Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 4/40

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Quotes by Greek Authors

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

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

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Lies, Will

62

"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

62

"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

62

"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

62

"Life is short, the art long."

"Life is short, the art long."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

62

"Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always."

"Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

62

"Wit is educated insolence."

"Wit is educated insolence."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

62

"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."

"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Happiness, Power, Will

62

"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

61

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

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

Thales, Greek Philosopher

61

"He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled."

"He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Leadership, First

61

"If you have assumed any character beyond your strength, you have both demeaned yourself ill in that and quitted one which you might have supported."

"If you have assumed any character beyond your strength, you have both demeaned yourself ill in that and quitted one which you might have supported."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Self-Development, Strength, Character, Wisdom, Responsibility

61

"It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them."

"It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

61

"Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either."

"Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either."

Aesop, Greek Author

Reflection, Truth

60

"No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen."

"No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Patience, Time, Desire, First

60

"He has the most who is most content with the least."

"He has the most who is most content with the least."

Diogenes, Greek Philosopher

60

"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

60

"It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has."

"It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

60

"To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams."

"To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams."

Giorgio de Chirico, Greek Artist

Art, Dreams, Work, Childhood

60

"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

60

"Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other."

"Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other."

Euripides, Greek Poet

60

"The poets are only the interpreters of the Gods."

"The poets are only the interpreters of the Gods."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Art, Gods, Poets

60

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

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

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

60

"A man who preserves his integrity no real, long-lasting harm can ever come."

"A man who preserves his integrity no real, long-lasting harm can ever come."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Morality, Integrity, Ethics, Self, Protection

60

"Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money."

"Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Life, Money, Gain

60

"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."

"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

Health, Exercise, Right

60

"A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him."

"A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him."

Aesop, Greek Author

Friendship, Friend, Enemy, Man

59

"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

59

"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

59

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud."

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Deception, Fraud, Honor, Succeed

59

"He fashions evil for himself who does evil to another, and an evil plan does mischief to the planner."

"He fashions evil for himself who does evil to another, and an evil plan does mischief to the planner."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

59

"Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly."

"Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

59

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

59

"For he who lives as passion directs will not hear argument that dissuades him, nor understand it if he does; and how can we persuade one in such a state to change his ways?"

"For he who lives as passion directs will not hear argument that dissuades him, nor understand it if he does; and how can we persuade one in such a state to change his ways?"

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Passion, Desire, Reason, Life

59

"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

59

"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

58

"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

58

"Much learning does not teach understanding."

"Much learning does not teach understanding."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Learning, Understanding

58

"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

58

"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

58

"No one that encounters prosperity does not also encounter danger."

"No one that encounters prosperity does not also encounter danger."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Danger, Prosperity

58

"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

58

"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little."

"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

58

"When I was very young I was the ugly duckling. I had a lot of complexes. My sister was wonderful and I was nothing."

"When I was very young I was the ugly duckling. I had a lot of complexes. My sister was wonderful and I was nothing."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

Sister, Nothing, Ugly

58

"Misfortune seldom intrudes upon the wise man; his greatest and highest interests are directed by reason throughout the course of life."

"Misfortune seldom intrudes upon the wise man; his greatest and highest interests are directed by reason throughout the course of life."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

Life, Man, Misfortune, Reason

58

"To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory, to be vanquished by one's own nature is the worst and most ignoble defeat."

"To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory, to be vanquished by one's own nature is the worst and most ignoble defeat."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Conquest, Victory, Self, Discipline, Failure

58

"Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details."

"Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Man, Men, World

58

"And further, observing that all this indeterminate substance is in motion, and that no true predication can be made of that which changes, they supposed that it is impossible to make any true statement about that which is in all ways and entirely changeable. For it was from this supposition that there blossomed forth the most extreme view of those which we have mentioned, that of the professed followers of Heraclitus, and such as Cratylus held, who ended by thinking that one need not say anything, and only moved his finger; and who criticized Heraclitus for saying that one cannot enter the same river twice, for he himself held that it cannot be done even once."

"And further, observing that all this indeterminate substance is in motion, and that no true predication can be made of that which changes, they supposed that it is impossible to make any true statement about that which is in all ways and entirely changeable. For it was from this supposition that there blossomed forth the most extreme view of those which we have mentioned, that of the professed followers of Heraclitus, and such as Cratylus held, who ended by thinking that one need not say anything, and only moved his finger; and who criticized Heraclitus for saying that one cannot enter the same river twice, for he himself held that it cannot be done even once."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Change, Truth, Movement

58

"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

58

"A man without regrets cannot be cured."

"A man without regrets cannot be cured."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Regret, Man, Life, Healing, Forgiveness

58

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