Ancient Greek Quotes4

The character of the state reflects the character of its governors.

—  Isocrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician

It is hard to be ruled by an inferior.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

A well governed state is the best environment for growth.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Every ruler new to power is harsh.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Prometheus Bound

The king’s might is greater than human, and his arm is very long.

—  Herodotus, 480-420 BC, Ancient Greek historian, the “ father of History”

I did something for the society. Therefore I benefited myself.

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐  Meditations XI,4

But Justice sees even in the dark.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Oedipus

There is an eye of justice that sees everything.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

Gods love the enemies of injustice.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Meletus and Anytus can kill me, but they cannot hurt me.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

(Meletus and Anytus were the prosecutors in the trial of Socrates)

Don't punish anyone without investigating.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

Don’t judge anybody before you hear both stories.

—  Ancient Greek proverb

Be in battle daunting, in courts humane.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

Don’t judge anyone before you hear the story from both parts.

—  Phocylides, c. 5th cent. BC, Ancient Greek poet

Religion and laws, if they are exercised well, are beneficial; if exercised badly, they do not benefit at all.

—  Solon, 630-560 BC, Ancient Greek lawmaker & philosopher

The human life is governed by nature and laws.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Laws are like spider’s webs: If some poor weak creature comes up against them, it is caught; but a big one can break through and get away.

—  Solon, 630-560 BC, Ancient Greek lawmaker & philosopher

There is no difference between not having laws and not following the laws.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

If you are s stranger, follow the local laws.

—  Ancient Greek phrase

He who is never unjust has no need of laws.

—  Antiphanes, 405-335 BC, Ancient comic poet

The good condition of the state depends on ethics and not on the laws we vote.

—  Isocrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician

The best state is one where the laws and not the politicians are obeyed.

—  Chilon of Sparta, 6th cent. BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

Use old laws and fresh food.

—  Periander of Corinth, 668-584 BC, tyrant of Corinth

Every law is a gift and an invention of the gods.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

The law is a god that you must honor at all times.

—  Simonides of Ceos, 556-468 BC, Ancient poet & author of epigrams

A man with charαcter is the noblest of animals; separated from law and justice, he is the worst.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Just as the body, when deprived of the soul, dies, so too the city, when there are no laws, collapses.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Equality does not cause revolt.

—  Solon, 630-560 BC, Ancient Greek lawmaker & philosopher

Heaven is common for all mortals.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Helen

Once a man be done with hunger, rich and poor are all as one.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Electra

The will of Zeus, the hand of Hephæstus.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian

((for the torture of Prometheus))

When a good man steps down from power, he shouldn’t have become more rich, but more honored.

—  Bias of Priene, 625-540 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

He who is close to Zeus is close to thunder.

—  Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist

Power shows the man.

—  Bias of Priene, 625-540 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

Foolish strength is very often damaging.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Temenidae

When you are in a position of power, be well-mannered, if you would have the respect, not the fear, of those around you.

—  Chilon of Sparta, 6th cent. BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

The state is destroyed by its great men.

—  Solon, 630-560 BC, Ancient Greek lawmaker & philosopher

Power is the ultimate pleasure.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

The people like to criticize those in power.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian

Speak to a tyrant as little as possible or as pleasantly as possible.

—  Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist

Until the kings become philosophers, there will be no end to the troubles of the states.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Our reign is a glorious slavery.

—  Antigonus II Gonatas, 319-239 BC, King of Macedon

Cities are doomed when they are unable to distinguish the great men from the bad.

—  Antisthenes, 445-360 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher

Man is by nature a city animal.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

(or political animal)

We must look beneath every stone, lest it conceal some politician ready to sting us.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Thesmophoriazusae

Respect neither anarchy nor tyranny.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Eumenides

Abstain from beans.

—  Pythagoras, 580-490 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

(meaning: Abstain from politics)

It is imperative that free men feel responsibility for political matters.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

The best democracy is where everybody is afraid of the law like a tyrant.

—  Bias of Priene, 625-540 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

O democracy, where are you leading us?

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Birds

Democracy is better than tyranny.

—  Periander of Corinth, 668-584 BC, tyrant of Corinth

The electorate is the most unstable and unpredictable thing.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

The rivalry of honest men safeguards the freedom of the people.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

It seems that excessive freedom leads to excessive enslavement.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher ‐ Republic

No one is free if he cannot subdue himself.

—  Epictetus, 50-120 AD, Ancient Greek Stoic philosopher

We must free ourselves from the daily routine and the bonds of politics.

—  Epicurus, 341-270 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

The happy are the free, and the free are the brave.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

No one is free but Zeus.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Prometheus Bound

True happiness is found in freedom, and true freedom in bravery.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

The “I don’t know” will not put me in prison.

—  Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist

The hands of the tyrants reach long.

—  Ancient Greek phrase

Forward, you sons of Hellas! Set your country free! Set free your sons, your wives, the tombs of your ancestors, and temples of your gods . All is at stake now, fight!

