Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 36/38

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"Be as you wish to seem."

"Be as you wish to seem."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Authenticity, Truth, Power, Self

2

"No trace of slavery ought to mix with the studies of the freeborn man. No study, pursued under compulsion, remains rooted in the memory."

"No trace of slavery ought to mix with the studies of the freeborn man. No study, pursued under compulsion, remains rooted in the memory."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Education, Man, Memory, Slavery, Study

2

"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side."

"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Ethics, Justice, Listening, Truth, Wisdom

2

"Not yet do you feel it. Wait for the future."

"Not yet do you feel it. Wait for the future."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Patience, Future, Time, Awareness

2

"They are fond of fun and therefore witty, wit being well-bred insolence."

"They are fond of fun and therefore witty, wit being well-bred insolence."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Humor, Fun, Wit, Culture

2

"Man, what are you talking about? Me in chains? You may fetter my leg but my will, not even Zeus himself can overpower."

"Man, what are you talking about? Me in chains? You may fetter my leg but my will, not even Zeus himself can overpower."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Will, Freedom, Power, Individual

2

"If you pour oil and vinegar into the same vessel, you would call them not friends but opponents."

"If you pour oil and vinegar into the same vessel, you would call them not friends but opponents."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Friendship, Friends, Oil, Opponents

2

"Let my heart be wise. It is the gods' best gift."

"Let my heart be wise. It is the gods' best gift."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Spiritual, Wisdom, Heart, Divinity, Faith

2

"Inferiors revolt in order that they may be equal, and equals that they may be superior. Such is the state of mind which creates revolutions."

"Inferiors revolt in order that they may be equal, and equals that they may be superior. Such is the state of mind which creates revolutions."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Politics, May, Mind, Order, State

2

"There is one thing alone that stands the brunt of life throughout its course a quiet conscience."

"There is one thing alone that stands the brunt of life throughout its course a quiet conscience."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Conscience, Morality, Reflection, Life

2

"Good habits formed at youth make all the difference."

"Good habits formed at youth make all the difference."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Life, Difference, Habits, Youth

2

"Whoever grows angry amid troubles applies a drug worse than the disease and is a physician unskilled about misfortunes."

"Whoever grows angry amid troubles applies a drug worse than the disease and is a physician unskilled about misfortunes."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Justice, Disease

2

"Know you not that a good man does nothing for appearance sake, but for the sake of having done right?"

"Know you not that a good man does nothing for appearance sake, but for the sake of having done right?"

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Morality, Action, Integrity, Truth

2

"There is a time when even justice brings harm."

"There is a time when even justice brings harm."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Time, Harm, Justice

2

"Neither should we forget the mean, which at the present day is lost sight of in perverted forms of government; for many practices which appear to be democratical are the ruin of democracies, and many which appear to be oligarchical are the ruin of oligarchies. Those who think that all virtue is to be found in their own party principles push matters to extremes; they do not consider that disproportion destroys a state."

"Neither should we forget the mean, which at the present day is lost sight of in perverted forms of government; for many practices which appear to be democratical are the ruin of democracies, and many which appear to be oligarchical are the ruin of oligarchies. Those who think that all virtue is to be found in their own party principles push matters to extremes; they do not consider that disproportion destroys a state."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Politics, Democracy, Virtue, Government, Ruin

2

"He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not but rejoices in what he has."

"He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not but rejoices in what he has."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Life, Gratitude, Happiness, Contentment

2

"We are not troubled by things but by the opinion which we have of things."

"We are not troubled by things but by the opinion which we have of things."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Perception, Opinion, Reality, Truth

2

"Practice yourself for heaven's sake in little things and thence proceed to greater."

"Practice yourself for heaven's sake in little things and thence proceed to greater."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Discipline, Practice, Patience, Improvement

2

"It is a light thing for whoever keeps his foot outside trouble to advise and counsel him that suffers."

"It is a light thing for whoever keeps his foot outside trouble to advise and counsel him that suffers."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Advice, Light, Trouble

2

"That mortal is a fool who, prospering, thinks his life has any strong foundation; since our fortune's course of action is the reeling way a madman takes, and no one person is ever happy all the time."

"That mortal is a fool who, prospering, thinks his life has any strong foundation; since our fortune's course of action is the reeling way a madman takes, and no one person is ever happy all the time."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Fortune, Life, Uncertainty, Reflection

2

"Happiness is a state of activity."

"Happiness is a state of activity."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Action, Happiness, Activity, Energy, Engagement

2

"O Zeus, why is it you have given men clear ways of testing whether gold is counterfeit but, when it comes to men, the body carries no stamp of nature for distinguishing bad from good."

"O Zeus, why is it you have given men clear ways of testing whether gold is counterfeit but, when it comes to men, the body carries no stamp of nature for distinguishing bad from good."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Ethics, Judgment, Humanity, Observation

2

"Freedom is not archived by satisfying desire, but by eliminating it."

"Freedom is not archived by satisfying desire, but by eliminating it."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Freedom, Desire, Spiritual, Wisdom

2

"Happiness greatness pride-nothing is secure nothing keeps."

