They forbid rational speculation, and strive to kill their adversaries. “If the people of religion are asked about the proof for the soundness of their religion, they flare up, get angry and spill the blood of whoever confronts them with this question. “It is the rare fortune of these days that one may think what one likes and say what one thinks.” – Tacitus, Histories (2 nd Century) “I, who have been brought up in freedom, with the right of free speech, cannot in my old age change and learn slavery instead.” – attributed to Cato the Younger by Cassius Dio (46 BC) “Democracies, however, possess many other just and noble features, to which right-minded men should hold fast, and in particular it is impossible to deter freedom of speech, which depends upon speaking the truth, from exposing the truth.” – Demosthenes, (338 BC) “This is slavery, not to speak one’s thought.” – Euripides, The Phoenician Women (5 th Century BC) “How brave a thing is freedom of speech, which has made the Athenians so far exceed every other state of Hellas in greatness.” – Herodotus (5 th Century BC) Here are some of history’s best freedom of speech quotes – and some of the worst: the good – and the bad and ugly!

Free speech quotes