Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 25/38

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"No one is truly free, they are a slave to wealth, fortune, the law, or other people restraining them from acting according to their will."

"No one is truly free, they are a slave to wealth, fortune, the law, or other people restraining them from acting according to their will."

Euripides, Greek Poet

People, Wealth, Acting, Fortune

6

"Fame means being respected by everybody, or having some quality that is desired by all men, or by most, or by the good, or by the wise."

"Fame means being respected by everybody, or having some quality that is desired by all men, or by most, or by the good, or by the wise."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Status, Fame, Respect, Desire, Men

6

"Evil counsel travels fast."

"Evil counsel travels fast."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

6

"A human being is only breath and shadow."

"A human being is only breath and shadow."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

6

"Philosophy begins in wonder."

"Philosophy begins in wonder."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wonder, Philosophy

6

"Man's most valuable trait Is a judicious sense of what not to believe."

"Man's most valuable trait Is a judicious sense of what not to believe."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Wisdom, Judgement, Perception, Insight

6

"The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor; it is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in the dissimilar."

"The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor; it is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in the dissimilar."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Creativity, Metaphor, Art, Genius, Perception

6

"Necessity who is the mother of our invention."

"Necessity who is the mother of our invention."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Innovation, Necessity, Mother, Invention, Creation

6

"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms."

"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge

6

"Ah, lives of men! When prosperous they glitter - Like a fair picture; when misfortune comes - A wet sponge at one blow has blurred the painting."

"Ah, lives of men! When prosperous they glitter - Like a fair picture; when misfortune comes - A wet sponge at one blow has blurred the painting."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Change, Misfortune, Painting

6

"Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly."

"Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Work, Effort, Quality, Perfection

6

"Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death."

"Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Education, Death, People, Dying, Philosophy

6

"He who hath many friends hath none."

"He who hath many friends hath none."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Friends

6

"If you try to cure evil with evilyou will add more pain to your fate."

"If you try to cure evil with evilyou will add more pain to your fate."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Morality, Evil, Life, Observation

6

"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be."

"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Integrity, Honor, World

6

"People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them."

"People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

6

"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."

"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, Credit

6

"All learning has an emotional base."

"All learning has an emotional base."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Emotion, Education, Knowledge

6

"I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good."

"I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Power, People, Harm

6

"Closer, it's all right. Touch the man of grief.Do. Don't be afraid. My troubles are mine and I am the only man alive who can sustain them."

"Closer, it's all right. Touch the man of grief.Do. Don't be afraid. My troubles are mine and I am the only man alive who can sustain them."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Grief, Responsibility, Suffering, Individual

6

"The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going."

"The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Leadership, Man, World

6

"Wealth ... and poverty: the one is the parent of luxury and indolence and the other of meanness and vicious-ness and both of discontent."

"Wealth ... and poverty: the one is the parent of luxury and indolence and the other of meanness and vicious-ness and both of discontent."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Economy, Wealth, Poverty, Discontent, Corruption

6

"Outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth."

"Outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth."

Aesop, Greek Author

Achievement, Poor, Worth

6

"Democracy passes into despotism."

"Democracy passes into despotism."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Politics, Democracy

6

"It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting."

"It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Insults, Opinion

6

"There is absolutely no doubt about it, and I may not be the one that does it, but the cloned child is coming. There is absolutely no way that it will not happen."

"There is absolutely no doubt about it, and I may not be the one that does it, but the cloned child is coming. There is absolutely no way that it will not happen."

Panayiotis Zavos, Greek Scientist

Doubt, May, Will

6

"In the future, when we get serious about executing things correctly, this thing will be very easy to do. If we find out that this technique does not work, I don't intend to step on dead bodies to achieve something because I don't have that kind of ambition. My ambition is to help people."

"In the future, when we get serious about executing things correctly, this thing will be very easy to do. If we find out that this technique does not work, I don't intend to step on dead bodies to achieve something because I don't have that kind of ambition. My ambition is to help people."

Panayiotis Zavos, Greek Scientist

Work, People, Ambition, Future

6

"Neither a life of anarchy nor one beneath a despot should you praise; to all that lies in the middle a god has given excellence."

"Neither a life of anarchy nor one beneath a despot should you praise; to all that lies in the middle a god has given excellence."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Life, God, Anarchy, Excellence

6

"How can you dare teach a man to read until you've taught him everything else first?"

"How can you dare teach a man to read until you've taught him everything else first?"

Giorgos Seferis, Greek Poet

Education, First, Man

6

"Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance."

"Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Knowledge, Ignorance, Opinion

6

"Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued."

"Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

6

"Happiness seems to depend on leisure, because we work to have leisure, and wage war to live in peace."

"Happiness seems to depend on leisure, because we work to have leisure, and wage war to live in peace."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Happiness, Leisure, Peace, Work

6

"Slow but steady wins the race."

"Slow but steady wins the race."

Aesop, Greek Author

Persistence, Race

6

"Boys should abstain from all use of wine until their eighteenth year for it is wrong to add fire to fire."

"Boys should abstain from all use of wine until their eighteenth year for it is wrong to add fire to fire."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Youth, Discipline, Moderation, Alcohol

6

"One does nothing who tries to console a despondent person with word. A friend is one who aids with deeds at a critical time when deeds are called for."

"One does nothing who tries to console a despondent person with word. A friend is one who aids with deeds at a critical time when deeds are called for."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Friendship, Time, Friend, Deeds, Nothing

6

"Fishes live in the sea, as men do on land: the great ones eat up the little ones."

"Fishes live in the sea, as men do on land: the great ones eat up the little ones."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

6

"There is small risk a general will be regarded with contempt by those he leads, if, whatever he may have to preach, he shows himself best able to perform."

"There is small risk a general will be regarded with contempt by those he leads, if, whatever he may have to preach, he shows himself best able to perform."

Xenophon, Greek Soldier

Leadership, Contempt, May, Risk, Will

6

"Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered."

"Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

6

"And since all things have been named light and night and things corresponding to their powers for each, everything is full alike of light and invisible night, both equal since nothing has a share in neither."

"And since all things have been named light and night and things corresponding to their powers for each, everything is full alike of light and invisible night, both equal since nothing has a share in neither."

Parmenides, Greek Philosopher

Light, Night, Nothing

6

"Those who don't know must learn from those who do."

"Those who don't know must learn from those who do."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Knowledge, Ignorance, Wisdom

6

"Men may know many things by seeing; but no prophet can see before the event, nor what end waits for him."

"Men may know many things by seeing; but no prophet can see before the event, nor what end waits for him."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Man, Men, End, May

6

"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."

"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."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Education, Learning, Preparation, Life

6

"Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us no matter what we are doing? ... What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you?... If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken get to work on that."

"Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us no matter what we are doing? ... What do you wish to be doing when it overtakes you?... If you have anything better to be doing when you are so overtaken get to work on that."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Life, Death, Responsibility, Purpose

6

"The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances."

"The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Virtue, Man, Dignity, Grace, Life

6

"But this is a true saying among men: the gifts of enemies are no gifts and profitless."

"But this is a true saying among men: the gifts of enemies are no gifts and profitless."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Enemy, Enemies, Gifts, Saying

6

"Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems."

"Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Psychology, Anxiety, Mind, Thought, Perception

6

"Many are the noble words in which poets speak concerning the actions of men; but like yourself when speaking about Homer, they do not speak of them by any rules of art: they are simply inspired to utter that to which the Muse impels them, and that only; and when inspired, one of them will make dithyrambs, another hymns of praise, another choral strains, another epic or iambic verses- and he who is good at one is not good any other kind of verse: for not by art does the poet sing, but by power divine."

"Many are the noble words in which poets speak concerning the actions of men; but like yourself when speaking about Homer, they do not speak of them by any rules of art: they are simply inspired to utter that to which the Muse impels them, and that only; and when inspired, one of them will make dithyrambs, another hymns of praise, another choral strains, another epic or iambic verses- and he who is good at one is not good any other kind of verse: for not by art does the poet sing, but by power divine."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Poetry, Inspirational, Art, Life

6

"But the Wisdom of God, which is His only-begotten Son, being in all respects incapable of change or alteration, and every good quality in Him being essential, and such as cannot be changed and converted, His glory is therefore declared to be pure and sincere."

"But the Wisdom of God, which is His only-begotten Son, being in all respects incapable of change or alteration, and every good quality in Him being essential, and such as cannot be changed and converted, His glory is therefore declared to be pure and sincere."

Origen, Greek Theologian

Change, Wisdom, Quality, Son

6

"Everything has a natural explanation. The moon is not a god, but a great rock, and the sun a hot rock."

"Everything has a natural explanation. The moon is not a god, but a great rock, and the sun a hot rock."

Anaxagoras, Greek Philosopher

6

"It is a part of probability that many improbabilities will happen."

"It is a part of probability that many improbabilities will happen."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Reality, Chance, Fate, Possibility, Logic

6

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