"Happiness greatness pride-nothing is secure nothing keeps."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Happiness, Greatness, Pride, Uncertainty

2

"I would rather miss the mark acting well than win the day acting basely."

"I would rather miss the mark acting well than win the day acting basely."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

2

"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think."

"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Education, Learning, Teaching, Thinking, Knowledge

2

"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper."

"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Virtue, Soul, Strength, Suffering, Temper

2

"We ought to fly away from earth to heaven as quickly as we can; and to fly away is to become like God, as far as this is possible; and to become like him is to become holy, just, and wise."

"We ought to fly away from earth to heaven as quickly as we can; and to fly away is to become like God, as far as this is possible; and to become like him is to become holy, just, and wise."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Spiritual, God, Earth, Heaven

2

"A coward turns away but a brave man's choice is danger."

"A coward turns away but a brave man's choice is danger."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Morality, Courage, Danger, Choice, Bravery

2

"Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age."

"Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Age, Old, Youth

2

"Writing is the geometry of the soul."

"Writing is the geometry of the soul."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Writing, Geometry, Soul, Expression

2

"Either we shall find what it is we are seeking or at least we shall free ourselves from the persuasion that we know what we do not know."

"Either we shall find what it is we are seeking or at least we shall free ourselves from the persuasion that we know what we do not know."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Seeking, Knowledge, Freedom, Truth

2

"Melancholy men are of all others the most witty."

"Melancholy men are of all others the most witty."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Emotion, Melancholy, Wit, Humor

2

"This is courage ... to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends."

"This is courage ... to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Courage, Faith, Endurance, Strength

2

"A constitution is the arrangement of magistracies in a state."

"A constitution is the arrangement of magistracies in a state."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Politics, Constitution, State

2

"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do."

"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Responsibility, Power, Lies

2

"The true champion of justice, if he intends to survive even for a short time, must necessarily confine himself to private life and leave politics alone."

"The true champion of justice, if he intends to survive even for a short time, must necessarily confine himself to private life and leave politics alone."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Survival, Politics, Integrity

2

"The truth is that, just as in the other imitative arts one imitation is always of one thing, so in poetry the story, as an imitation of action, must represent one action, a complete whole, with its several incidents so closely connected that the transposal or withdrawal of any one of them will disjoin and dislocate the whole. For that which makes no perceptible difference by its presence or absence is no real part of the whole."

"The truth is that, just as in the other imitative arts one imitation is always of one thing, so in poetry the story, as an imitation of action, must represent one action, a complete whole, with its several incidents so closely connected that the transposal or withdrawal of any one of them will disjoin and dislocate the whole. For that which makes no perceptible difference by its presence or absence is no real part of the whole."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Literature, Poetry, Imitation, Story, Connection

2

"We ought to esteem it of the greatest importance that the fictions which children first hear should be adapted in the most perfect manner to the promotion of virtue."

"We ought to esteem it of the greatest importance that the fictions which children first hear should be adapted in the most perfect manner to the promotion of virtue."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Education, Virtue, Children, First, Importance

2

"How base a thing it is when a man will struggle with necessity! We have to die."

"How base a thing it is when a man will struggle with necessity! We have to die."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Mortality, Necessity, Struggle, Truth

2

"Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves."

"Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Men, Excellence

2

"The ideal man, takes joy in doing favours for others; but he feels ashamed to have others do favours for him. For it is a mark of superiority to confer a kindness; but it is a mark of inferiority to receive it."

"The ideal man, takes joy in doing favours for others; but he feels ashamed to have others do favours for him. For it is a mark of superiority to confer a kindness; but it is a mark of inferiority to receive it."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Kindness, Ideal, Man, Superiority

2

"Hide nothing, for time, which sees all and hears all, exposes all."

"Hide nothing, for time, which sees all and hears all, exposes all."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

2

"Nature does nothing in vain."

"Nature does nothing in vain."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Nature, Nothing

2

"If it were said that without such bones and sinews and all the rest of them I should not be able to do what I think is right, it would be true; but to say that it is because of them that I do what I am doing, and not through choice of what is best - although my actions are controlled by Mind - would be a very lax and inaccurate form of expression."

"If it were said that without such bones and sinews and all the rest of them I should not be able to do what I think is right, it would be true; but to say that it is because of them that I do what I am doing, and not through choice of what is best - although my actions are controlled by Mind - would be a very lax and inaccurate form of expression."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Choice, Action, Responsibility, Mind

2

"A wise fellow who is also worthless always charms the rabble."

"A wise fellow who is also worthless always charms the rabble."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Psychology, Charm, Intelligence, Manipulation, Deception

2

"No one is a friend to his friend who does not love in return."

"No one is a friend to his friend who does not love in return."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Love, Friend

2

"I only know that I know nothing."

"I only know that I know nothing."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Knowledge, Wisdom, Reflection, Philosophy

2

"A word does not frighten the man who, in acting, feels no fear."

"A word does not frighten the man who, in acting, feels no fear."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Fear, Acting, Man, Word

2

"We know the good we apprehend it clearly. But we can't bring it to achievement."

"We know the good we apprehend it clearly. But we can't bring it to achievement."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Knowledge, Achievement, Limitation, Reflection

2

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