Byzantine:
To surrender the City to you is beyond my authority or anyone else's who lives in it, for all of us, after taking the mutual decision, shall die out of free will without sparing our lives.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, Answer to letter of Mehmed II
God forbid that I should live an Emperor without an Empire. As my city falls, I will fall with it.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, May 29, 1453
Whoever wished to escape, let him save himself if he can; and whoever is ready to face death, let him follow me!
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, May 29, 1453
Man has to be ready to face death when he has to fight for his faith, for his country, for his family or for his sovereign. All four reasons are now present.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, speaking to his soldiers, May 29, 1453
Fight in such a way that you will once more prove to the barbarians that you are a nation of masters and not of slaves because this is the most suitable way for the descendants of Greeks and Romans!
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, speaking to his soldiers, May 29, 1453
Ι surrender to you the famous city and country of ours, the Queen of Cities.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, speaking to his soldiers, May 29, 1453
We have only two things; firstly our faith to the invincible glory of God, and secondly our own hands and brawniness, that were give to us by Divine Power.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, Last Roman Emperor, speaking to his soldiers, May 29, 1453
Hunger fights castles and hunger surrenders castles.
Greek proverb
If anyone asks you if you can do something, have only two answers: "yes" and "not yet".
Altheides, Greek Philosopher, 1227
I would rather see a Muslim turban in the midst of the City than the Latin mitre.
Loukas Notaras, last Lord High Admiral and Prime Minister of the Roman Empire
There is nothing more conductive to the destruction of a nation, whether it be republic or monarchy, than the lack of men of wisdom or intellect.
John VI Kantakouzenos, Roman Emperor
For we are fallen into so lamentable a weakness, that far from being able to impose the yoke on others, we are hard put to avoid it ourselves...Let us therefore earn once again the esteem of our friends, and the fear of our enemies.
John VI Kantakouzenos, Roman Emperor, AD 1347
From that time on with deceit and guile, as is their way, the [Romans] fought battles with the Franks.
The Chronicle of the Morea, 14th Century
Even if the sun would have come down, I would have never thought that the Moesian [Bulgarian] arrows were stronger than the Avzonian [Roman] spears.
John Kyriotes Geometres on the Battle of the Gates of Trajan, AD 986
... And when you, Phaethon [Sun], descend to the earth with your gold-shining chariot, tell the great soul of the Caesar: The Danube [Bulgaria] took the crown of Rome. The arrows of the Moesians broke the spears of the Avzonians.
John Kyriotes Geometres on the Battle of the Gates of Trajan, AD 986
I shall send...an armed galley to the emperor of Constantinople and shall let him know that I am ready...with as great a company of horse and foot soldiers, all Catalans and Aragonese, as he wishes.
Roger de Flor, leader of the Catalan Company
Behold the abomination of desolation
Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem, upon the Arab Conquest
Why do you take pride in your wickedness, chief of the infidels? Why do you sharpen your treachery like a razor? Why do you brazenly boast before the Almighty?
Leo III, Roman Emperor, letter to General Maslama
You insolently envision our Savior and His throne. For these reasons we hope that His mercy which you insult will repay you for your wickedness and that He will silence that abominable mouth of yours...
Leo III, Roman Emperor, letter to General Maslama
Now for the Turks’ weapons of war, they do not use spears much, as the Franks do, but surround the enemy completely and shoot at him with arrows, and they make this defence from a distance.
Anna Komnene, Alexiad, Book XV-III
My father, the Emperor Alexios, sometimes overcame his adversaries by prowess, and at others by his quick wit, for even during a battle he occasionally thought out some clever device and by daringly using it at once carried off the victory.
Anna Komnene, Alexiad, Book XV-III
And Alexios himself imagined that this order of battle would be invincible, and marvelled at its strength and looked upon it as an arrangement directly inspired by God and a marshalling due to the angels.
Anna Komnene, Alexiad, Book XV-III
When the Franks became aware of the Sultan's presence, they armed themselves fully and rushed upon the Turks like lions. And then a severe and terrible battle began. But when the sun set the Turks were routed and night decided the battle.
