Gods Quote by Thucydides The History of the Peloponnesian War Melian Dialogue
““When you speak of the favour of the gods, we may as fairly hope for that as yourselves; neither our pretensions nor our conduct being in any way contrary to what men believe of the gods, or practise among themselves. Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can. And it is not as if we were the first to make this law, or to act upon it when made: we found it existing before us, and shall leave it to exist for ever after us; all we do is to make use of it, knowing that you and everybody else, having the same power as we have, would do the same as we do. Thus, as far as the gods are concerned, we have no fear and no reason to fear that we shall be at a disadvantage. But when we come to your notion about the””
About This Quote
People claim to follow the gods’ favor, yet they act according to natural law, which is timeless and universal; thus they need not fear the gods.
In simple terms: Human actions follow natural law, not divine favor.
Key Takeaway
Recognize natural law as guiding principle.
Themes
philosophy
ethics
theology
natural law
human behavior
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- governance
- legal systems
- personal ethics
- social contracts
Key Concepts
ancient history
political theory
moral philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we reconcile natural law with personal faith?
- What role does divine favor play today?
A Different Perspective
The ancient perspective may not align with modern belief systems.
