CaiusDrewart
King
After I compiled a list of inaccurate Civ VI tech quotes, I figured I might as well do the same for Civ IV. It pains me to criticize a game I love so much, but as Aristotle once said, we should value truth more dearly than our friends. So, to set the record straight...
Completely made up tech quotes
Alphabet: "Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." --The Buddha
This quote always struck me as more than a little suspicious ("change our world" seems like a very modern phrase), and indeed, the Buddha never said this. (Note that the Buddha quote for Meditation is accurate.)
Economics: "Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe." --Albert Einstein
Since Einstein is a proverbial genius all sorts of random stuff gets falsely attributed to him, and that appears to be the case here.
Flight: "For once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." --Leonardo da Vinci.
It would be pretty cool if this quote were authentic, but alas, it does not seem to be. (Note: Civ VI not only reused this fake tech quote, they even designed the game's main theme around it. Sigh.)
Incorrectly attributed tech quotes
Monarchy: "A multitude of rulers is not a good thing. Let there be one ruler, one king." --Herodotus.
Close, but not quite. These words were originally written by Homer (Iliad 2.204-5). Later Greek writers liked to use this quotation in their writings (I know for sure that Aristotle did and I wouldn't be surprised if Herodotus did too), so this is a somewhat understandable confusion.
Quotes of dubious attribution
Philosophy: "I have gained this by philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law." --Aristotle
This quote does not appear in Aristotle's surviving writings. It is attributed to Aristotle by Diogenes Laertius, who wrote in the 3rd century AD (600 years after Aristotle) and who liked to make stuff up about famous philosophers. So it's possible that Aristotle said this, but he probably didn't.
The Wheel: "Put your shoulder to the wheel." --Aesop
As with the Philosophy quote above, this one only starts getting attributed to Aesop hundreds of years after Aesop was dead.
Divine Right: "I am the state." --Louis XIV
You'll see this quote in plenty of history books. But since it was only first attributed to Louis in 1834, it's unlikely that he actually said it. (Side note: this quote is a rather strange choice for Divine Right regardless. Accurate or not, it has nothing to do with religion.)
Note that this is not an exhaustive list. I am rather skeptical of the Mining quote attributed to Confucius ("the man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones") and the Compass quote attributed to Euripides ("the wisest men follow their own direction"), but I couldn't pin either of those down either way. If someone can settle my uncertainty about those, please let me know.
Completely made up tech quotes
Alphabet: "Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." --The Buddha
This quote always struck me as more than a little suspicious ("change our world" seems like a very modern phrase), and indeed, the Buddha never said this. (Note that the Buddha quote for Meditation is accurate.)
Economics: "Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe." --Albert Einstein
Since Einstein is a proverbial genius all sorts of random stuff gets falsely attributed to him, and that appears to be the case here.
Flight: "For once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." --Leonardo da Vinci.
It would be pretty cool if this quote were authentic, but alas, it does not seem to be. (Note: Civ VI not only reused this fake tech quote, they even designed the game's main theme around it. Sigh.)
Incorrectly attributed tech quotes
Monarchy: "A multitude of rulers is not a good thing. Let there be one ruler, one king." --Herodotus.
Close, but not quite. These words were originally written by Homer (Iliad 2.204-5). Later Greek writers liked to use this quotation in their writings (I know for sure that Aristotle did and I wouldn't be surprised if Herodotus did too), so this is a somewhat understandable confusion.
Quotes of dubious attribution
Philosophy: "I have gained this by philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law." --Aristotle
This quote does not appear in Aristotle's surviving writings. It is attributed to Aristotle by Diogenes Laertius, who wrote in the 3rd century AD (600 years after Aristotle) and who liked to make stuff up about famous philosophers. So it's possible that Aristotle said this, but he probably didn't.
The Wheel: "Put your shoulder to the wheel." --Aesop
As with the Philosophy quote above, this one only starts getting attributed to Aesop hundreds of years after Aesop was dead.
Divine Right: "I am the state." --Louis XIV
You'll see this quote in plenty of history books. But since it was only first attributed to Louis in 1834, it's unlikely that he actually said it. (Side note: this quote is a rather strange choice for Divine Right regardless. Accurate or not, it has nothing to do with religion.)
Note that this is not an exhaustive list. I am rather skeptical of the Mining quote attributed to Confucius ("the man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones") and the Compass quote attributed to Euripides ("the wisest men follow their own direction"), but I couldn't pin either of those down either way. If someone can settle my uncertainty about those, please let me know.
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