Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 15/40

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"If you were to offer a thirsty man all wisdom, you would not please him more than if you gave him a drink."

"If you were to offer a thirsty man all wisdom, you would not please him more than if you gave him a drink."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

39

"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty."

"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Contentment, Wealth, Life, Happiness

39

"Every perfect traveler always creates the country where he travels."

"Every perfect traveler always creates the country where he travels."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer

Nation, Country

39

"We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you could, for which we thank you. But now in the name of fairness and morality, please give them back."

"We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you could, for which we thank you. But now in the name of fairness and morality, please give them back."

Melina Mercouri, Greek Actress

Morality, Name, Now

39

"We are obliged, therefore, to say that whoever speaks that which is foreign to religion is using many words, while he who speaks the words of truth, even should he go over the whole field and omit nothing, is always speaking the one word."

"We are obliged, therefore, to say that whoever speaks that which is foreign to religion is using many words, while he who speaks the words of truth, even should he go over the whole field and omit nothing, is always speaking the one word."

Origen, Greek Theologian

Religion, Truth, Nothing, Word

39

"The ears of men are lesser agents of belief than their eyes."

"The ears of men are lesser agents of belief than their eyes."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Man, Men, Belief, Eyes

39

"Do you see how the god always hurls his bolts at the greatest houses and the tallest trees. For he is wont to thwart whatever is greater than the rest."

"Do you see how the god always hurls his bolts at the greatest houses and the tallest trees. For he is wont to thwart whatever is greater than the rest."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

God, Houses, Rest, Trees

39

"Youth is the best time to be rich, and the best time to be poor."

"Youth is the best time to be rich, and the best time to be poor."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Time, Poor, Youth

39

"With regard to sleep and waking, we must consider what they are: whether they are peculiar to soul or to body, or common to both; and if common, to what part of soul or body the appertain: further, from what cause it arises that they are atributes of animals, and whether all animals share in them both, or some partake of the one only, others of the other only, or some partake of neither and some of both."

"With regard to sleep and waking, we must consider what they are: whether they are peculiar to soul or to body, or common to both; and if common, to what part of soul or body the appertain: further, from what cause it arises that they are atributes of animals, and whether all animals share in them both, or some partake of the one only, others of the other only, or some partake of neither and some of both."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Sleep, Waking, Soul, Body

39

"Slight not what is near though aiming at what is far."

"Slight not what is near though aiming at what is far."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Perspective, Goal, Focus, Distance

39

"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over."

"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over."

Aesop, Greek Author

Resilience, Force, Wind

39

"Any man may easily do harm, but not every man can do good to another."

"Any man may easily do harm, but not every man can do good to another."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Positive, Harm, Man, May

39

"Whenever a man makes haste, God too hastens with him."

"Whenever a man makes haste, God too hastens with him."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

God, Haste, Man

39

"The unhappy derive comfort from the misfortunes of others."

"The unhappy derive comfort from the misfortunes of others."

Aesop, Greek Author

39

"For to fear death, men, is in fact nothing other than to seem to be wise, but not to be so. For it is to seem to know what one does not know: no one knows whether death does not even happen to be the greatest of all goods for the human being; but people fear it as though they knew well that it is the greatest of evils."

"For to fear death, men, is in fact nothing other than to seem to be wise, but not to be so. For it is to seem to know what one does not know: no one knows whether death does not even happen to be the greatest of all goods for the human being; but people fear it as though they knew well that it is the greatest of evils."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Fear, Death, Wisdom, Knowledge

39

"And, of course, it must be asked: is it proper to transact with the Turks for the most reassured of Greek possessions when Greece is under Turkish invasion and subjugation?"

"And, of course, it must be asked: is it proper to transact with the Turks for the most reassured of Greek possessions when Greece is under Turkish invasion and subjugation?"

Melina Mercouri, Greek Actress

Greece, Possessions

38

"For then only will you be strong, when you cherish the laws, and when the revolutionary attempts of lawless men shall have ceased."

"For then only will you be strong, when you cherish the laws, and when the revolutionary attempts of lawless men shall have ceased."

Aeschines, Greek Statesman

Men, Laws, Will

38

"A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs."

"A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

Life, Possessions

38

"Evil events from evil causes spring."

"Evil events from evil causes spring."

Aristophanes, Greek Poet

Cause, Causes, Events, Evil, Spring

38

"The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance."

"The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Knowledge, Evil, Ignorance

38

"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

38

"Character is long-standing habit."

"Character is long-standing habit."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Character, Habit

38

"Quality is not an act, it is a habit."

"Quality is not an act, it is a habit."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Positive, Quality, Habit, Act

38

"Beauty is merciless. You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive."

"Beauty is merciless. You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer

38

"I said to the almond tree, "Friend, speak to me of God," and the almond tree blossomed."

"I said to the almond tree, "Friend, speak to me of God," and the almond tree blossomed."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer

38

"Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on."

"Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on."

Citium Zeno, Greek Philosopher

Fate, Formula, Reason, World

38

"Attention to health is life greatest hindrance."

"Attention to health is life greatest hindrance."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Health, Life, Attention

38

"Raising children is an uncertain thing; success is reached only after a life of battle and worry."

"Raising children is an uncertain thing; success is reached only after a life of battle and worry."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

Life, Success, Battle, Children

38

"The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them."

"The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them."

Diogenes, Greek Philosopher

38

"He who exercises wisdom, exercises the knowledge which is about God."

"He who exercises wisdom, exercises the knowledge which is about God."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Religion, Wisdom, God, Knowledge, Spiritual

38

"It is hard to contend against one's heart's desire; for whatever it wishes to have it buys at the cost of soul."

"It is hard to contend against one's heart's desire; for whatever it wishes to have it buys at the cost of soul."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Soul, Heart, Desire, Wishes

38

"It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help."

"It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Confidence, Friends, Help

38

"Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy."

"Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Self-Control, Power, Time, Purpose, Right

38

"There is nothing more hateful than bad advice."

"There is nothing more hateful than bad advice."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Advice, Nothing

38

"Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship."

"Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Wisdom, Possession

38

"Ten thousand men possess ten thousand hopes."

"Ten thousand men possess ten thousand hopes."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Aspiration, Hope, Desire, Life, Humanity

38

"One should always look to the end of everything, how it will finally come out. For the god has shown blessedness to many only to overturn them utterly in the end."

"One should always look to the end of everything, how it will finally come out. For the god has shown blessedness to many only to overturn them utterly in the end."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

38

"So what oppresses and scares us? It is our own thoughts, obviously, What overwhelms people when they are about to leaves friends, family, old haunts and their accustomed way of life? Thoughts."

"So what oppresses and scares us? It is our own thoughts, obviously, What overwhelms people when they are about to leaves friends, family, old haunts and their accustomed way of life? Thoughts."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Psychology, Fear, Thought, Anxiety, Self

38

"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."

"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."

Alexander the Great, Greek Leader

Leadership, Army, Sheep

38

"Death is not the worst thing; rather, when one who craves death cannot attain even that wish."

"Death is not the worst thing; rather, when one who craves death cannot attain even that wish."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Death, Desire, Limitation, Existence

38

"No notice is taken of a little evil, but when it increases it strikes the eye."

"No notice is taken of a little evil, but when it increases it strikes the eye."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Time, Evil, Eye

38

"Always desire to learn something useful."

"Always desire to learn something useful."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

38

"I am dying with the help of too many physicians."

"I am dying with the help of too many physicians."

Alexander the Great, Greek Leader

Health, Dying, Help, Physicians

38

"Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks."

"Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

38

"Time alone reveals the just man; but you might discern a bad man in a single day."

"Time alone reveals the just man; but you might discern a bad man in a single day."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

38

"The curse of me and my nation is that we always think things can be bettered by immediate action of some sort, any sort rather than no sort."

"The curse of me and my nation is that we always think things can be bettered by immediate action of some sort, any sort rather than no sort."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Inspirational, Action, Nation

38

"It is a common saying, and in everybody's mouth, that life is but a sojourn."

"It is a common saying, and in everybody's mouth, that life is but a sojourn."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

38

"Musical innovation is full of danger to the State, for when modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the State always change with them."

"Musical innovation is full of danger to the State, for when modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the State always change with them."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Society, Music, Innovation, Danger, State

38

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love."

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Love, Life, Pain, Weight

38

"If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way."

"If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

38

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