Anna Komnene, Alexiad, book XI-I
At the first hour of the night, there appeared a wonderful sign in the sky, which was to tell Constantine the worthy, Emperor of Constantinople, that his proud empire was to come to an end.
Nicolo Barbaro, Venetian Physician, May 22, 1453
Farewell Syria, my fair province. Thou art an enemy's now.
Heraclius, Roman Emperor, after the Battle of Yarmuk
The Empress has heard much of your ability as a general. Though you are her enemy, she admires you as a soldier.
Irene, Roman Empress, Letter to Abbasid Caliph Harun Rashid
Bulgarian:
If you call one wolf, you invite the pack.
Bulgarian Proverb
Dip your tongue in wisdom, then give counsil.
Bulgarian Proverb
God promises a safe landing but not a calm passage.
Bulgarian Proverb
A fortress surrenders from within.
Bulgarian Proverb
From the promise to the deed is a day's journey.
Bulgarian Proverb
He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.
Bulgarian Proverb
Where shepherds are lots, sheep are lost.
Bulgarian Proverb
He is as stuck as Krali Marko on Kosovo field.
Bulgarian Proverb
As you don't want peace, here's your axe.
Bulgarian Proverb
Stupid is the blacksmith who can take the hot iron with pincers but instead uses his hands.
Tsar Michael Shishman to Emperor Andronikos III
Nobody of our first Tsars seemed to us like this great tsar Ivan Alexander; in his military power he looks to us like a second ancient Alexander the Great, in faith and piety he is a second Saint Constantine; he captured thus all his enemies, put them under his knees and established firm peace in the Universe.
Anonymous, glorification of Tsar Ivan Alexander
If you want to kill the serpent, cut its head off.
Bulgarian Proverb
Serbian:
Do not look for new friends, among those who are old enemies.
St. Sava
"Whoever is a Serb and of Serb birth,
And of Serb blood and heritage,
And comes not to the Battle of Kosovo,
May he never have the progeny his heart desires,
Neither son nor daughter!
May nothing grow that his hand sows,
Neither dark wine nor white wheat!
And let him be cursed from all ages to all ages!"
Prince Lazar curses those who are not taking up arms against the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Kosovo.
Better to lose the biggest and the toughest castle on your land than the smallest and the most negligible word of your language.
Stefan Nemanja, Grand Zupan of Rascia
As set down in the Code, the judges shall not comply therewith, but shall judge and act withal as justice commandenth.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On the Law
And whoever shall sell a Christian into another and false faith, let him be crippled and his tongue cut out.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On Heretics
The poorest spinstress shall be as free as a priest shall.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On Poor Women
And where a fortress or tower is toppled, let the citizens of that town rebuild it and the district which belongs to that town.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On Building a Fortress
In every army the commanders shall have the same authority as the Tsar. What they say, let it be obeyed. If anyone disobey them in whatever, he shall be tried in the same way as those who would disobey the Tsar. In judicial matters in the army, both small and great the commanders shall judge them, and nobody else.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On Armies
Whoever in the army destroys a church, let him be killed or hanged.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On Armies
All judges shall judge according tot he law, rightly, as is written in the Code, and shall not judge out of fear of the Tsar.
Tsar Stefan Uros IV Dusan, Code of Dusan, On Justice
It's easy to be nice in good times, but true heroes can only be seen in difficult times.
Serbian proverb
A battle is not won with shiny arms, but with hero's heart.
Serbian proverb
Then the Turks overwhelmed Lazar, And the Tsar Lazar was destroyed, And his army was destroyed with him, Of seven and seventy thousand soldiers.
The Kosovo Cycle
I do not decide whether I go into a battle by the force that threatens me, but by the sanctity I defend.
Prince Lazar before the Battle of Kosovo
I go in battle, not by how large an army I am fighting. But how big sanctity I am protecting.
Prince Lazar, speaking of the Battle of Kosovo
I pray the Lord to help the Christians, no matter if I will be the first to die in this war.
Prince Marko to Despot Constantine Dragash, Battle of Rovine
Bosnian:
The entrances to my kingdom are very tough; strong are my castles and at many places impenetrable.
