John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
9696 Misellaneous Translations John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 9696 |
| AUTHOR: | Miscellaneous Translations |
| QUOTATION: | Sinew of war. 1 |
| Note 1. See Rabelais, Quotation 13. Æschines (Adv. Ctesiphon, c. 53) ascribes to Demosthenes the expression [greek], “The sinews of affairs are cut.” Diogenes Laertius, in his Life of Bion (lib. iv. c. 7, sect. 3), represents that philosopher as saying, [greek],—“Riches were the sinews of business,” or, as the phrase may mean, “of the state.” Referring perhaps to this maxim of Bion, Plutarch says in his Life of Cleomenes (c. 27), “He who first called money the sinews of the state seems to have said this with special reference to war.” Accordingly we find money called expressly [greek], “the sinews of war,” in Libanius, Orat. xlvi. (vol. ii. p. 477, ed. Reiske), and by the scholiast on Pindar, Olymp. i. 4 (compare Photius, Lex. s. v. [greek]). So Cicero, Philipp. v. 2, “nervos belli, infinitam pecuniam.” [back] |