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.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
When there's a war around take the day off, that's my motto.
You are offensive...because this page has a sword which I chose to say is not a sword.
The pen is mightier than the sword...if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp.
Never yet did base dishonour blur our name
But with our sword we wiped away the blot.
I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion
I would have made them skip.
Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword
And won thy love doing thee injuries.
"Return with what speed you may, and let our swords hereafter shine together!"
"Your fingers would remember their old strength better, if they grasped a sword-hilt."
"Come!" said Aragorn. "This is the hour when we draw swords together!"
Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won.