Pittacus of Mytilene Quotes
Forgiveness is better than revenge
What is particularly interesting about this quotation is that the author was not a religious leader or a philosopher, but a hard-nosed military man and ruler. He recognized the corrosive effect on a society that a thirst for revenge can bring.
Pittacus of Mytilene, 640 BC-568 BC, Greek General & Sage, Ruler of Athens, Quoted in, Diogenes Laërtius The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers: The Seven Sages
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Simon Bolivar and other freedom fighters in South America used this quotation to justify numerous acts of retaliation against the Spanish troops controlling their countries.
Pittacus (/ˈpɪtəkəs/; Greek: Πιττακός; c. 640 – 568 BC) was an ancient Mytilenean military general and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.