Hello, I am Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman statesman, philosopher, and orator. Over two millennia ago, I warned of a threat more insidious than any enemy at the gates. I said: “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the galleys, heard in the very hall of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor — he speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and wears their face and their garment, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation — he works secretly and unknown to undermine the pillars of a city — he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared.”
Playback speed
×
Share post
Share post at current time
Share from 0:00
0:00
/
0:00
Transcript
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. Marcus Tullius Cicero
Dec 03, 2024

Timeless Quotes: A Journey Through Enduring Wisdom (private feed for hase@peachwiz.com)
Timeless Quotes: A Journey Through Enduring Wisdom (private feed for hase@peachwiz.com)
Timeless Quotes: A Journey Through Enduring Wisdom (private feed for hase@peachwiz.com)Listen on
Substack App
Spotify
RSS Feed
Recent Episodes
Share this post