“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.”
~ Cicero
5 comments:
Isn't it amazing that Cicero's wisdom is just as relevant today as in his own time?
Im English but even i can see who that fits to a tee!
It used to be a capital offence, but now sadly, few seem to notice.
Very relevant.
Graceland...today the traitor would receive a Noble Prize. "Journalism," Peace, one of those that has become meaningless to all but the awarders, awardees, and their toadies.
Still my favorite Cicero: A room without books is like a body without a soul.
I have that hanging in my office. 700+ books in there. More in the family library.
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