Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 3/40

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"But learn that to die is a debt we must all pay."

"But learn that to die is a debt we must all pay."

Euripides, Greek Poet

42

"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

42

"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

42

"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

41

"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

41

"A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one."

"A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Urbanism, City, Greatness, Population, Meaning

41

"He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it."

"He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Injustice

40

"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

40

"Be true to thine own self."

"Be true to thine own self."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Self, Authenticity, Truth, Integrity

40

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

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

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Tragedy, Life, Waste, Sadness

40

"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

40

"In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face."

"In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face."

Diogenes of Sinope, Greek Philosopher

40

"I have learned to hate all traitors, and there is no disease that I spit on more than treachery."

"I have learned to hate all traitors, and there is no disease that I spit on more than treachery."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Hatred, Disease, Hate, Treachery

39

"Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get swallowed up by the great chewing complacency."

"Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get swallowed up by the great chewing complacency."

Aesop, Greek Author

Originality, Truth, Character, Values

39

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

39

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

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

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Knowledge, Evil

39

"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Politics, Apathy, Evil, Responsibility

38

"The wildest colts make the best horses."

"The wildest colts make the best horses."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Horses

38

"The poet is a light and winged and holy thing, and there is no invention in him until he has been inspired and is out of his sneses, and the mind is no longer in him."

"The poet is a light and winged and holy thing, and there is no invention in him until he has been inspired and is out of his sneses, and the mind is no longer in him."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Art, Poet, Inspirational, Light, Creativity

38

"Neither blame or praise yourself."

"Neither blame or praise yourself."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

38

"Do not gain basely; base gain is equal to ruin."

"Do not gain basely; base gain is equal to ruin."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

37

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

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

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Preparation, Summer, Will

37

"It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt."

"It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

God, Belief, Contempt, Opinion

37

"An honest man is always a child."

"An honest man is always a child."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

37

"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

37

"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

37

"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty."

"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Politics, Democracy, Dictatorship, Extreme, Liberty

37

"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

37

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

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

Pyrrhus, Greek Royalty

37

"Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity."

"Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Education, Adversity, Prosperity

37

"No man is hurt but by himself."

"No man is hurt but by himself."

Diogenes of Sinope, Greek Philosopher

36

"Courage is knowing what not to fear."

"Courage is knowing what not to fear."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

36

"God has entrusted me with myself."

"God has entrusted me with myself."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

36

"Not knowing anything is the sweetest life."

"Not knowing anything is the sweetest life."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

36

"Wisdom comes alone through suffering."

"Wisdom comes alone through suffering."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Wisdom, Suffering

36

"How many things can I do without?"

"How many things can I do without?"

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Minimalism, Simplicity, Choice, Life

36

"The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows."

"The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows."

Aristotle Onassis, Greek Businessman

Wisdom, Business

36

"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

35

"Character is destiny."

"Character is destiny."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Character, Destiny

35

"If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart."

"If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Equality, People

35

"I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating."

"I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Integrity, Cheating, Honor

35

"It is with our passions as it is with fire and water, they are good servants, but bad masters."

"It is with our passions as it is with fire and water, they are good servants, but bad masters."

Aesop, Greek Author

Self-control, Fire, Water

35

"Do not talk a little on many subjects, but much on a few."

"Do not talk a little on many subjects, but much on a few."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

35

"No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune."

"No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Chance, Fortune, Man

35

"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

35

"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

35

"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

35

"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

35

"Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always."

"Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

35

"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion."

"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

Opinion, Atoms, Nothing, Space

34

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