Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 3/40

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please."

"If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Reflection, Moderation

55

"The saddest of all tragedies - the wasted life."

"The saddest of all tragedies - the wasted life."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Tragedy, Life, Waste, Sadness

55

"For what the horse does under compulsion, as Simon also observes, is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it either, any more than if one should whip and spur a dancer."

"For what the horse does under compulsion, as Simon also observes, is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it either, any more than if one should whip and spur a dancer."

Xenophon, Greek Soldier

Beauty, Understanding

55

"Another such victory over the Romans, and we are undone."

"Another such victory over the Romans, and we are undone."

Pyrrhus, Greek Royalty

55

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

54

"Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another."

"Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Spiritual, Soul, Astronomy, World

54

"Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. We believe good men more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is, and absolutely true where exact certainty is impossible and opinions are divided."

"Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. We believe good men more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is, and absolutely true where exact certainty is impossible and opinions are divided."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Rhetoric, Persuasion, Character, Credibility, Trust

54

"The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself."

"The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself."

Thales, Greek Philosopher

53

"The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated."

"The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Health, Body, Soul, Medicine

53

"Alas, how quickly the gratitude owed to the dead flows off, how quick to be proved a deceiver."

"Alas, how quickly the gratitude owed to the dead flows off, how quick to be proved a deceiver."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Gratitude, Quick

53

"No one can harm the man who does himself no wrong."

"No one can harm the man who does himself no wrong."

John Chrysostom, Greek Clergyman

Harm, Man, Wrong

52

"Justice will not come to Athens until those who are not injured are as indignant as those who are injured."

"Justice will not come to Athens until those who are not injured are as indignant as those who are injured."

Thucydides, Greek Historian

Justice, Athens, Will

52

"The beginning seems to be more than half of the whole."

"The beginning seems to be more than half of the whole."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Success, Beginning, Effort, Achievement

52

"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things."

"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Happiness, Man, Philosophy

52

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres."

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

Music, Geometry

52

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."

Thucydides, Greek Historian

Vision, Danger, Glory

52

"How many things can I do without?"

"How many things can I do without?"

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Minimalism, Simplicity, Choice, Life

52

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost."

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Democracy, Government, Equality, Thought

52

"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."

"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Improvement, Thought, Content, Want

52

"It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has."

"It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

51

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

51

"We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."

"We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."

Aesop, Greek Author

Destruction, Enemies

51

"Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases."

"Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

Extreme, Remedies

51

"The life which is unexamined is not worth living."

"The life which is unexamined is not worth living."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Reflection, Life, Examination, Philosophy, Meaning

51

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Politics, Being, End

51

"An honest man is always a child."

"An honest man is always a child."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

50

"Justice will overtake fabricators of lies and false witnesses."

"Justice will overtake fabricators of lies and false witnesses."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Lies, Will

50

"He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God."

"He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Wisdom, God, Heart, Despair

50

"A bad neighbor is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage."

"A bad neighbor is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Neighborhood, Calamity

50

"The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself."

"The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Leadership, Decline, Consequence, Life

50

"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity " I mean the true simplicity of a rightly and nobly ordered mind and character, not that other simplicity which is only a euphemism for folly."

"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity " I mean the true simplicity of a rightly and nobly ordered mind and character, not that other simplicity which is only a euphemism for folly."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Aesthetics, Beauty, Simplicity, Grace, Style

50

"Yes the truth is that men's ambition and their desire to make money are among the most frequent causes of deliberate acts of injustice."

"Yes the truth is that men's ambition and their desire to make money are among the most frequent causes of deliberate acts of injustice."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Ambition, Money, Injustice, Desire

50

"Neither blame or praise yourself."

"Neither blame or praise yourself."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

50

"Wit is educated insolence."

"Wit is educated insolence."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

50

"Courage is knowing what not to fear."

"Courage is knowing what not to fear."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

49

"All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine."

"All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Immortality, Men

49

"Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character."

"Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Character, Day, Effort

49

"In the lack of judgment great harm arises, but one vote cast can set right a house."

"In the lack of judgment great harm arises, but one vote cast can set right a house."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Harm, Judgment, Right, Vote

49

"Justice... is a kind of compact not to harm or be harmed."

"Justice... is a kind of compact not to harm or be harmed."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

49

"Even sleepers are workers and collaborators in what goes on in the Universe."

"Even sleepers are workers and collaborators in what goes on in the Universe."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Universe, Workers

49

"Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous."

"Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Knowledge, Evil

49

"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds."

"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds."

Aesop, Greek Author

Appearance, Birds

48

"It will not always be summer; build barns."

"It will not always be summer; build barns."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Preparation, Summer, Will

48

"Much learning does not teach understanding."

"Much learning does not teach understanding."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Understanding

48

"No matter how hard you fight the darkness, every light casts a shadow, and the closer you get to the light, the darker that shadow becomes."

"No matter how hard you fight the darkness, every light casts a shadow, and the closer you get to the light, the darker that shadow becomes."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Contrast, Light, Shadow, Darkness, Hope

48

"Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity."

"Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Adversity, Man, Nothing, Prosperity

48

"Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head."

"Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Leadership, Soldiers, Will

48

"Since long I've held silence a remedy for harm."

"Since long I've held silence a remedy for harm."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

48

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Man, Play, Seriousness

48

"Bigotry is the sacred disease."

"Bigotry is the sacred disease."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Prejudice, Bigotry, Disease

48

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