It is easy at any moment to surrender a large fortune; to build one up is a difficult and an arduous task.
LivyRead
This above all makes history useful and desirable; it unfolds before our eyes a glorious record of exemplary actions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
History serves as a valuable resource, showcasing remarkable actions of the past that inspire future generations.
In this quote, Livy emphasizes the significance of history in our lives. He suggests that by studying history, we gain access to a remarkable collection of deeds and examples from the past that can guide and inspire us in the present and future. This record of exemplary actions not only offers a sense of glory but also serves as a reminder of the potential for greatness inherent in human endeavors.
Themes
HistoryExemplary ActionsInspirationRecordLearning
In practice
Example use cases
A history teacher may use this quote to inspire students to appreciate the lessons from the past.
More from Livy
All quotes βValor is the soldier's adornment.
LivyRead
The army from Asia introduced a foreign luxury to Rome; it was then the meals began to require more dishes and more expenditure . . . the cook, who had up to that time been employed as a slave of low price, become dear: what had been nothing but a metier was elevated to an art.
LivyRead
The study of history is the best medicine for a sick mind; for in history you have a record of the infinite variety of human experience plainly set out for all to see; and in that record you can find yourself and your country both examples and warnings; fine things to take as models, base things rotten through and through, to avoid.
LivyRead
Under the influence of fear, which always leads men to take a pessimistic view of things, they magnified their enemies' resources, and minimized their own.
LivyRead
The troubles which have come upon us always seem more serious than those which are only threatening.
LivyRead
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Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy their own particular needs. For my own people, it was important to imagine him as the Great Emancipator, the Moses who led us out of slavery.
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