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[umiman]

I was playing Medieval 2: Total War as the Byzantines when I noticed these few quotes from the loading screens.

Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot.

- Niccolò Machiavelli

Inflict not on your enemy every injury in your power, for he may afterwards be your friend.

- Don't remember

Interesting isn't it? Both are perfectly valid arguments. I am at a loss which one holds more truth. What do you think? The second one was by an Arabic general I think...

[Cthulhu]

First.

[McDoomhammer]

They can be seen as complimentary rather than mutually exclusive.

[Kagus]

Machiavelli taught how to deal with those you held power over.  All his writings were directed at people who had greater authority than those he was dealing with.

The second quote seems to be directed more towards someone of roughly equal standing, someone who could actually prove useful as an individual ally.


The second quote could also be misread to mean "don't do your worst, otherwise he'll be your friend.  And you don't want that".

[a1s]

"don't do your worst, otherwise he'll be your friend.  And you don't want that".

[umiman]

Kagus: I don't see how you can misread it as that, but I'll always be amazed at how ego can misread anything.

But your interpretation sounds like 1970's US foreign policy. Give guns to people who support you. Then go assassinate them when they fight against you with your own weapons.

[Kagus]

"Inflict not on your enemy every injury in your power, for he may afterwards be your friend."

"For he may afterwards be your friend" could be interpreted as being after whatever action was described in the first half.  In this case, inflicting injury.

'Do not pour water over that dude, for he may afterwards be wet'. 


The command in the very beginning "inflict not" states quite clearly that, according to the person the quote came from, you should not commit the action described.  Therefore you should not hurt someone really badly, because that may make him your friend.

It's just a silly interpretation that comes from the way it's worded.

[umiman]

Yeah. That's pretty daft. It's sorta like taking sarcasm literally.

Anyway, technically, the statement, "for he may afterwards be your friend" will always be interpreted as being the outcome of the subject. Hence "afterwards". The point of contest here is more likely to be considering whether you'd want that or not. As you put it, "and you don't want that."

So, we're seeing two possible meanings.

One being:
"You shouldn't hurt your enemies too much because they might actually be potential allies."

The other being:
"You shouldn't hurt your enemies too much because they might actually become your ally. Man, that would suck."

Did I get the gist of it? Reminds me of Morte. Never saw it that way...

[Kagus]

Sounds about right, but again the wording can lead to some confusion.  I was saying that it was possible to misinterpret it as not wanting to inflict injuries upon someone, as that might cause them to turn into your friend.  I'm just checking for clarity.

...

What an absolutely ridiculous language.

[McDoomhammer]

Don'tcha love it?

[Asheron]

I love the speeches the generals gave if they were somewhat... strange.
Snake! AAARGH Snake! Get if off me! Snake!
*soldiers cheer*

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Something about a pink elephant too.

[McDoomhammer]

Submitted for your consideration:

"If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum."
-Chinese Proverb

[Bullion]

A broken drum was the best gift i ever got.

Why?

You can't beat it.

[Aqizzar]

My first foray into the Nonsense forum.

I was playing Medieval 2: Total War as the Byzantines when I noticed these few quotes from the loading screens.

Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot.

- Niccolò Machiavelli

Inflict not on your enemy every injury in your power, for he may afterwards be your friend.

- Don't remember

Interesting isn't it? Both are perfectly valid arguments. I am at a loss which one holds more truth. What do you think? The second one was by an Arabic general I think...

That second one is a translation of an Arabian proverb (was probably originally a quote), and to answer some of the debate, the mark of a good Arabian proverb is the unsettling implications that can be drawn from reinterpreting it.

I personnally prefer the second quote, and interpret it both ways.  Treat no enemy too harshly, for you never know what strange allies time may bring.  But be careful just how well you treat them, for you never know what enemies strange times may need.  Note, this is in a rhetorical sense, I don't live by rules like this - I just interpret the line as meaning that.

Also, I've never played the Total War series.  Recommended?

A broken drum was the best gift i ever got.

Why?

You can't beat it.

That's hillarious.  I should do that to my cousin.