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Excerpt from The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilia in Fifteen Books, Vol. 1 of 2: To Which Are Added the Fragments of Diodorus, and Those Published by H. Valesius, I. Rhodmannus, and F. Ursim All mankind are under a great obligation of gratitude to those that have written universal histories; forasmuch as there has been an honourable contest amongst them by their labours and pains, to be helpful to others in the due conduct and management of the common affairs and concerns of this present life. For whereas they usher in a sort of wholesome instruction, without any hazard to the person; so they thereby also procure to their readers art and skill in politics above the ordinary rate, with great ease and security. For knowledge gained by experience, though it brings a man to an aptness to be quick in discerning what is most advisable in every particular case, yet such knowledge is attended with many toils and hazards. And thus he that was the most experienced man among the heroes, viewed many cities, and came well to understand and pry into the minds and tempers of men, yet it was with many troubles and misfortunes: but knowledge of what was well or ill done by others, gained by history, carries along with it instructions, freed from those misfortunes that others have before experienced. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.