I will proceed with my history, telling the story as I go along of small cities of men no less than great. For most of those which were great once are small today; and those which used to be small were great in my own time. Knowing, therefore, that human prosperity never abides long in the same place, I shall pay attention to both alike.
Herodotus - Histories (I, 5)
Herodotus - Histories (I, 5)
