, where the Greek king Antiochos rules, beyond there where the four kings named Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas and Alexander rule, likewise in the south among the Cholas, the Pandyas, and as far as Tamraparni.
Rock Edict Nb13 (S. Dhammika)

No, this doesn't mean there's going to be a Mauryan faction in EB2: but an Indian quote that references Greeks is definitely worthy of consideration.

[machinor]

Two quotes from Aristotle's politics regarding kingship and tyranny:

hapantes gar euergetêsantes ê dunamenoi tas poleis ê ta ethnê euergetein etunchanon tês timês tautês, hoi men kata polemon kôlusantes douleuein, hôsper Kodros, hoi d' eleutherôsantes, hôsper Kuros, ê ktisantes ê ktêsamenoi chôran, hôsper hoi Lakedaimoniôn basileis kai Makedonôn kai Molottôn.
For in every instance this honor fell to men after they had conferred benefit or because they had the ability to confer benefit on their cities or their nations, some having prevented their enslavement in war, for instance Codrus, others having set them free, for instance Cyrus, or having settled or acquired territory, for instance the kings of Sparta and Macedon and the Molossians.
Aristotle, Politics, Book V, 1310b

dio kai tôn pleonektêmatôn ta men chrêmata turannika, ta d' eis timên basilika mallon: kai phulakê basilikê men politikê, turannikê de dia xenôn.
Hence even in their requisitions money is the aim of tyrants but rather marks of honor that of kings; and a king's body-guard consists of citizens, a tyrant's of foreign mercenaries.
Aristotle, Politics, Book V, 1311a


The first quote is a bit long... but interesting nontheless since it references the origin of Spartan, Makedonian and Molossan kingship (it does however NOT refer to the Hellenistic kings of each of the states) as being basically spear-conquered states.

I will post some more quotes if I stumble across any.



EDIT:
The detailed reference for the Aristophanes quote:

ANGELOS

ienai s' ekeleuon hoi stratêgoi têmeron
tacheôs labonta tous lochous kai tous lophous:
kapeita têrein neiphomenon tas esbolas.
hupo tous Choas gar kai Chutrous autoisi tis
êngeile lêistas embalein Boiôtious.

LAMACHOS

iô stratêgoi pleiones ê beltiones.
ou deina mê 'xeinai me mêd' heortasai;

HERALD

The Generals order you forthwith to take your battalions and your plumes, and, despite the snow, to go and guard our borders. They have learnt that a band of Boeotians intend taking advantage of the Feast of Cups to invade our country.

LAMACHUS

Ah! the Generals! they are numerous, but not good for much! It's cruel, not to be able to enjoy the feast!

Aristophanes, "Acharians", episode 4, lines 1073-9 [The "Ah! The Generals..." line is line 1078]

[Ibrahim]

لَقيناهم بأَسيافٍ حِدادٍ *وأسدٍ لا تفر منَ المنيهْ/ وكان زعيمُهُمْ إذْ ذاكَ لَيثاً * هزبراً لا يبالي بالرزيهْ/ فخَلَّفناهُ وسْطَ القاع مُلْقى* وها أنا طالب قتل البقيهْ

“we met them with iron swords*and a lion that does not flee from the dying/and their leader was then a lion*, a lion who cares not for disaster/so we left him in the middle of the plain dumped*, and here I demand the slaying of the rest.”

