Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 5/38

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Quotes by Greek Authors

"He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age. But to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden."

"He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age. But to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Aging, Happiness, Calm, Nature

20

"Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil."

"Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Ignorance, Evil

20

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, War, End

20

"Hide our ignorance as we will, an evening of wine soon reveals it."

"Hide our ignorance as we will, an evening of wine soon reveals it."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Ignorance, Evening, Will, Wine

20

"When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income."

"When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Tax, Income, Man, Will

20

"Character is destiny."

"Character is destiny."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Character, Destiny

20

"Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."

"Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

Courage, Freedom, Possession

20

"I would rather discover one true cause than gain the kingdom of Persia."

"I would rather discover one true cause than gain the kingdom of Persia."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

20

"The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence."

"The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Influence, Man, Misfortune

20

"For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories."

"For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Self-Control, First, Man

20

"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

20

"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

20

"Everyone's quick to blame the alien."

"Everyone's quick to blame the alien."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

20

"Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change."

"Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Change, Men, Illness

20

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

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

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Art, Gods, Poets

20

"For rarely are sons similar to their fathers: most are worse, and a few are better than their fathers."

"For rarely are sons similar to their fathers: most are worse, and a few are better than their fathers."

Homer, Greek Poet

Family, Fathers, Sons

20

"You are a little soul carrying around a corpse."

"You are a little soul carrying around a corpse."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Soul

20

"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

20

"But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast, for gentle ways are best, and keep aloof from sharp contentions."

"But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast, for gentle ways are best, and keep aloof from sharp contentions."

Homer, Greek Poet

20

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish."

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Fool, Sense, Talk

20

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it."

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Being, Fun, Man, Relaxation

20

"You are wrong sir, if you think that a man who is any good at all should take into account the risk of life or death; he should look to this only in his actions, whether what he does is right or wrong."

"You are wrong sir, if you think that a man who is any good at all should take into account the risk of life or death; he should look to this only in his actions, whether what he does is right or wrong."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Ethics, Courage, Morality, Decision

20

"We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their help in need."

"We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their help in need."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Confidence, Friends, Help

20

"Walking is man's best medicine."

"Walking is man's best medicine."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

Man, Medicine, Walking

20

"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality."

"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Change, Reality, Will

20

"Marriage, if one will face the truth, is an evil, but a necessary evil."

"Marriage, if one will face the truth, is an evil, but a necessary evil."

Menander, Greek Poet

Marriage, Truth, Evil, Will

20

"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."

"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Ignorance, Nothing

20

"No man is free who is not master of himself."

"No man is free who is not master of himself."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

20

"We must believe what is good and true about the prophets, that they were sages, that they did understand what proceeded from their mouths, and that they bore prudence on their lips."

"We must believe what is good and true about the prophets, that they were sages, that they did understand what proceeded from their mouths, and that they bore prudence on their lips."

Origen, Greek Theologian

19

"I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well."

"I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well."

Alexander the Great, Greek Leader

Education, Father, Living

19

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

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

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

19

"No one can harm the man who does himself no wrong."

"No one can harm the man who does himself no wrong."

John Chrysostom, Greek Clergyman

Harm, Man, Wrong

19

"Difficulties are things that show a person what they are."

"Difficulties are things that show a person what they are."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Difficulties

19

"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can."

"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer

Achievement, First, Order, Succeed

19

"High thoughts must have high language."

"High thoughts must have high language."

Aristophanes, Greek Poet

Thought, Thoughts, Language

19

"Of all animals the boy is the most unmanageable."

"Of all animals the boy is the most unmanageable."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Youth, Animals, Nature, Behavior

19

"If someone were to put a proposition before men bidding them choose, after examination, the best customs in the world, each nation would certainly select its own."

"If someone were to put a proposition before men bidding them choose, after examination, the best customs in the world, each nation would certainly select its own."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Man, Men, Examination, World

19

"It takes a wise man to discover a wise man."

"It takes a wise man to discover a wise man."

Diogenes, Greek Philosopher

19

"The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage."

"The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage."

Thucydides, Greek Historian

Happiness, Courage, Freedom

19

"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

19

"Call no man happy until he is dead, but only lucky."

"Call no man happy until he is dead, but only lucky."

Solon, Greek Statesman

19

"If a man suffers ill, let it be without shame; for this is the only profit when we are dead. You will never say a good word about deeds that are evil and disgraceful."

"If a man suffers ill, let it be without shame; for this is the only profit when we are dead. You will never say a good word about deeds that are evil and disgraceful."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Acceptance, Deeds, Evil, Man, Profit

19

"Slander is worse than cannibalism."

"Slander is worse than cannibalism."

John Chrysostom, Greek Clergyman

Cannibalism, Slander

19

"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons."

"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Peace, War, Fathers, Sons

19

"Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy."

"Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Politics, Democracy, Tyranny

19

"The most momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or evil."

"The most momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or evil."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

Art, Life, Soul, Winning

19

"I grew up thinking that singing was my security."

"I grew up thinking that singing was my security."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

Security, Singing, Thinking

19

"Every time I would open my mouth to sing, everybody was paying attention to me. It became a habit."

"Every time I would open my mouth to sing, everybody was paying attention to me. It became a habit."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

Time, Habit, Attention, Open

19

"All philosophy in two words - sustain and abstain."

"All philosophy in two words - sustain and abstain."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Philosophy, Simplicity, Abstinence, Discipline

19

"Men's fortunes are on a wheel, which in its turning suffers not the same man to prosper for ever."

"Men's fortunes are on a wheel, which in its turning suffers not the same man to prosper for ever."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

19

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