Quotes by Roman Authors | Beyond Motive 2/42

top of page

Quotes by Roman Authors

"What is food to one man is bitter poison to others."

"What is food to one man is bitter poison to others."

Lucretius, Roman Poet

Food, Man, Poison

86

"Envy like fire always makes for the highest points."

"Envy like fire always makes for the highest points."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

85

"Every man is the architect of his own fortune."

"Every man is the architect of his own fortune."

Sallust, Roman Historian

85

"Even after a bad harvest there must be sowing."

"Even after a bad harvest there must be sowing."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Effort, Harvest, Statesman, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

80

"They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it."

"They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it."

Sallust, Roman Historian

79

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."

Caecilius Statius, Roman Poet

Environment, Plants, Trees

79

"Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."

"Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Harm, Statesman, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

77

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared."

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Delight, Statesman, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

76

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words."

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words."

Plautus, Roman Playwright

71

"Right is right even if no one is doing it, wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it."

"Right is right even if no one is doing it, wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it."

Saint Augustine, Algerian Saint

Philosophy, Morality, Justice, Ethics, Observation

71

"Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought."

"Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Thought, Action, Man

70

"Young men, hear an old man to whom old men hearkened when he was young."

"Young men, hear an old man to whom old men hearkened when he was young."

Augustus, Roman Royalty

70

"I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble."

"I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble."

Augustus, Roman Royalty

70

"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."

"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Future, Present, Reason, Today

70

"Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today."

"Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Expectation, Anticipation, Living, Today, Tomorrow

68

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

67

"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another."

"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another."

Lucretius, Roman Poet

65

"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."

"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."

Pliny The Elder, Roman Author

Certainty, Nothing

64

"A bad peace is even worse than war."

"A bad peace is even worse than war."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

63

"Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands."

"Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Desire, Statesman, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

60

"Fear is the foundation of safety."

"Fear is the foundation of safety."

Tertullian, Roman Author

60

"Men learn while they teach."

"Men learn while they teach."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Wisdom, Learning, Teaching, Knowledge

60

"Confine yourself to the present."

"Confine yourself to the present."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

60

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

Ovid, Roman Poet

Reason, Treason

60

"Never promise more than you can perform."

"Never promise more than you can perform."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Integrity, Promise

59

"The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust."

"The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Pleasure, Disgust

58

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Law, May, Shame

58

"The enemy is within the gates; it is with our own luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend."

"The enemy is within the gates; it is with our own luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Enemy, Folly, Luxury

57

"Time, the devourer of all things."

"Time, the devourer of all things."

Ovid, Roman Poet

57

"He that will be angry for anything will be angry for nothing."

"He that will be angry for anything will be angry for nothing."

Sallust, Roman Historian

56

"Nothing is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of guilt."

"Nothing is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of guilt."

Titus Maccius Plautus, Roman Poet

Guilt, Man, Mind, Nothing

56

"A man's worth is no greater than his ambitions."

"A man's worth is no greater than his ambitions."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

55

"The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach."

"The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach."

Pliny the Elder, Roman Author

Darkness, Measure

55

"It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life."

"It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life."

Julius Caesar, Roman Leader

Creativity, Life

55

"We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide."

"We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide."

Marcus Fabius Quintilian, Roman Philosopher

Knowledge, Deep, Reading

55

"Poverty is the mother of crime."

"Poverty is the mother of crime."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Family, Mother, Crime, Poverty

54

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop."

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop."

Ovid, Roman Poet

54

"Each of us bears his own Hell."

"Each of us bears his own Hell."

Virgil, Roman Poet

54

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Familiarity, Contempt

54

"Venus favors the bold."

"Venus favors the bold."

Ovid, Roman Poet

Astrology, Favors

54

"It is the duty of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them."

"It is the duty of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them."

Tiberius, Roman Statesman

Duty, Sheep, Skin

53

"The nobler a man, the harder it is for him to suspect inferiority in others."

"The nobler a man, the harder it is for him to suspect inferiority in others."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Nobility, Inferiority, Man

53

"All things deteriorate in time."

"All things deteriorate in time."

Virgil, Roman Poet

53

"The more laws, the less justice."

"The more laws, the less justice."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

53

"It is easy at any moment to surrender a large fortune; to build one up is a difficult and an arduous task."

"It is easy at any moment to surrender a large fortune; to build one up is a difficult and an arduous task."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

Fortune, Surrender

53

"Fortune sides with him who dares."

"Fortune sides with him who dares."

Virgil, Roman Poet

53

"Everyone's a millionaire where promises are concerned."

"Everyone's a millionaire where promises are concerned."

Ovid, Roman Poet

Promise, Promises

53

"Life is one long struggle in the dark."

"Life is one long struggle in the dark."

Lucretius, Roman Poet

52

"When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness."

"When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness."

Ausonius, Roman Poet

Self-control, Deed, Respect

52

"Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure."

"Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Precedent, Measure

52

bottom of page