Quotes by Roman Authors | Beyond Motive 2/42

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Quotes by Roman Authors

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

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

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

77

"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

76

"Life's like a play: it's not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters."

"Life's like a play: it's not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Life, Acting, Excellence

72

"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

71

"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

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

68

"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

68

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

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

Plautus, Roman Playwright

67

"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

67

"Their silence is praise enough."

"Their silence is praise enough."

Terence, Roman Writer

Praise, Silence

65

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."

Caecilius Statius, Roman Poet

Environment, Plants, Trees

64

"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

64

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared."

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Delight, Statesman, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

63

"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

62

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

62

"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

61

"A bad peace is even worse than war."

"A bad peace is even worse than war."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

60

"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

57

"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

57

"Fear is the foundation of safety."

"Fear is the foundation of safety."

Tertullian, Roman Author

56

"Time, the devourer of all things."

"Time, the devourer of all things."

Ovid, Roman Poet

56

"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

55

"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."

"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."

Pliny The Elder, Roman Author

Certainty, Nothing

54

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Law, May, Shame

54

"Venus favors the bold."

"Venus favors the bold."

Ovid, Roman Poet

Astrology, Favors

54

"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

54

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

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

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

53

"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

53

"Men learn while they teach."

"Men learn while they teach."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Wisdom, Learning, Teaching, Knowledge

53

"Confine yourself to the present."

"Confine yourself to the present."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

53

"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

52

"Never promise more than you can perform."

"Never promise more than you can perform."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Integrity, Promise

52

"Great effort is required to arrest decay and restore vigor. One must exercise proper deliberation, plan carefully before making a move, and be alert in guarding against relapse following a renaissance."

"Great effort is required to arrest decay and restore vigor. One must exercise proper deliberation, plan carefully before making a move, and be alert in guarding against relapse following a renaissance."

Horace, Roman Poet

Effort, Exercise

51

"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

51

"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

51

"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

51

"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

50

"A great fortune is a great slavery."

"A great fortune is a great slavery."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Fortune, Slavery, Statesman

50

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

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

Ovid, Roman Poet

Promise, Promises

50

"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

49

"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

49

"I often regret that I have spoken; never that I have been silent."

"I often regret that I have spoken; never that I have been silent."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Silence, Regret

49

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Familiarity, Contempt

49

"He like a rock in the sea unshaken stands his ground."

"He like a rock in the sea unshaken stands his ground."

Virgil, Roman Poet

47

"The fall of dropping water wears away the Stone."

"The fall of dropping water wears away the Stone."

Lucretius, Roman Poet

47

"If a man's fortune does not fit him, it is like the shoe in the story; if too large it trips him up, if too small it pinches him."

"If a man's fortune does not fit him, it is like the shoe in the story; if too large it trips him up, if too small it pinches him."

Horace, Roman Poet

47

"Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us of the road Which to discover we must travel too."

"Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us of the road Which to discover we must travel too."

Horace, Roman Poet

Travel, Darkness, Road

47

"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

46

"Poverty is the mother of crime."

"Poverty is the mother of crime."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Family, Mother, Crime, Poverty

46

"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

46

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