Sun Tzu (-543–-495 BC) ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher from the Zhou Dynasty
Source: The Art of War, Chapter XI · The Nine Battlegrounds
Quoted in V. Ye. Savkin, "Basic Principles of Operational Art and Tactics," 1972.
Sun Tzu (-543–-495 BC) ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher from the Zhou Dynasty
Source: The Art of War, Chapter XI · The Nine Battlegrounds
“He who cuts off his nose takes poor revenge for a shame inflicted on him.”
Male ulciscitur dedecus sibi illatum, qui amputat nasum suum.
Peter of Blois French poet and diplomat
De Hierosolymitana peregrinatione acceleranda (1189), cited from Mary Beth Rose (ed.) Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1986) p. 29; translation from John Simpson The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993) p. 55.
A similar proverb, Qui son nez cope deshonore son vis, appears in the late 12th century chanson de geste Garin le Loheren, line 2877.
“One cannot think that blind bravery gives victory over the enemy.”
Alexander Suvorov (1730–1800) Russian military commander
The Book of Military Quotations By Peter G. Tsouras - Page 55.
Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) Japanese martial artist, writer, artist
Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Wind Book
Context: Whenever you cross swords with an enemy you must not think of cutting him either strongly or weakly; just think of cutting and killing him. Be intent solely on killing the enemy. Do not try to cut strongly and, of course, do not think of cutting weakly. You should only be concerned with killing the enemy.
Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) Japanese martial artist, writer, artist
Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book
Aristotle (-384–-321 BC) Classical Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy
“When thy enemy stretches out his hand to thee, cut it off if thou art able, otherwise kiss it.”
Al-Mansur (714–775) the second Abbasid Caliph
History of the Caliphs, p.275
Nathanael Greene (1742–1786) American general in the American Revolutionary War
Letter to George Washington (24 October 1776)