--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see that even the enemy did not dare…" description: "\"You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war against us till they had seized our generals, for they were sensible that, while we had command..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg" --- # You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war… ![“You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war against us till they had seized our generals, for they were sensible that, while we had commanders and yielded obedience to them, we were able to conquer them; but, having seized our commanders, they concluded that we should, from a want of…” quote by Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg) > “You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war against us till they had seized our generals, for they were sensible that, while we had commanders and yielded obedience to them, we were able to conquer them; but, having seized our commanders, they concluded that we should, from a want of command and discipline, be destroyed.” [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes that enemies avoid war until they capture leaders, recognizing that without command and discipline, a force is vulnerable. **In simple terms:** Opponents wait to strike until they weaken leadership. Key Takeaway Protect and empower your leaders. Themes war leadership strategy discipline Mood cautious analytical Type historical strategic When to use this quote - battle planning - leadership development - enemy assessment - risk management Key Concepts power dynamics military tactics psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure resilience without central leaders? - What systems can sustain discipline? A Different Perspective Overreliance on hierarchy can create single points of failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/knowledge-forbidden-suspicious-reasonless-why-should-their-lord-envy/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [Obedience is the psychological mechanism that links individual action to political purpose. It is the dispositional cement that binds men to systems of authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/obedience-is-the-psychological-mechanism-that-links-individual-action/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [ “In 1914... \[German\] history, poetry, dream and the individual moment were all combined in one exhilarating sensation...The nation was a creation of one's imagination,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-rites-of-spring-modris-eksteins/in-1914-german-history-poetry-dream-and-the-individual-moment-were/) The Rites of Spring Modris Eksteins > [Faith is the power, obedience the sacrifice, love the means, Christ the reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/faith-is-the-power-obedience-the-sacrifice-love-the-means-christ-the/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [“Women who join together with each other to deny the male god who cursed their sex and to reject his demands for obedience, praise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trista-hendren/women-who-join-together-with-each-other-to-deny-the-male-god-who/) [Trista Hendren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trista-hendren/) > [“There is indeed something delightful about being able to combine obedience and disobedience in the same act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/there-is-indeed-something-delightful-about-being-able-to-combine/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [“God uses one whom others would have passed over without a second glance. The history of obedience to the Great Commission is full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-paterson/god-uses-one-whom-others-would-have-passed-over-without-a-second/) [Ross Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-paterson/) > [Today the meaning of the word believe has been weakened. In the eyes of most it has become a mere acknowledgment of a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bevere/today-the-meaning-of-the-word-believe-has-been-weakened-in-the-eyes/) [John Bevere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bevere/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/in-order-to-the-attaining-of-all-useful-knowledge-this-is-most/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) ## More by Xenophon > [The sweetest of all sounds is praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/the-sweetest-of-all-sounds-is-praise/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [“Socrates replied: One thing to me is certain, Antiphon; you have conceived so vivid an idea of my life of misery that for yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/socrates-replied-one-thing-to-me-is-certain-antiphon-you-have/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [“To quote a dictum of Simon, what a horse does under compulsion he does blindly, and his performance is no more beautiful than would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/to-quote-a-dictum-of-simon-what-a-horse-does-under-compulsion-he-does/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [If any among you covet riches, let him endeavour to overcome, for the victorious not only preserve their own possessions but acquire those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/if-any-among-you-covet-riches-let-him-endeavour-to-overcome-for-the/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [Wherever magistrates were appointed from among those who complied with the injunctions of the laws, Socrates considered the government to be an aristocracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/wherever-magistrates-were-appointed-from-among-those-who-complied/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [Excess of grief for the dead is madness; for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/excess-of-grief-for-the-dead-is-madness-for-it-is-an-injury-to-the/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [You know that neither numbers nor strength give the victory, but that side which, with the assistance of the gods, attacks with the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/you-know-that-neither-numbers-nor-strength-give-the-victory-but-that/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [There is small risk a general will be regarded with contempt by those he leads, if, whatever he may have to preach, he shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/there-is-small-risk-a-general-will-be-regarded-with-contempt-by-those/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [We are all sensible that the king and Tisaphernes have caused as many of us as they could to be apprehended, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/we-are-all-sensible-that-the-king-and-tisaphernes-have-caused-as-many/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [He who eats with most pleasure is he who least requires sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/he-who-eats-with-most-pleasure-is-he-who-least-requires-sauce/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [You see, O Greeks! The enemy already acknowledge the country to be ours; for when they made peace with us, they stipulated that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/you-see-o-greeks-the-enemy-already-acknowledge-the-country-to-be-ours/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [Agriculture for an honorable and highminded man, is the best of all occupations or arts by which men procure the means of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/agriculture-for-an-honorable-and-highminded-man-is-the-best-of-all/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [“No human being will ever know the truth, for even if they happened to say it by chance, they would not know they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/no-human-being-will-ever-know-the-truth-for-even-if-they-happened-to/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [For drink, there was beer which was very strong when not mingled with water, but was agreeable to those who were used to it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/for-drink-there-was-beer-which-was-very-strong-when-not-mingled-with/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [Menon the Thessalian did not either conceal his immoderate desire of riches or his desire of commanding, in order to increase them, or of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/menon-the-thessalian-did-not-either-conceal-his-immoderate-desire-of/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) [Explore all 43 Xenophon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) ## More Discipline quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/) W.J. Turner > [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others; not being told he is naughty.” “Discipline is, therefore, primarily a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-undisciplined-child-enters-into-discipline-by-working-in-the/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Even though I make no special attempt to observe the discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/proverbs-from-the-east-the-wind-howls-but-the-mountain-remains-still/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Stay in your seat come times of trouble. Its only people who jump off the roller coaster who get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-harvey/stay-in-your-seat-come-times-of-trouble-its-only-people-who-jump-off/) [Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harvey/) [Browse all 5,597 Discipline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war against us till they had seized our generals, for they were sensible that, while we had commanders and yielded obedience to them, we were able to conquer them; but, having seized our commanders, they concluded that we should, from a want of command and discipline, be destroyed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Xenophon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare-to-declare-war-against-us/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discipline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare-to-declare-war-against-us/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/xenophon-15490_discipline_you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare_269135.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You see that even the enemy did not dare to declare war against us till they had seized our generals, for…” — Xenophon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Xenophon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You see that even the enemy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare-to-declare-war-against-us/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/you-see-that-even-the-enemy-did-not-dare-to-declare-war-against-us/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```