King Stjepan Tomasevic to the Pope, 1461
Turkish:
May he be as good as Osman.
Turkish Proverb
There are words that provide ending to wars, and there are words that cause heads to be cut.
Turkish Proverb
Shut the gates of the city and govern within it, for everything beyond the walls is mine.
Sultan Bayezit to Emperor Manuel II
We were enemies, but nevertheless, his death grieves me, for the world has never known a greater man.
Sultan Mohammed 1456, on the death of Janos Hunyadi
Inside the fortress [Sofia] there is a large and elite army, its soldiers are heavily built, moustached and look war-hardened, but are used to consume wine and rakia - in a word, jolly fellows...
Ottoman commander Lala Shahin, on the garrison of Sofia
There is only one thing I want - give me Constantinople!
Mehmed II the Conqueror, after refusing a gift from his Grand Vizier
Kill a brave but dont hide his braveness.
Turkish proverb
A carpet is large enough to accommodate two sufis, but the world is not large enough for two Kings.
Selim I, Ottoman Sultan
Constantinople will be conquered, blessed is the commander who will conquer it, and blessed are his troops.
The Prophet Muhammad (Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 4, 335)
Although a number of priests, monks, and abbots came out, begging them with the crosses and Bibles they were carrying, the Franks disregarded them, killing them all and plundering the church.
Ibn Al-Athir, on the 4th Crusade
He saw that a moon arose from the holy man's chest and came to sink in his own chest. A tree then sprouted from his navel and its shade encompassed the world. Beneath this shade there were mountains,and streams flowed forth from the foot of each mountain.
Dream of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman dynasty
May God not give me such a victory again.
Murad I, After the Battle of Kosovo
If any whisker of mine knew my plans, i would shave it.
Mehmed II, During the Siege of Constantinople
The [enemy's] hand that you cannot cut, kiss it and ask God to break it
Muslim Proverb
Then each was ordered to kill his own prisoners, and for those who did not wish to do so the king appointed others in his place. Then they took my companions and cut off thier heads...
Johann Schiltberger, on the aftermath of Nicopolis, 1396
Weysit [Beyezid] took to flight, and went with at least 1000 horsemen to a mountain. Temerlin surrounded the mountain so that he could not move and took him.
Johann Schiltberger, on the aftermath of Ankara, 1402
Our horses are always ready and our swords are always sharpened.
Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman Sultan, letter written to king Francis I of France
Wallachia:
The Sultan goes hunting with more followers than those in your army.
Vlad II Dracul mocking Janos Hunyadi on his defeat at Varna, 1444
You can judge for yourselves that when a man or a prince is strong and powerful, he can make peace as he wants to; but when he is weak, a stronger one will come and do what he wants to him...
Vlad III Dracula Tepes (the Impaler), Voivode of Wallachia
The bravest and most clever among the Christian princes.
Leunclavius' speaking of Mircea the Old, Voivode of Wallachia
How many lords have presided over you boyars? None of you have seen less than seven... the terrible state of this nation is your shameful work!
Vlad III Dracula, upon his first taking of the throne, adressing his treatcherous boyars before impaling them
So overwhelmed by disbelief in what he saw, the emperor said that he could not take the land away from a man who does such marvelous things and can exploit his rule and his subjects in this way and that surely a man who had accomplished this is worthy of greater things.
Chalcondyles, on Sultan Mehmed II's reaction upon finding Vlad Tepes' "forest of stakes"
Moldova:
We have defeated them and brought them under foot and put them to the sword for which God must be praised.
Stephen the Great, Voivode of Moldova, after the battle of Podul Inalt
This land does not belong to me,neither to you,it belongs to the children of the children of our children.
Stephen the Great, Voivode of Moldova
If [the tribute] does not come, you know your fate...
Ultimatum from Mehmed II to Peter Aron, Voivode of Moldova, 1455
Hungary:
To escape is impossible, to surrender is unthinkable. Let’s fight with bravery and honor our arms!
Janos Hunyadi's proclamation before the Battle of Warna, 1444
We only, left alone... have endured the fury of the war...
