History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides

Thucydides. The history of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1-2. Dale, Henry, translator. London: Heinemann and Henry G. Bohn, 1851-1852.

"For those of you, on the other hand, who are sons or brothers of the dead, great, I see, will be the struggle of competition. For every one is accustomed to praise the man who is no more; and scarcely, though even for an excess of worth, would you be esteemed, I do not say equal to them, but only slightly inferior. [*]( Or, as Göller explains it, the living feel envy towards their rivals. τὸ ἀντίπαλον intelligendos esse aemulos, non aemulationem, ea quoque indicant que contrariè ponuntur: τὸ μὴ ἐμποδών i. e. ii, qui non impedimento, nonaemuli sunt (utpote mortui). —But is not the opposition really between τοῖς ζῶσι and τὸ μὴ ἐμποδών like the sentiment of Horace, Urit cuim fulgore suo, qui praegravat artesInfra se positas: extinctus amabitur idem.) For the living are exposed to envy in their rivalry; but those who are in no one's way are honoured with a good will free from all opposition.

If; again, I must say any thing on the subject of woman's excellence also, with reference to those of you who will now be in widowhood, I will express it all in a brief exhortation. Great will be your glory in not tailing short of the natural character that belongs to you; and great is hers, who is least talked of amongst the men, either for good or evil.