Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 12/38

top of page

Quotes by Greek Authors

"To do is to be."

"To do is to be."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Action, Existence, Life

14

"Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly."

"Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Endurance, Deeds

14

"Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth."

"Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

14

"Soon all of you immortalsWill be as dead as we are! Come on then, what are you waiting for?Have you run out of thunderbolts?"

"Soon all of you immortalsWill be as dead as we are! Come on then, what are you waiting for?Have you run out of thunderbolts?"

Euripides, Greek Poet

Adventure, Immortality, Conflict, Power, Determination

14

"A man who preserves his integrity no real, long-lasting harm can ever come."

"A man who preserves his integrity no real, long-lasting harm can ever come."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Morality, Integrity, Ethics, Self, Protection

14

"Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow."

"Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow."

Aesop, Greek Author

Illusion, Shadow

14

"We must no more ask whether the soul and body are one than ask whether the wax and the figure impressed on it are one."

"We must no more ask whether the soul and body are one than ask whether the wax and the figure impressed on it are one."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Identity, Soul, Body

14

"A dog has the soul of a philosopher."

"A dog has the soul of a philosopher."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Soul, Life, Animals

14

"Pray the gods do not envy your happiness!"

"Pray the gods do not envy your happiness!"

Euripides, Greek Poet

Spiritual, Happiness, Divine, Wish

14

"Every man is a poet when he is in love."

"Every man is a poet when he is in love."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Love, Poet, Man, Inspirational

14

"Even a poor man can receive honors."

"Even a poor man can receive honors."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

14

"For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune."

"For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

God, Gods, Man, Misfortune

14

"All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final."

"All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final."

Hypatia, Greek Philosopher

14

"One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try."

"One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Action, Knowledge, Practice

14

"I, schooled in misery, know many purifying rites, and I know where speech is proper and where silence."

"I, schooled in misery, know many purifying rites, and I know where speech is proper and where silence."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Silence, Misery, Speech

14

"Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well."

"Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Education, Art, Life, Children, Living

14

"United we stand, divided we fall."

"United we stand, divided we fall."

Aesop, Greek Author

13

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire."

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Determination, Nature, Habit, Actions, Chance

13

"Memory is the mother of all wisdom."

"Memory is the mother of all wisdom."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Wisdom, Mother, Memory

13

"There is only one theology, but there are many theologians."

"There is only one theology, but there are many theologians."

Athenagoras I, Greek Clergyman

13

"Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life."

"Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

Life, Friends, Journey, Road

13

"When I started to work with UNICEF, it was a new way of giving some love and care to the world."

"When I started to work with UNICEF, it was a new way of giving some love and care to the world."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

Love, Work, Care, Giving

13

"Speech is the mirror of action."

"Speech is the mirror of action."

Solon, Greek Statesman

13

"Young people are in a condition like permanent intoxication, because life is sweet and they are growing."

"Young people are in a condition like permanent intoxication, because life is sweet and they are growing."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Youth, Life, Growth, Energy

13

"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects."

"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Time, Rest, Right, Will

13

"Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states."

"Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

Politics, States

13

"I do believe that if you haven't learnt about sadness, you cannot appreciate happiness."

"I do believe that if you haven't learnt about sadness, you cannot appreciate happiness."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

Happiness, Sadness

13

"It's impossible for someone who is human to have all good things together, just as there is no single country able to provide all good things for itself."

"It's impossible for someone who is human to have all good things together, just as there is no single country able to provide all good things for itself."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Nation, Country

13

"Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either."

"Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either."

Aesop, Greek Author

Reflection, Truth

13

"When one is required to preside over the Church, and be entrusted with the care of so many souls, the whole female sex must retire before the magnitude of the task, and the majority of men also."

"When one is required to preside over the Church, and be entrusted with the care of so many souls, the whole female sex must retire before the magnitude of the task, and the majority of men also."

John Chrysostom, Greek Clergyman

Men, Sex, Church, Care

13

"The true test of a leader is whether his followers will adhere to his cause from their own volition, enduring the most arduous hardships without being forced to do so, and remaining steadfast in the moments of greatest peril."

"The true test of a leader is whether his followers will adhere to his cause from their own volition, enduring the most arduous hardships without being forced to do so, and remaining steadfast in the moments of greatest peril."

Xenophon, Greek Soldier

Leadership, Leader, Being, Cause, Followers

13

"You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit."

"You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

Action, Actions, Man, Spirit

13

"Nothing endures but change."

"Nothing endures but change."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Change, Nothing

13

"Time is the wisest counsellor of all."

"Time is the wisest counsellor of all."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

13

"Who seeks shall find."

"Who seeks shall find."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Seeking, Persistence, Action, Discovery

13

"If you desire to be good, begin by believing that you are wicked."

"If you desire to be good, begin by believing that you are wicked."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Reflection, Desire

13

"Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law."

"Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law."

Solon, Greek Statesman

Society, People, Law

13

"Poverty is the schoolmaster of character."

"Poverty is the schoolmaster of character."

Antiphanes, Greek Writer

Character, Poverty

13

"Deliberate violence is more to be quenched than a fire."

"Deliberate violence is more to be quenched than a fire."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

13

"The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other mens lives."

"The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other mens lives."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

Man, Men, Earth, Symbol

13

"Wealth should not be seized, but the god-given is much better."

"Wealth should not be seized, but the god-given is much better."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

13

"To be ignorant of the lives of the most celebrated men of antiquity is to continue in a state of childhood all our days."

"To be ignorant of the lives of the most celebrated men of antiquity is to continue in a state of childhood all our days."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Man, Men, Childhood, State

13

"So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech."

"So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

People, Evil, Justice, Kings

13

"The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue."

"The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue."

Antisthenes, Greek Philosopher

13

"They must therefore not spoil Alexander's undertaking, especially when they were almost at the close of their toils, and were, moreover, no longer in any difficulty about provisions on their coasting cruise."

"They must therefore not spoil Alexander's undertaking, especially when they were almost at the close of their toils, and were, moreover, no longer in any difficulty about provisions on their coasting cruise."

Arrian, Greek Historian

Military, Difficulty

13

"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."

"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Friendship, Friend, Relatives, Worth

13

"Fortune truly helps those who are of good judgment."

"Fortune truly helps those who are of good judgment."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Fortune, Judgment

13

"God does not suffer presumption in anyone but himself."

"God does not suffer presumption in anyone but himself."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

13

"Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man."

"Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Truth, Gods, Beginning, Man

13

"Of all the gods only death does not desire gifts."

"Of all the gods only death does not desire gifts."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Death, Gods, Desire, Gifts

13

bottom of page