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Quotes by Greek Authors
"Man is the vainest of allcreatures that have their being upon earth. As long as heavenvouchsafes him health and strength, he thinks that he shall come tono harm hereafter, and even when the blessed gods bring sorrow uponhim, he bears it as he needs must, and makes the best of it; forGod Almighty gives men their daily minds day by day. I know allabout it, for I was a rich man once, and did much wrong in thestubbornness of my pride, and in the confidence that my father andmy brothers would support me; therefore let a man fear God in allthings always, and take the good that heaven may see fit to sendhim without vainglory."
"From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate."
"A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side."
"A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility. The story should never be made up of improbable incidents, there should be nothing of the sort in it."
"No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods."
"Men would live exceedingly quiet if these two words, mine and thine, were taken away."
"One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him."
"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."
"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies."
"The bitter dregs of Fortune's cup to drain."
"Isn't reading a kind of preparation for life?' But life is composed of things other than books. It is as if an athlete, on entering the stadium, were to complain that he's not outside exercising.This was the goal of your exercise, of your weights, your practice ring and your training partners."
"The man is happiest who lives from day to day and asks no more, garnering the simple goodness of life."
"The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain."
"And they limp and halt, they're all wrinkled, drawn, they squint to the side, can't look you in the eyes, and always bent on duty, trudging after Ruin, maddening, blinding Ruin. But Ruin is strong and swift-She outstrips them all by far, stealing a march, leaping over the whole wide earth to bring mankind to grief."
"Wealth does not bring about excellence, but excellence makes wealth and everything else good for men, both individually and collectively."
"God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought."
"Then as for those who gaze upon many beautiful things but don't see the beautiful itself, and aren't even capable of following someone else who leads them to it, and upon many just things but not the just itself, and all the things like that, we'll claim that they accept the seeming of everything but discern nothing of what they have opinions about."
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