One only makes books in order to keep in touch with one's fellows after one has ceased to breath, and thus to defend oneself against the inexorable fate of all that lives - transitoriness and oblivion.

There is no sense to a sacrifice after you come to feel that it is a sacrifice.

Fate is never too generous even to its favorites. Rarely do the gods grant a mortal more than one immortal deed.

When they are preparing for war, those who rule by force speak most copiously about peace until they have completed the mobilization process.

As nature requires whirlwinds and cyclones to release its excessive force in a violent revolt against its own existence, so the spirit requires a demonic human being from time to time whose excessive strength rebels against the community of thought and the monotony of moralityonly by looking at those beyond its limits does humanity come to know its own utmost limits.

One must be convinced to convince, to have enthusiasm to stimulate the others.

Heroic ages are not and never were sentimental and those daring conquistadores who conquered entire worlds for their Spain or Portugal received lamentably little thanks from their kings.