Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.
They [the Persians] are accustomed to deliberate on matters of the highest moment when warm with wine; but whatever they in this situation may determine is again proposed to them on the morrow, in their cooler moments, by the person in whose house they had before assembled. If at this time also it meet their approbation, it is executed; otherwise it is rejected. Whatever also they discuss when sober, is always a second time examined after they have been drinking.
For of those [cities] that were great in earlier times, most of them have now become small, while those which were great in my time were small formerly.
