Quotes by Greek Authors | Beyond Motive 8/38

top of page

Quotes by Greek Authors

"We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you could, for which we thank you. But now in the name of fairness and morality, please give them back."

"We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you could, for which we thank you. But now in the name of fairness and morality, please give them back."

Melina Mercouri, Greek Actress

Morality, Name, Now

17

"There is nothing permanent except change."

"There is nothing permanent except change."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Change, Nothing

17

"For the impious act begets more after it, like to the parent stock."

"For the impious act begets more after it, like to the parent stock."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

17

"The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless."

"The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Fortune, Luck, Man, May

17

"No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education."

"No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Attitude, Education, Nature, Children, End

17

"Big results require big ambitions."

"Big results require big ambitions."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Ambition, Results

17

"A man growing old becomes a child again."

"A man growing old becomes a child again."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

17

"The end of labor is to gain leisure."

"The end of labor is to gain leisure."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Life, End, Gain, Labor, Leisure

17

"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."

"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Harmony, Opposition

17

"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

17

"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

17

"Why? Will no man ever do something without a why? Just like that? For the hell of it?"

"Why? Will no man ever do something without a why? Just like that? For the hell of it?"

Michael Cacoyannis, Greek Filmmaker

Hell, Man, Will

16

"The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all."

"The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all."

Origen, Greek Theologian

16

"Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little."

"Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Persistence, Perseverance, Violence, Yield

16

"A tomb now suffices him for whom the whole world was not sufficient."

"A tomb now suffices him for whom the whole world was not sufficient."

Alexander the Great, Greek Leader

Wisdom, Now, World

16

"At the beginning of the cask and the end take thy fill but be saving in the middle; for at the bottom the savings comes too late."

"At the beginning of the cask and the end take thy fill but be saving in the middle; for at the bottom the savings comes too late."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

16

"Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. This is not a function of any other art."

"Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. This is not a function of any other art."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Rhetoric, Persuasion, Observation, Speech

16

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance."

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance."

Hippocrates, Greek Scientist

Science, Father, Knowledge, Ignorance

16

"Philosophy can make people sick."

"Philosophy can make people sick."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Critique, Philosophy, Illness, Mind, Thinking

16

"Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another."

"Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another."

Homer, Greek Poet

16

"Light is the task where many share the toil."

"Light is the task where many share the toil."

Homer, Greek Poet

Teamwork, Light

16

"To think well and to consent to obey someone giving good advice are the same thing."

"To think well and to consent to obey someone giving good advice are the same thing."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

16

"The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged."

"The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

16

"To do the same thing over and over again is not only boredom: it is to be controlled by rather than to control what you do."

"To do the same thing over and over again is not only boredom: it is to be controlled by rather than to control what you do."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

16

"Every man of action has a strong dose of egoism, pride, hardness, and cunning. But all those things will be regarded as high qualities if he can make them the means to achieve great ends."

"Every man of action has a strong dose of egoism, pride, hardness, and cunning. But all those things will be regarded as high qualities if he can make them the means to achieve great ends."

Giorgos Seferis, Greek Poet

Action, Cunning, Man, Pride

16

"Beware lest in your anxiety to avoid war you obtain a master."

"Beware lest in your anxiety to avoid war you obtain a master."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

16

"One may define flattery as a base companionship which is most advantageous to the flatterer."

"One may define flattery as a base companionship which is most advantageous to the flatterer."

Theophrastus, Greek Philosopher

Flattery, Companionship, May

16

"Poor human reason, when it trusts in itself, substitutes the strangest absurdities for the highest divine concepts."

"Poor human reason, when it trusts in itself, substitutes the strangest absurdities for the highest divine concepts."

John Chrysostom, Greek Clergyman

16

"Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity."

"Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Adversity, Man, Nothing, Prosperity

16

"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

16

"It takes more than just a good looking body. You've got to have the heart and soul to go with it."

"It takes more than just a good looking body. You've got to have the heart and soul to go with it."

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Strength, Soul, Heart, Body

16

"We cannot live better than in seeking to become better."

"We cannot live better than in seeking to become better."

Socrates, Greek Philosopher

Self-Help, Improvement, Self, Growth, Observation

16

"False shame accompanies a man that is poor, shame that either harms a man greatly or profits him; shame is with poverty, but confidence with wealth."

"False shame accompanies a man that is poor, shame that either harms a man greatly or profits him; shame is with poverty, but confidence with wealth."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Wealth, Confidence, Man, Poor

16

"Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor."

"Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Time, Measure, Right

16

"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

16

"If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it."

"If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it."

Democritus, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Injustice, Unhappiness

16

"Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you."

"Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you."

Aristophanes, Greek Poet

Zeus, Eyes, Open, Will

16

"The readiest and surest way to get rid of censure, is to correct ourselves."

"The readiest and surest way to get rid of censure, is to correct ourselves."

Demosthenes, Greek Statesman

Politics, Censure

16

"What is honored in a culture gets cultivated there."

"What is honored in a culture gets cultivated there."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Culture, Honor, Values, Importance

16

"Light is the shadow of god."

"Light is the shadow of god."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Metaphysics, Light, Shadow, God, Divinity

16

"Mortal fate is hard. You'd best get used to it."

"Mortal fate is hard. You'd best get used to it."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Life, Fate, Acceptance, Endurance

16

"Human beings are by nature political animals."

"Human beings are by nature political animals."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Citizenship, Nature, Politics, Community, Society

16

"Bear up, my child, bear up; Zeus who oversees and directs all things is still mighty in heaven."

"Bear up, my child, bear up; Zeus who oversees and directs all things is still mighty in heaven."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

16

"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

16

"Not to help justice in her need would be an impiety."

"Not to help justice in her need would be an impiety."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

16

"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend."

"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend."

Theophrastus, Greek Philosopher

16

"We've heard many people say and have often said ourselves that justice is doing one's own work and not meddling with what isn't one's own ... Then, it turns out that this doing one's own work-provided that it comes to be in a certain way-is justice."

"We've heard many people say and have often said ourselves that justice is doing one's own work and not meddling with what isn't one's own ... Then, it turns out that this doing one's own work-provided that it comes to be in a certain way-is justice."

Plato, Greek Philosopher

Justice, Work, Duty, Life

16

"War never takes a wicked man by chance, the good man always."

"War never takes a wicked man by chance, the good man always."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

War, Chance, Man

16

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Success, Art, Habit, Virtue, Act

16

"Whoever thinks that he alone has speech, or possesses speech or mind above others, when unfolded such men are seen to be empty."

"Whoever thinks that he alone has speech, or possesses speech or mind above others, when unfolded such men are seen to be empty."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Man, Men, Mind, Speech

16

bottom of page