History Quote by Nicholas A. Basbanes
““Aeschines knew that if he had any hopes of humbling his charismatic rival, he had to reinforce his views with facts, not heated speculation. Addressing a legal assembly of citizens known as graphe paranomon, he built his attack around this tart observation: "A fine thing, my fellow Athenians, a fine thing is the preservation of public records. Records do not change, and they do not shift sides with traitors, but they grant to you, the people, the opportunity to know, whenever you want, which men, once bad, through some transformation now claim to be good".””
About This Quote
Source Historical Text: Speech to the Athenian Assembly, 5th century BC
Aeschines argues that factual records, not rhetoric, safeguard democracy by exposing true character changes over time.
In simple terms: Facts protect society more than heated arguments.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize evidence over persuasion.
Themes
politics
history
integrity
transparency
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- legislative debates
- courtrooms
- media reporting
- academic research
Key Concepts
civic duty
record keeping
truthfulness
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we ensure records remain unbiased?
- What safeguards protect against selective truth?
A Different Perspective
Facts can be manipulated or ignored.
![“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world." [As quoted in Plutarch's Of Banishment ]” quote by Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6dc/socrates-405_cosmopolitan_i-am-not-an-athenian-or-a-greek-but-a-ci_2951058.jpg)
