I'm trying to complete a phrase: "Those who the gods would destroy, they first make ???.
Does anyone know the missing word? Can you tell me the source?

"Those whom the gods would destroy they first make proud."
-Sophocles

"Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of their senses."
Euripides

"Whom God wishes to destroy he first makes mad."
Seneca

"For those whom God to ruin has design'd, He fits for fate, and first destroys their mind."
John Dryden

"Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Those whom the gods would destroy they first call "promising."
Jan Carew

I can't find a good quote about it, but my recollection is that whom the Gods would destroy, they first afflicted with hubris, an overweening pride.

At the risk of being pedantic (and without going back to check the primary souces cited inte the quote-books):

Barlett's (13th ed.): "Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of their senses." Euripedes [keiva's note: a mis-translation? "God" rather than "the gods"?]
Footnote to the above states that in Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson (1971), "this is quoted as a saying which everybody repeats, but nobody knows where to find." Also provides quotes similar quotes from Publilius Syrus, Lycurgus, Dryden, and Longfellow.

Evans' Dictionary of Quotations: "Whom Zeus would destoy, he first makes mad. [Sophocles: Antigone (c. 450 B.C.)] The statement, which may well have been proverbial when Sophocles used it, has passed though its Latin version into almost every European language."

I always read this in the same sense as Dr. Bill: hubris.

There is more at:

http://www.racialcompact.com/whomgodsdestroy.html

"When falls on man the anger of the gods, first from his mind they banish understanding."
Lycurgus

"When divine power plans evil for a man, it first injures his mind."
Sophocles

_________________________

Who was Lycurgus?

http://www.e-classics.com/lycurgus.htm

I had a vague memory (from High School, yet! Class of '49) that Lycurgus wrote the constitution of Sparta but the link (Plutrach's history) has some very intersting info and some of his ideas should provide us with fodder to discuss.
I tried the link and it works for me, but if link doesn't work for you just Google "Lycurgus."
One paragraph : talking about Lycugus's idea that all people eat in public halls says :
"The public mess-halls were divided into tables of fifteen men. Each man was required to bring a quota of food and wine every month. The Spartans would send their children to these tables as to a school of wisdom. There, they would listen to the men discuss the business of the state, and they learned how to talk politely and to the point like men. Especially important was giving and taking jokes with good humor...."
I do not agree with all of Lycugus' ideas but the above is not a bad idea, in general, of a way to participate in the Board ... presuming, of course, that "men" -here- refers to mankind, men and women!

The last sentance in the link-paragraph doesn't apply here but perhaps applies to posting the contents of PMs and Emails without permission : "To insure frankness, the oldest man said to each of them as they came in: "Through this (pointing at the door) no words go out."

Now, how's that for a cross-threads post!

Later edit
Some quotes attributed to Lycurgus :

A man argued that Sparta should set up a democracy, and to this, Lycurgus replied: "Begin with your own family."

Another asked why the sacrifices to the gods were not bigger, and Lycurgus answered: "So that we may always have something to offer them."

When Lycurgus was asked how the Spartans could prevent an invasion by enemies, he said: "By continuing to be poor, and not trying to appear better off than each other."

EVEN LATER EDIT

Oh m'Gawd! I've stepped in it again!
How you all have the patience ....
Anyway, the note on PMs and Emails - indeed the whole post -is Not, repeat not, repeat again NOT, directed at anyone ... I meant it as a general observation with an implied invitaion - as are all posts, (n'est ce pas?) - for one and all to comment.