Janos Hunyadi's declaration of support to the Pope against the Ottomans, shortly before the siege of Nandorfahervar/Belgrade, 1456
Niccolò Machiavelli
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not to be feared.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 6
You should never let things get out of hand in order to avoid war. You don't avoid such a war, you merely postpone it, to your own disadvantage.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 3
A prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rules, and it is of such force that it not only upholds those who are born princes, but it often enables men to rise from a private station to that rank.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 14
One ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 17
One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 18
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 22
It is necessary to whoever arranges to found a Republic and establish laws in it, to presuppose that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of mind every time they have the opportunity.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 1, Chapter 3
The demands of a free populace, too, are very seldom harmful to liberty, for they are due either to the populace being oppressed or to the suspicious that it is going to be oppressed.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 1, Chapter 4
For war is made on a commonwealth for two reasons: to subjugate it, and for fear of being subjugated by it.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 1, Chapter 6
Whenever men are not obliged to fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so powerful in human breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank they rise.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 1, Chapter 37
Anyone who studies present and ancient affairs will easily see how in all cities and all peoples there still exist, and have always existed, the same desires and passions.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 1, Chapter 39
It is the common good and not private gain that makes cities great.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 2, Chapter 2
Cunning and deceit will every time serve a man better than force to rise from a base condition to great fortune.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 2, Chapter 13
It is not titles that make men illustrious, but men who make titles illustrious.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Book 3, Chapter 38
Discipline in war counts more than fury.
Niccolò Machiavelli, On The Art of War, Book 1
Good order and discipline in an army are more to be depended upon than ferocity.
Niccolò Machiavelli, On The Art of War, Book 7
No proceeding is better than that, which you have concealed from the enemy until the time you have executed it.
Niccolò Machiavelli, On The Art of War, Book 7
To know how to recognize an opportunity in war, and take it, benefits you more than anything else.
Niccolò Machiavelli, On The Art of War, Book 7
Few men are brave by nature, but good discipline and experience make many so.
Niccolò Machiavelli, On The Art of War, Book 7
Italian
At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go in the same box
Italian proverb
There is no greater sorrow; Than to be mindful of the happy time; In misery
Dante Alighieri
Here must all distrust be left behind; all cowardice must be ended.
Dante Alighieri, The Inferno, Canto III
Lying in a featherbed; will bring you no fame, nor staying beneath the quilt,; and he who uses up his life without achieving fame; leaves no more vestige of himself on Earth; than smoke in the air or foam upon the water.
Dante Alighieri, The Inferno, Canto XXIV
To wage war, you need first of all money; second, you need money, and third, you also need money
Prince Raimondo Montecuccoli, The Inferno, Canto XXIV
I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself.
Pietro Aretino
Austria:
Alter schutzt vor Torheit nicht - Age does not protect against stupidity.
Austrian Proverb
France:
If we resist our passions, it is more because of their weakness than because of our strength.
François, Duke de La Rochefoucauld
uncategorized
Politics have no relation to morals.
Unknown
Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.
Unknown
Kill a man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conquerer. Kill everyone, and you are a god.
Jean Rostand
The King desires our money; The Queen our manors too; The writ of 'By what warrant'; Will make a sad to-do.
Walter of Guisborough, English Chronicler
If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.
Thomas à Kempis, German Canon Regular
No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary.
William Occam, English Philosopher and Theologian
Everyone ought to have pity on the sinner, for God does not wish his death, but wishes him to reform and to live; such a one has fallen into sin but afterwards may rise out of it and lead a just life.
Christine de Pisan, Italian Author
For likewise as chivalry gives to a knight all that to him appertains, in likewise a knight ought to give all his forces to honor chivalry.
Ramon Lull, Book of Knighthood and Chivalry
"May god forgive his sins."
After Mohacs, about young Hungarian King who had been killed in the battle.
Who is that man on this world who can subdue us? For we are accustomed to rule others, not to be ruled by others. In that we will be sure as long as there are wars and swords.
--Slavic leader Daurentius to Avar envoy, 6th century AD.
(quotes transfered up to the post #100, November 23, 2012)