I do not admire a virtue like valour when it is pushed to excess, if I do not see at the same time the excess of the opposite virtue, as one does in Epaminondas, who displayed extreme valour and extreme benevolence. For otherwise it is not an ascent, but a fall. We do not display our greatness by placing ourselves at one extremity, but rather by being at both at the same time, and filling up the whole of the space between them.

Summary

This quote suggests that admiration for a virtue, like courage, is incomplete without a corresponding excess of the opposing virtue, such as benevolence. The example of Epaminondas, who exhibited both extreme courage and extreme benevolence, illustrates true greatness. It argues that true virtue lies in balancing two virtuous extremes rather than residing solely at one extreme. This notion emphasizes the importance of finding a harmonious middle ground and occupying the entire spectrum of virtues, rather than just one end.