Quotes by Greek Authors

"I'd three times sooner go to war than suffer childbirth once."

"I'd three times sooner go to war than suffer childbirth once."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Humor, Pain, Choice, Life

11

"The misuse of language induces evil in the soul."

"The misuse of language induces evil in the soul."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Expression, Language, Power, Observation, Truth

11

"The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If Eudaimonia, or happiness, is activity in accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest excellence; and this will be that of the best thing in us."

"The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If Eudaimonia, or happiness, is activity in accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest excellence; and this will be that of the best thing in us."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Happiness, Excellence, Effort, Life

11

"Wisdom is knowing you know nothing."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Knowledge, Wisdom, Humility, Learning

11

"I am a citizen not of Athens or Greece but of the world."

"I am a citizen not of Athens or Greece but of the world."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Citizenship, World, Identity, Global

11

"What you shun enduring yourself, attempt not to impose on others. You shun slavery- beware enslaving others! If you can endure to do that, one would think you had been once upon a time a slave yourself. For vice has nothing in common with virtue, nor Freedom with slavery."

"What you shun enduring yourself, attempt not to impose on others. You shun slavery- beware enslaving others! If you can endure to do that, one would think you had been once upon a time a slave yourself. For vice has nothing in common with virtue, nor Freedom with slavery."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Freedom, Responsibility, Ethics, Endurance

11

"His resolve is not to seem, but to be, the best."

"His resolve is not to seem, but to be, the best."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Integrity, Authenticity, Character, Being

11

"When men have both done and suffered injustice and have had experience of both, not being able to avoid the one and obtain the other, they think that they had better agree among themselves to have neither; hence there arise laws and mutual covenants; and that which is ordained by law is termed by them lawful and just. This they affirm to be the origin and nature of justice;-it is a mean or compromise, between the best of all, which is to do injustice and not be punished, and the worst of all, which is to suffer injustice without the power of retaliation; and justice, being at a middle point between the two, is tolerated not as a good, but as the lesser evil."

"When men have both done and suffered injustice and have had experience of both, not being able to avoid the one and obtain the other, they think that they had better agree among themselves to have neither; hence there arise laws and mutual covenants; and that which is ordained by law is termed by them lawful and just. This they affirm to be the origin and nature of justice;-it is a mean or compromise, between the best of all, which is to do injustice and not be punished, and the worst of all, which is to suffer injustice without the power of retaliation; and justice, being at a middle point between the two, is tolerated not as a good, but as the lesser evil."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Law, Compromise, Life

11

"Delay not to seize the hour!"

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Opportunity, Action, Time, Urgency

11

"I beg you, alight and join your sorrow with mine: misfortune wanders everywhere, and settles now upon one and now upon another."

"I beg you, alight and join your sorrow with mine: misfortune wanders everywhere, and settles now upon one and now upon another."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Grief, Sorrow, Hope, Love, Loss

11

"God's dice always have a lucky roll."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

God,

11

"No lie ever reaches old age."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Age, Lie, Old

11

"Education is teaching our children to desire the right things."

"Education is teaching our children to desire the right things."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Education, Children, Desire, Right

11

"And one who is just of his own free will shall not lack for happiness; and he will never come to utter ruin."

"And one who is just of his own free will shall not lack for happiness; and he will never come to utter ruin."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Happiness, Freewill, Ruin

11

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Justice, People, Act, Laws, Will

11

"So when the crisis is upon you remember that God like a trainer of wrestlers has matched you with a tough and stalwart antagonist... that you may prove a victor at the Great Games."

"So when the crisis is upon you remember that God like a trainer of wrestlers has matched you with a tough and stalwart antagonist... that you may prove a victor at the Great Games."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Spiritual, Faith, Strength, Resilience, Victory

11

"Now I see that going out into the testing ground of men it is the tongue and not the deed that wins the day."

"Now I see that going out into the testing ground of men it is the tongue and not the deed that wins the day."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Man, Men, Day, Deed, Now

11

"There is one way, then, in which a man can be free from all anxiety about the fate of his soul - if in life he has abandoned bodily pleasures and adornments, as foreign to his purpose and likely to do more harm than good, and has devoted himself to the pleasures of acquiring knowledge, and so by decking his soul not with a borrowed beauty but with its own - with self-control, and goodness, and courage, and liberality, and truth - has fitted himself to await his journey in the next world."

