Byzantium: The Early Centuries (1988), p. 259
“

It is an almost universal characteristic among autocrats that they cling compulsively to power, to the detriment alike of their subjects and their reputation.

— John Julius Norwich

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is an almost universal characteristic among autocrats that they cling compulsively to power, to the detriment alike of their subjects and their reputation." in the context of "Byzantium: The Early Centuries (1988), p. 259" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "John Julius Norwich" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
John Julius Norwich

About John Julius Norwich

John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich, known as John Julius Norwich (15 September 1929–1 June 2018), was an English historian, who wrote extensively about the history of the Byzantine Empire and of the Venetian Republic.