War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.

We must distinguish between those who depend on others, that is between those who to achieve their purposes can force the issue and those who must use persuasion. In the second case, they always come to grief, having achieved nothing; when, however, they depend on their own resources and can force the issue, then they are seldom endangered.

No proceeding is better than that which you have concealed from the enemy until the time you have executed it. To know how to recognize an opportunity in war, and take it, benefits you more than anything else. Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many. Discipline in war counts more than fury.

A battle that you win cancels any other bad action of yours. In the same way, by losing one, all the good things worked by you before become vain.

It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.

Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.

A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance.