Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 15/38

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"When a woman removes her garment, she also removes the respect that is hers."

"When a woman removes her garment, she also removes the respect that is hers."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

12

"Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow."

"Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow."

Aesop, Greek Author

Illusion, Shadow

12

"Let him that would move the world first move himself."

"Let him that would move the world first move himself."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Leadership, First, World

12

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die, and you to live. Which of these two is better only God knows."

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die, and you to live. Which of these two is better only God knows."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Death, Life, Faith, Truth

12

"It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men."

"It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men."

Thucydides, Greek Historian

Man, Men, Misfortune

12

"Don't you know this, that words are doctors to a diseased temperment?"

"Don't you know this, that words are doctors to a diseased temperment?"

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Advice, Doctors, Words

12

"Nature is wont to hide herself."

"Nature is wont to hide herself."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

12

"Kindness is ever the begetter of kindness."

"Kindness is ever the begetter of kindness."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Perception, Kindness

12

"There is nothing more foolish, nothing more given to outrage than a useless mob."

"There is nothing more foolish, nothing more given to outrage than a useless mob."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Society, Mob, Nothing

12

"Be still my heart; thou hast known worse than this."

"Be still my heart; thou hast known worse than this."

Homer, Greek Poet

12

"When a man's willing and eager the god's join in."

"When a man's willing and eager the god's join in."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

12

"A sympathetic friend can be quite as dear as a brother."

"A sympathetic friend can be quite as dear as a brother."

Homer, Greek Poet

Friendship, Brother, Friend

12

"Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds."

"Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

12

"As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom."

"As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

Men, Freedom, Laws

12

"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

12

"Try first thyself and after call in God For to the worker God himself lends aid."

"Try first thyself and after call in God For to the worker God himself lends aid."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Spiritual, Effort, Faith, Work, Divine

12

"Good means not merely not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong."

"Good means not merely not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

12

"Whoever is going to listen to the philosophers needs a considerable practice in listening."

"Whoever is going to listen to the philosophers needs a considerable practice in listening."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Listening, Practice, Observation

12

"God hates violence. He has ordained that all men fairly possess their property, not seize it."

"God hates violence. He has ordained that all men fairly possess their property, not seize it."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Man, Men, God, Property, Violence

12

"Knowledge is the food of the soul."

"Knowledge is the food of the soul."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Knowledge, Soul, Food, Learning

12

"It is not possible either to trick or escape the mind of Zeus."

"It is not possible either to trick or escape the mind of Zeus."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

12

"Read Churchill, he tells you how crucial was the Greek role in your decisive desert victory over Rommel."

"Read Churchill, he tells you how crucial was the Greek role in your decisive desert victory over Rommel."

Melina Mercouri, Greek Actress

12

"It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little."

"It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little."

Diogenes, Greek Philosopher

Man, Men, Gods, Nothing, Privilege

12

"There is nothing more hateful than bad advice."

"There is nothing more hateful than bad advice."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Advice, Nothing

12

"Old loves are dropped when new ones come."

"Old loves are dropped when new ones come."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Relationship, Love, Change, Truth

12

"But whoever gives birth to useless children, what would you say of him except that he has bred sorrows for himself, and furnishes laughter for his enemies."

"But whoever gives birth to useless children, what would you say of him except that he has bred sorrows for himself, and furnishes laughter for his enemies."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Family, Children, Enemies, Laughter

12

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Resilience, Reaction, Life, Control

12

"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."

"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

12

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants."

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Wealth, Possessions

12

"Death is softer by far than tyranny."

"Death is softer by far than tyranny."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

12

"I expect nothing. I fear no one. I am free."

"I expect nothing. I fear no one. I am free."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer

12

"Alas for the affairs of men! When they are fortunate you might compare them to a shadow; and if they are unfortunate, a wet sponge with one dash wipes the picture away."

"Alas for the affairs of men! When they are fortunate you might compare them to a shadow; and if they are unfortunate, a wet sponge with one dash wipes the picture away."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

12

"You only have to doze a moment, and all is lost. For ruin and salvation both have their source inside you."

"You only have to doze a moment, and all is lost. For ruin and salvation both have their source inside you."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Mindset, Self, Responsibility, Control, Power

12

"There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly."

"There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly."

Antisthenes, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Truth, People, Friend, Enemy

12

"The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake."

"The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Friend, Man, Wishes, Wishing

12

"To write well, express yourself like the common people, but think like a wise man."

"To write well, express yourself like the common people, but think like a wise man."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Writing, Expression, Wisdom, People

12

"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom."

"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom."

Menander, Greek Poet

12

"For the poison of hatred seated near the heart doubles the burden for the one who suffers the disease; he is burdened with his own sorrow, and groans on seeing another's happiness."

"For the poison of hatred seated near the heart doubles the burden for the one who suffers the disease; he is burdened with his own sorrow, and groans on seeing another's happiness."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Happiness, Heart, Burden, Disease

12

"Rather I think that a man who ... is willing ... to value learning as long as he lives, not supposing that old age brings him wisdom of itself, will necessarily pay more attention to the rest of his life."

"Rather I think that a man who ... is willing ... to value learning as long as he lives, not supposing that old age brings him wisdom of itself, will necessarily pay more attention to the rest of his life."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Aging, Learning, Education

12

"No one would choose a friendless existence on condition of having all the other things in the world."

"No one would choose a friendless existence on condition of having all the other things in the world."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Existence, World

12

"The god of love lives in a state of need. It is a need. It is an urge. It is a homeostatic imbalance. Like hunger and thirst, it's almost impossible to stamp out."

"The god of love lives in a state of need. It is a need. It is an urge. It is a homeostatic imbalance. Like hunger and thirst, it's almost impossible to stamp out."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Desire, Love, Needs, Life

12

"For in this Case, we are not to give Credit to the Many, who say, that none ought to be educated but the Free; but rather to the Philosophers, who say, that the Well-educated alone are free."

"For in this Case, we are not to give Credit to the Many, who say, that none ought to be educated but the Free; but rather to the Philosophers, who say, that the Well-educated alone are free."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Education, Freedom, Knowledge, Philosophy

12

"Of prosperity mortals can never have enough."

"Of prosperity mortals can never have enough."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Wealth, Prosperity

12

"For he who lives as passion directs will not hear argument that dissuades him, nor understand it if he does; and how can we persuade one in such a state to change his ways?"

"For he who lives as passion directs will not hear argument that dissuades him, nor understand it if he does; and how can we persuade one in such a state to change his ways?"

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Passion, Desire, Reason, Life

12

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; Fools, because they have to say something."

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; Fools, because they have to say something."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Speech, Talk, Silence

12

"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

12

"And whenever any one informs us that he has found a man who knows all the arts, and all things else that anybody knows, and every single thing with a higher degree of accuracy than any other man "whoever tells us this, I think that we can only imagine him to be a simple creature who is likely to have been deceived by some wizard or actor whom he met, and whom he thought all-knowing, because he himself was unable to analyze the nature of knowledge and ignorance and imitation."

"And whenever any one informs us that he has found a man who knows all the arts, and all things else that anybody knows, and every single thing with a higher degree of accuracy than any other man "whoever tells us this, I think that we can only imagine him to be a simple creature who is likely to have been deceived by some wizard or actor whom he met, and whom he thought all-knowing, because he himself was unable to analyze the nature of knowledge and ignorance and imitation."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Knowledge, Ignorance, Deception, Actor

12

"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

12

"The man who runs may fight again."

"The man who runs may fight again."

Menander, Greek Poet

Fight, Man, May

12

"Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence."

"Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

Trust, Men, Prudence, Silly

12

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