For in civil society the rights of individuals, without reference to their power or weakness in the state, are determined by the laws. But in national concerns the powerful always prescribe to the weaker.

τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἰδίων δικαίων τῶν ἐν ταῖς πολιτείαις οἱ νόμοι κοινὴν τὴν μετουσίαν ἔδοσαν καὶ ἴσην καὶ τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν καὶ τοῖς ἰσχυροῖς· τῶν δ᾿ Ἑλληνικῶν δικαίων οἱ κρατοῦντες ὁρισταὶ τοῖς ἥττοσι γίγνονται.

Original text (Ancient Greek)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Demosthenes (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.