quote · Legacy record
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory is won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory is won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
Approximate author period: c. 544 BC · ancient
Meaning not yet available
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- Author or tradition
- Sun Tzu
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 544 BC · ancient
Approximate author-period anchor from documented birth year -544; activity date not established; Wikidata Q37151, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37151 (accessed 2026-10-08). Not a quotation composition date.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided quotation collection
Supplied reference C; CSV row 361288; supplied attribution, independently unverified
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