Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 4/40

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"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

53

"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

53

"Wit is educated insolence."

"Wit is educated insolence."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

53

"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

52

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

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

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Preparation, Summer, Will

52

"Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the gods a man should himself lend a hand."

"Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the gods a man should himself lend a hand."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

God, Gods, Man, Prayer

52

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

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

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Lies, Will

52

"Courage is knowing what not to fear."

"Courage is knowing what not to fear."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

52

"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

52

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud."

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Deception, Fraud, Honor, Succeed

52

"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

52

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

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

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

52

"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

52

"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

52

"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

52

"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

52

"The highest point of philosophy is to be both wise and simple; this is the angelic life."

"The highest point of philosophy is to be both wise and simple; this is the angelic life."

John Chrysostom, Greek Clergyman

Life, Philosophy

51

"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

51

"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

51

"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

51

"Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist."

"Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

51

"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

51

"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

51

"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

51

"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

51

"Bigotry is the sacred disease."

"Bigotry is the sacred disease."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Prejudice, Bigotry, Disease

51

"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

51

"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

51

"Walking is man's best medicine."

"Walking is man's best medicine."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

Man, Medicine, Walking

51

"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

50

"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

50

"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

50

"Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing."

"Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Nothing, Question

50

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

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

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Art, Gods, Poets

50

"There is no success without hardship."

"There is no success without hardship."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Success, Hardship

50

"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

50

"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

50

"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

49

"The life so short, the craft so long to learn."

"The life so short, the craft so long to learn."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

49

"If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning."

"If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning."

Aristotle Onassis, Greek Businessman

Humor, Money, Women, Meaning, World

49

"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

49

"Excessive dealings with tyrants are not good for the security of free states."

"Excessive dealings with tyrants are not good for the security of free states."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

Security, States

49

"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

49

"You have been trapped in the inescapable net of ruin by your own want of sense."

"You have been trapped in the inescapable net of ruin by your own want of sense."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Ignorance, Ruin, Sense, Want

49

"Plodding wins the race."

"Plodding wins the race."

Aesop, Greek Author

Persistence, Race

49

"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

49

"If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs."

"If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs."

Aesop, Greek Author

Exploitation, Men, Will

49

"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

49

"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

49

"A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses."

"A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

Health, Thought, Blessings, Man

49

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