[A]nd their judgment was based more upon blind wishing than upon any s — Thucydides

"I am more afraid of our own blunders than of the enemys devices."

"That war is an evil is a proposition so familiar to every one that it would be tedious to develop it. No one is forced to engage in it by ignorance, or kept out of it by fear, if he fancies there is anything to be gained by it."

"When men are once checked in what they consider their special excellence, their whole opinion of themselves suffers more than if they had not at first believed in their superiority, the unexpected shock to their pride causing them to give way more than their real strength warrants; and that is probably now the case with the Athenians."

"They have discovered that the length of time we have now been in commission has rotted our ships and wasted our crews, and that with the completeness of our crews and the soundness of the pristine efficiency of our navy has departed. For it is impossible for us to haul our ships ashore and dry them out because the enemys vessels being as many or more than our own, we are constantly anticipating an attack."

"For the true author of the subjugation of a people is not so much the immediate agent, as the power which permits it having the means to prevent it."

"speculation is carried on in safety, but, when it comes to action, fear causes failure."