Quotes by Roman Authors | Beyond Motive 2/42

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Quotes by Roman Authors

"Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it."

"Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Anger, Injury, Statesman

95

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

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

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

94

"The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing."

"The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Art, Dancing, Living, Wrestling

93

"I've come across people who say that there is a sort of inborn restlessness in the human spirit and an urge to change one's abode; for man is endowed with a mind which is changeable and and unsettled: nowhere at rest, it darts about and directs its thoughts to all places known and unknown, a wanderer which cannot endure repose and delights chiefly in novelty."

"I've come across people who say that there is a sort of inborn restlessness in the human spirit and an urge to change one's abode; for man is endowed with a mind which is changeable and and unsettled: nowhere at rest, it darts about and directs its thoughts to all places known and unknown, a wanderer which cannot endure repose and delights chiefly in novelty."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Life, Curiosity, Change, Exploration

93

"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

91

"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

90

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."

Caecilius Statius, Roman Poet

Environment, Plants, Trees

89

"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

85

"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

83

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

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

Plautus, Roman Playwright

82

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared."

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Delight, Statesman, Lucius Annaeus Seneca

82

"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

81

"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

81

"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

81

"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

80

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Familiarity, Contempt

79

"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

78

"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

78

"What is left when honor is lost?"

"What is left when honor is lost?"

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

77

"An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason."

"An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Anger, Man, Reason

77

"Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"

"Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"

Pontius Pilate, Roman Politician

76

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

75

"A letter does not blush."

"A letter does not blush."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Communication, Blush

72

"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."

"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."

Pliny The Elder, Roman Author

Certainty, Nothing

71

"A bad peace is even worse than war."

"A bad peace is even worse than war."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

71

"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

69

"Let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest."

"Let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest."

Sextus Propertius, Roman Poet

69

"Fear is the foundation of safety."

"Fear is the foundation of safety."

Tertullian, Roman Author

69

"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

68

"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

67

"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

67

"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

66

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Law, May, Shame

66

"Men learn while they teach."

"Men learn while they teach."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Wisdom, Learning, Teaching, Knowledge

66

"Confine yourself to the present."

"Confine yourself to the present."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

66

"A friend is, as it were, a second self."

"A friend is, as it were, a second self."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Friendship, Friend, Self

66

"Never promise more than you can perform."

"Never promise more than you can perform."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Integrity, Promise

66

"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

65

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

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

Lucretius, Roman Poet

64

"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

64

"All things deteriorate in time."

"All things deteriorate in time."

Virgil, Roman Poet

63

"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

63

"In fact nothing is said that has not been said before."

"In fact nothing is said that has not been said before."

Terence, Roman Writer

63

"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

62

"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

62

"Each of us bears his own Hell."

"Each of us bears his own Hell."

Virgil, Roman Poet

62

"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

62

"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

62

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

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

Ovid, Roman Poet

Promise, Promises

62

"The more laws, the less justice."

"The more laws, the less justice."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

61

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