APAD: kings are the slaves of history

The phrase "kings are the slaves of history" means that even powerful rulers are not truly in control;  their actions are compelled by the larger forces and inevitable currents of history, much like a slave serves a master.

According to Leo Tolstoy, who coined the phrase in War and Peace, history uses individuals, even kings, as instruments to achieve its own "unconscious, general, hive life" purposes, regardless of the king's personal beliefs or intentions. A king may believe they are acting of their own free will, but they are actually being guided by the larger, impersonal laws of history.

(Tolstoy uses Napoleon as an example in the book, believing that at the time of the 1812 invasion of Russia, Napoleon was more convinced than ever that he was the master of his fate, yet he was deeply controlled by inevitable historical laws that forced him to act in a way that was necessary for the "hive life" of history.)

- From online with editing
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Have read the Chinese translation of "War and Peace" long ago when was a student in university, my memory of it is very vague now.  So it's probably about time to start the English version, which has been quietly sitting on our bookshelf (see pic below).
 
Warning: the book is thick and the story is long, with almost 1300 pages of small print! 

所有跟帖： 

• 时代的一粒灰，落在个人头上，就是一座山。国王也不例外。 ： ） -JoyAnna.- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 07:19:45

• +1! Covid-19 virus skipped no 1, "Kings" & "Queens" included -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 07:25:37

• This is a spot-on example ~ ~ -JoyAnna.- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 07:36:46

• Kings may rule, but kings are the slaves of history. -JoyAnna.- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 08:53:26

• powerless against the tide of time. -JoyAnna.- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 08:56:01

• Yep, a grain of sand in desert, a drop of water in ocean,but -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 09:02:11

• “有的人活着 他已经死了；有的人死了 他还活着。有的人 把名字刻入石头，想“不朽”；有的人 情愿作野草，等着地下的火烧” -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 09:04:32

• 这个没错，中国皇帝害怕史官，因为史官有秉笔直书的特权 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 10:42:11

• 中国有正史和野/稗史，Do U think we'd read both to know true history? ? -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 10:50:59

• Poor bastards. Has to be a nut to want to eat like them! -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 13:37:53

• LOL :-) U r right, most kings were overweight. eg. HenryVIII -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 13:47:04

• weighed about 30Stone (420lbs), due 2 eating too much & not -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 13:50:09

• enough physical exercise ;-)) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/21/2025 postreply 13:50:53