You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit." - Meaning and context.">
As quoted in Journal of the History of Ideas Vol. 1‎ (1940), p. 472
“

You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit.

— Demosthenes

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit." in the context of "As quoted in Journal of the History of Ideas Vol. 1‎ (1940), p. 472" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Demosthenes" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Demosthenes

About Demosthenes

Demosthenes (Δημοσθένης) (384 BC – 322 BC) was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens, generally considered the greatest of the Greek orators.