In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Good Will.

The aphorism lays out a compact code of conduct for a nation (or leader) across changing fortunes. “Resolution” in war stresses steadfast purpose under pressure; “defiance” in defeat insists on refusing moral or political capitulation; “magnanimity” in victory warns against vindictiveness and urges restraint toward the vanquished; and “good will” in peace frames reconciliation as an active duty, not a passive interval between conflicts. The balanced, antithetical structure—war/peace, defeat/victory—makes it read like a civic maxim, projecting an ideal of strength tempered by generosity and a long view of stability after conflict.