Those who praise
your ancestors, men of Athens, seem
to me to choose an acceptable theme, which yet fails to do any real service to
those whom they eulogize; for when they attempt to speak about achievements to
which no words could possibly do justice, they earn for themselves the
reputation of clever speakers, but leave their hearers with a lower estimate of
the merits of those famous men. Indeed, I think the best testimony to their
merits is the length of time that has elapsed, during which no other men have
been able to surpass their achievements.
Demosthenes. Demosthenes with an English translation by C. A. Vince, M. A. and J. H. Vince, M.A. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1926.
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