"There is one way, then, in which a man can be free from all anxiety about the fate of his soul - if in life he has abandoned bodily pleasures and adornments, as foreign to his purpose and likely to do more harm than good, and has devoted himself to the pleasures of acquiring knowledge, and so by decking his soul not with a borrowed beauty but with its own - with self-control, and goodness, and courage, and liberality, and truth - has fitted himself to await his journey in the next world."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Self-Control, Knowledge, Goodness, Courage

11

"Time, as it grows old, teaches all things."

"Time, as it grows old, teaches all things."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Time, Wisdom, Learning, Experience

11

"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

11

"Men should pledge themselves to nothing; for reflection makes a liar of their resolution."

"Men should pledge themselves to nothing; for reflection makes a liar of their resolution."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Man, Men, Nothing, Reflection, Resolution

11

"There is no such thing as a lovers' oath."

"There is no such thing as a lovers' oath."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Relationship, Lovers

11

"And there they ring the walls, the young, the lithe. The handsome hold the graves they won in Troy; the enemy earth rides over those who conquered."

"And there they ring the walls, the young, the lithe. The handsome hold the graves they won in Troy; the enemy earth rides over those who conquered."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Tragedy, War, Youth, Death

11

"One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession."

"One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Friendship, Friend, Kindness, Possession, Will

11

"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

11

"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

Acting, Day

11

"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

11

"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

11

"That which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before it arrives at the goal."

"That which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before it arrives at the goal."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Progress, Motion, Goal, Life

11

"The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life - knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live."

"The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life - knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Courage, Life, Danger, Man

11

"It is not enough to win a war, it is more important to organize the peace."

"It is not enough to win a war, it is more important to organize the peace."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Peace, War, Victory, Organization

11

"Wisdom is the most important part of happiness."

"Wisdom is the most important part of happiness."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Wisdom, Happiness, Insight, Life

11

"There is truth in wine and children."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Truth, Wine, Children, Life

11

"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

11

"Trust dies but mistrust blossoms."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Trust, Mistrust

11

"Whoever understands how to do a kindness when he fares well would be a friend better than any possession."

"Whoever understands how to do a kindness when he fares well would be a friend better than any possession."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Friendship, Friend, Kindness, Possession

11

"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

11

"The gods too are fond of a joke."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Humor, Gods

11

"Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents."

"Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Education, Learning, Books, Knowledge, Thinking

11

"Whoever thinks his friend more important than his country, I rate him nowhere."

"Whoever thinks his friend more important than his country, I rate him nowhere."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Friendship, Friend, Country

11

"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

11

"Friends are an aid to the young to guard them from error to the elderly to attend to their wants and to supplement their failing power of action to those in the prime of life to assist them to noble deeds."

"Friends are an aid to the young to guard them from error to the elderly to attend to their wants and to supplement their failing power of action to those in the prime of life to assist them to noble deeds."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Friend, Youth, Elderly, Support

11

"JOCASTA:So clear in this case were the oracles,so clear and false. Give them no heed, I say;what God discovers need of, easilyhe shows to us himself."

"JOCASTA:So clear in this case were the oracles,so clear and false. Give them no heed, I say;what God discovers need of, easilyhe shows to us himself."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Philosophy, Truth, Deception, Advice, Observation

11

"The State is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the State and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. You will not easily find another like me."

"The State is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the State and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. You will not easily find another like me."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Justice, State, God, Life

11

"It is more necessary for the soul to be cured than the body, for it is better to die than to live badly."

"It is more necessary for the soul to be cured than the body, for it is better to die than to live badly."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Spiritual, Soul, Health, Death, Well-Being

11

"Rather throw away that which is dearest to you your own life than turn away a good friend."

"Rather throw away that which is dearest to you your own life than turn away a good friend."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Relationship, Friendship, Loyalty, Life, Choice

11

"In childbirth grief begins."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Life, Grief, Birth, Experience

11

"Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty."

"Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Integrity, Honesty, Dishonesty

11

"Evil gains work their punishment."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Work, Evil, Punishment

11

"We become just by performing just action, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action."

"We become just by performing just action, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Education, Action, Actions