Ok, fine, I wasn't really thinking of ancient Greece. (But you'll note that ancient Greece declined and fell shortly thereafter. Pericles didn't have a speechwriter, either.)

Jackson was notoriously illiterate. Washington was a stuffed shirt whose brain was largely provided by Hamilton. These are examples of the 20th century avant la lettre - neither statesman would have admitted the practice. Dishonorable behavior is not precluded in societies with strong honor codes - as we can see from Dr. King's own academic record.