"I never yet feared those men who set a place apart in the middle of their cities where they gather to cheat one another and swear oaths which they break"
- Herodotus
About this Quote
This quote by Herodotus is referring to the market in ancient cities. The market was a place where people would collect to buy and offer items, but it was also a location where individuals would come to make offers and agreements. Herodotus is implying that individuals who gather in the market are not to be relied on, as they are often deceitful and unreliable. They make promises and agreements that they do not keep, and they use the market as a location to trick and cheat one another. This quote is a cautioning to be wary of those who regular the marketplace, as they are not to be relied on. It is a reminder to be careful when making deals and contracts in the marketplace, as it is a place where individuals can easily be made the most of.
"Priests, she insisted, could not sin. It was a thing impossible. Everything that they did, and wished, was of course right. She hoped I would see the reasonableness and duty of the oaths I was to take, and be faithful to them"
"Language cannot describe the scene that followed; the shouts, oaths, frantic gestures, taunts, replies, and little fights; and therefore I shall not attempt it"