-Antarah ibn shadad of Abas, about a victory against the hanthal tribe, c.600AD

EDIT: more:

أيا ابنة عبد الله، وابنة مالكٍ،* وبا ابنة َ ذي البُرْدينِ والفرَسِ الوردِ/ إذا ما صنعت الزاد، فالتمسي لهُ * أكيلاً، فإني لست آكلهُ وحدي / أخا طارقاً، أو جار بيتٍ، فإنني* أخافُ مَذَمّاتِ الأحاديثِ من بعدي / وإنّي لعَبْدُ الضّيفِ، ما دام ثاوياً* وما فيّ، إلاّ تلكَ،من شيمة ِ العَبدِ/

“Oh daughter of abd ullah and daughter of malik * and daughter(or abnah, another person) with the two cloaks and the rose horse /If I made provisions, then beseech for it* an eater, for I am not eating it alone;/ brother tariq, or neighbor of a house, for I * fear the blames of the sayings from after me/ and I am a servant of the guest, so long as he stays * and except for that, there is no trait of a servant within me.”

hatim at-taa'i, on generosity, and his motivation behind it. its like that king In EB who said no one should beat him in generosity.


I'll try to find more. and no, the translation is not perfect-Arabic is a pain to translate; I fear some of the origional intent was lost.

@moderators: someone should deal with the post above mine.

[machinor]

Seriously Skullheadhq, is it so damn hard, do follow the rules of this thread?

[keravnos]

machinor would it be easy to post in the original greek with τόνοι, δασείες, περισπωμένες, etc?

The goal for EBII would be to use the original greek, wherever possible.

[SwissBarbar]

As far as I see it here, one of the most famous quotes of Caesar is not included:

Veni, vidi, vici

Gaius Iulius Caesar, describing his victory in the Battle of Zela over Pharnaces II of Pontus in his letter to Amintius 47 BC


"Pontico triumpho inter pompae fercula trium uerborum praetulit titulum veni vidi vici non acta belli significantem sicut ceteris, sed celeriter confecti notam"

During the pontic triumphal procession he (Caesar), among all the other stuff, let carry along an inscription consisting of 3 words: I came, I saw, I prevailed; unlike anything else it should not refer to what happened in the war, but how fast the enemy was defeated. (this is my own humble translation, surely you are better in it)

Caius Suetonius Tranquillus, De Vita Caesarum, VITA DIVI IVLI, 37

Also Plutarch is quoting this veni vidi vici somewhere...

[SwissBarbar]

O bellum magno opere pertimescendum, cum hanc sit habiturus Catilina scortorum cohortem praetoriam!

O how much is this war to be feared, for Catilina will have this guard of whores around himself! (again you might translate this better)

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Oratio in Catilinam Altera, 24

[oudysseos]

Machinor, thanks for kicking things off! And particularly for being the first to hunt down the cite for an existing quote!

Ibrahim, Swiss Barbar, good stuff!

[machinor]

machinor would it be easy to post in the original greek with τόνοι, δασείες, περισπωμένες, etc?

The goal for EBII would be to use the original greek, wherever possible.

Didn't think of that. I'll see what I can find. Unfortunatly the Perseus Project only features transliterated Greek texts and none written in Greek.

[Ibrahim]

يَا مَعْشرَ بكْرٍ ، هالِكٌ مَعْذورٌ خير مِنْ ناجٍ فرور، إنّ الحذَر لا يُنجي من القَدَرِ، وإنّ الصّبْرَ مِنْ أسْبَابِ الظّفرِ، المَنيّة ولا الدَّنيّةُ، و استقبالُ الموتِ خير مِنْ استِدبَاره

"oh people of bakr! an excused dead is better than a running survivor*, and caution does not save from fate, patience is of the reasons of triumph, death and not dishonor, and recieving death is better than turning your back on it"

*routing off a battle.

haani ibn mas3uud at the battle of dhi qar, 609AD.

here is the link for the full speech:
http://www.iu.edu.sa/Edu/mutawasit/nusus3_1.htm

EDIT: in case anyone is wondering why I am using 6-7th century arab works, its threefold:
1-no speeches before 450AD
2-there is a shocking lack of speeches from Arabia-whether of saba', or any other Arabian people in EB.
3-some of these are fitting for EB, no?

[oudysseos]

Machinor, don't sweat it: if necessary I can enter in the greek text for quotes. BTW, all you have to do on Perseus is change display to show greek.