Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 8/32

top of page

Quotes by Greek Authors

"'Twas but my tongue, 'twas not my soul that swore."

"'Twas but my tongue, 'twas not my soul that swore."

Euripides, Greek Poet

5

"The Athenians are right to accept advice from anyone, since it is incumbent on everyone to share in that sort of excellence, or else there can be no city at all."

"The Athenians are right to accept advice from anyone, since it is incumbent on everyone to share in that sort of excellence, or else there can be no city at all."

Protagoras, Greek Philosopher

Advice, Excellence, Right

5

"No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow."

"No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Living, Tomorrow, Will

5

"Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself."

"Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

5

"Life has no blessing like a prudent friend."

"Life has no blessing like a prudent friend."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Friendship, Life, Friend

5

"Nothing has more strength than dire necessity."

"Nothing has more strength than dire necessity."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Strength, Necessity, Nothing

5

"For famous men have the whole earth as their memorial."

"For famous men have the whole earth as their memorial."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

Man, Men, Earth, Famous

5

"Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain and perhaps tragedy can he be in after years relieved of them."

"Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain and perhaps tragedy can he be in after years relieved of them."

Hypatia, Greek Philosopher

Mind, Miracles, Myths, Pain

5

"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better."

"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Friendship, Change, Friend, Shadow

5

"Whoever lives among many evils just as I, how can dying not be a source of gain?"

"Whoever lives among many evils just as I, how can dying not be a source of gain?"

Sophocles, Greek Poet

5

"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

5

"Plodding wins the race."

"Plodding wins the race."

Aesop, Greek Author

Persistence, Race

5

"Let us hold our discussion together in our own persons, making trial of the truth and of ourselves."

"Let us hold our discussion together in our own persons, making trial of the truth and of ourselves."

Protagoras, Greek Philosopher

5

"Choose rather to be strong of soul than strong of body."

"Choose rather to be strong of soul than strong of body."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

5

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

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

Xenophanes, Greek Philosopher

5

"Happiness is brief. It will not stay. God batters at its sails."

"Happiness is brief. It will not stay. God batters at its sails."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Happiness, God, Will

5

"Joint undertakings stand a better chance when they benefit both sides."

"Joint undertakings stand a better chance when they benefit both sides."

Euripides, Greek Poet

5

"The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated."

"The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Health, Body, Soul, Medicine

5

"A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."

"A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."

Aesop, Greek Author

Trustworthiness, Truth, Will

5

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

Legacy, Monuments

5

"You do what you have to do in life, when you form a philosophy that you can't talk yourself out of."

"You do what you have to do in life, when you form a philosophy that you can't talk yourself out of."

Constantine Karamanlis, Greek Leader

Life, Philosophy, Talk

5

"It is best for the wise man not to seem wise."

"It is best for the wise man not to seem wise."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

5

"The secret is to cook the aubergines the day before and let them dry of all the oil they drank in cooking. When you cook aubergine, they eat a lot of oil. It can be very heavy."

"The secret is to cook the aubergines the day before and let them dry of all the oil they drank in cooking. When you cook aubergine, they eat a lot of oil. It can be very heavy."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

Cooking, Day, Oil

5

"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

5

"Wait for the wisest of all counselors, time."

"Wait for the wisest of all counselors, time."

Pericles, Greek Statesman

5

"I left the table where there were important people and had lunch with my husband and a few friends. The reception was organised in my honour, so it was rather amusing."

"I left the table where there were important people and had lunch with my husband and a few friends. The reception was organised in my honour, so it was rather amusing."

Nana Mouskouri, Greek Musician

People, HusbPeople, Friends

5

"It is the task of a good man to help those in misfortune."

"It is the task of a good man to help those in misfortune."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Help, Man, Misfortune

5

"How great are the dangers I face to win a good name in Athens."

"How great are the dangers I face to win a good name in Athens."

Alexander the Great, Greek Leader

Inspirational, Athens, Name

5

"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen."

"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Fear, Being, Boldness, Risk

5

"To him who, though by no means near the end, is yet advancing, He is the way; to him who has put off all that is dead He is the life."

"To him who, though by no means near the end, is yet advancing, He is the way; to him who has put off all that is dead He is the life."

Origen, Greek Theologian

5

"Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind."

"Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Beauty, Delight, Man

5

"As the old saw says well: every end does not appear together with its beginning."

"As the old saw says well: every end does not appear together with its beginning."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Beginning, End, Old

5

"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

5

"When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself."

"When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Wisdom, Mind, Talking, Thinking

5

"No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods."

"No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

Friendship, Gods, Friends, Help, Man

5

"Authority is never without hate."

"Authority is never without hate."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Authority, Hate

5

"What we wish, that we readily believe."

"What we wish, that we readily believe."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

5

"Read Churchill, he tells you how crucial was the Greek role in your decisive desert victory over Rommel."

"Read Churchill, he tells you how crucial was the Greek role in your decisive desert victory over Rommel."

Melina Mercouri, Greek Actress

5

"What we have in us of the image of God is the love of truth and justice."

"What we have in us of the image of God is the love of truth and justice."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

Love, God, Truth, Justice

5

"Silver and gold are not the only coin; virtue too passes current all over the world."

"Silver and gold are not the only coin; virtue too passes current all over the world."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Virtue, Gold, World

5

"For hostile word let hostile word be paid."

"For hostile word let hostile word be paid."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Retaliation, Word

5

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost."

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Democracy, Government, Equality, Thought

5

"Man is the measure of all things."

"Man is the measure of all things."

Protagoras, Greek Philosopher

5

"Whatever comes from God is impossible for a man to turn back."

"Whatever comes from God is impossible for a man to turn back."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

5

"There is no success without hardship."

"There is no success without hardship."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Success, Hardship

5

"Pay attention to your enemies, for they are the first to discover your mistakes."

"Pay attention to your enemies, for they are the first to discover your mistakes."

Antisthenes, Greek Philosopher

Attention, Enemies, First, Mistakes

5

"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom."

"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom."

Menander, Greek Poet

5

"Happiness is a quality of the soul...not a function of one's material circumstances."

"Happiness is a quality of the soul...not a function of one's material circumstances."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Happiness, Soul, Material, Quality

5

"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

5

"Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond."

"Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond."

Hypatia, Greek Philosopher

Life, Travel, Truth, Lie

5

bottom of page