War Quotes
Two of the best-known lines about war are flagged as misattributed, and both stories are worth knowing.
“In war, truth is the first casualty” is credited to Aeschylus, and sometimes to the US senator Hiram Johnson. It is not in his speeches. The first recorded use Wikiquote found is by Philip Snowden in July 1916, introducing a book by E. D. Morel, and he wrote “it has been said”, so it was probably already going around. Samuel Johnson made the same point in The Idler in 1758, about “the falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages”.
“Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing, sooner than of war” is credited to Homer, and it is a misquotation of the Iliad (Book 13). In the original, most men prefer those things to war. It is the Trojans who can never get enough of fighting.
For those that run away, and fly,
Take place at least o’ th’ enemy.
In all the trade of war, no feat
Is nobler than a brave retreat.
Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing, sooner than of war.
Religious wars are basically people killing each other over who has the better imaginary friend.
I look upon him as the greatest criminal known for having plunged the world into war.
Even in war moral power is to physical as three parts out of four.
The peaceful peasant to the wars is prest,
The fields lie fallow in inglorious rest.
Would I had been disposer of thy stars,
Thou shouldst have had thy wish, and died in wars.