Author of great quote on slander?

Factual Questions
1

I remember coming across a great quote concerning slander several years ago, and I cannot remember the author of it. Here is (more or less) the quote:

“If you throw mud at a person, some of it is bound to stick.”

I can’t remember for the life of me who said that, but I seem to remember he was Greek. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Abe

IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.
–Ambrose Bierce

2

The more frequent rendering is “Throw enough mud at a wall and some of it will stick.”

I believe that this is simply a proverb found in various forms in several languages. I haven’t found it attributed to any single author.
(Curiously, I also have not seen any references to it in English prior to the 1960’s, when the partisans of the Left and the Right each began using it frequently to denounce their opponents for raising interminable libels and slanders. I don’t know if that is when it was coined or simply when it became popular in English.)

Tom~

3

I have NO IDEA who said this or when, and I don’t feel like looking it up. However, it has the feel of Will Rogers about it, wouldn’t you say?

4

Will Rogers? Possible. Maybe Mark Twain?

Yer pal,
Satan

5

neither Will Rogers nor Mark Twain was the author of that quote. I am sure I would have remembered. I am almost sure it was a greek fellow who originated it.

Abe

IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.
–Ambrose Bierce

6

I ran it through Bartlett’s online and couldn’t find anything. Here’s the link, for those who are interested:
http://www.bartleby.com/99/index.html

-Melin

7

I’ve been using the quote in my sig for a while now, but I’ve never been able to remember where I read it. Does anyone else know?

He who is truly wise is the one who knows how much he has yet to learn.

8

Tom, I bet the term “mudslinging”, which obviously applies to this quote, goes way back before the '60s. I remember seeing a political cartoon of FDR and his opponents all covered in mud, I think in reference to the NRA battle of 1935.

9

Well I read the quote & I thought about what it says & it says nothing. either no one ever said it, or it’s way off what was said.

10

Lawrence, I agree that the concept of linking slander to mud is very old. Since I have seen variants of the OP’s quote treated as proverbs in foreighn languages, it would also seem that the quote is old–at least old enough to get into other languages.

In context, I found it odd that I couldn’t remember that phrase used prior to the 60’s and I was hoping that someone would come up with an older citation.

Tom~