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Persians

This is the best omen, to fight for your country.

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet ‐ Iliad XII

(words of Hector)

There is nothing sweeter than one's homeland and parents.

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet

A prostitute and a politician pour similar tears.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

Before a crowd, the ignorant are more persuasive than the educated.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Horrible voice, bad breeding, vulgar manners, you have everything you need to be a politician.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Knights

A demagogue must be neither an educated nor a honest man; he has to be ignorant and a rogue.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright

Those who the wise consider fools are often better tuned to speak before a crowd.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Hippolytus

When one with honeyed words but evil mind persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Orestes

The many are dangerous, when they have wicked leaders.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Orestes

The mob is powerful and has no sense.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

Always keep the populace on your side sweetening it with cooked words.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Knights

Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.

—  Hesiod, 7th cent. BC, Ancient Greek poet ‐ Works and Days -240

Don't walk on avenues.

—  Pythagoras, 580-490 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

The Generals are numerous, but not good for much!

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Acharnians

The strength of the city is the men, not the walls or the empty ships.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

God hates violence and bids all men acquire their possessions without stealing.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Helen

Force has no place where there is need of cleverness.

—  Herodotus, 480-420 BC, Ancient Greek historian, the “ father of History”

Poke not the fire with a sword.

—  Pythagoras, 580-490 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Big thieves start from stealing small things.

—  Diogenes, 410-323 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher

Man is by nature a city animal.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

(or political animal)

One is no one, two is a company, three is a crowd, four is a fair.

—  Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist

Crowds with foolishness is a great evil.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian

War is a violent teacher.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

Nobody is so stupid to choose war instead of peace. Because in peace the children bury their fathers but in war the fathers bury their children.

—  Herodotus, 480-420 BC, Ancient Greek historian, the “ father of History”

War is sweet to those who have no experience of it.

—  Pindar, 522-438 BC, Ancient Greek lyric poet

War is the father and king of all: some he has made gods, and some men; some slaves and some free.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

War is a matter not so much of arms as of expenditure.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

Gold is the nerves of the war.

—  Pindar, 522-438 BC, Ancient Greek lyric poet

The rule of the sea is a great matter.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

(Pericles’ oration)

A plausible war is preferable to a dishonorable peace.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

Be in battle daunting, in courts humane.

—  Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, Ancient Athenian & statesman orator

All wars are made for the acquisition of assets.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Peace is raising sons in this world.

—  Hesiod, 7th cent. BC, Ancient Greek poet ‐ Works and Days -228

Come and get them [the arms].

—  Leonidas, King of Sparta

(at Thermopylae, 480 BC)

Your country becomes great when in trouble.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ The Suppliants

Homer has educated Greece.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Be afraid of the Greeks bearing gifts.

—  Virgil, 70-19 BC, Roman poet

You Greeks are always children, and there is no Greek who is old.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

(Egyptian priests to Solon)

I talk to you about garlics and you respond about onions.

—  Ancient Greek phrase

—  Αρχαία παροιμιακή φράση

Respond to everyone.

—  Periander of Corinth, 668-584 BC, tyrant of Corinth

Say something a little less educated and more apprehensible.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Frogs

Gods know all things.

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet ‐ Odyssey IV

Act knowing.

—  Pittacus of Mytilene, 650-570 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

Don’t be eager to know everything lest you become ignorant of everything.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Nobody likes the man who brings bad news.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet ‐ Antigone

Remember that all is opinion.

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐ Meditations II,15

The one who loves becomes blind regarding the beloved.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light.

—  Thales of Miletus, 643-548 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Time leads truth toward the light.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

Time reveals everything and brings it to light

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet

What is in the heart of the sober is in the mouth of the drunk.

—  Ancient Greek proverb

If it’s not right, don’t do it; if it’s not true, don’t say it.

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor

A slip of the tongue speaks the truth.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

The words of truth are simple by nature.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Phoenician women

Night is for the thieves, light is for the truth.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Iphigeneia in Tauris

It is always better to tell the truth at every opportunity

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.

—  Herodotus, 480-420 BC, Ancient Greek historian, the “ father of History”

Have courage. When you tell the truth, you will never go wrong.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet

A lie never lives to be old.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet

False words do not bear fruit.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet

In wine, there is truth.

—  Alcaeus of Mytilene, 7th-6th cent. BC, Ancient Greek lyric poet

By nature, man believes what he wishes to be true.

—  Julius Caesar, 100-44 BC, Roman general & Consul

For the gods exist, since the knowledge about them is obvious.

—  Epicurus, 341-270 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Wisdom lies in clarity.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Orestes

Those who the wise consider fools are often better tuned to speak before a crowd.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Hippolytus

Smart talk is not wisdom.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Bacchae

From whose lips the streams of words ran sweeter than honey.

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet ‐ Iliad I

(about Nestor)

The investigation of the meaning of words is the beginning of wisdom.

—  Antisthenes, 445-360 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher

Words give wings to the mind and make a man soar to heaven.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Birds

By deeds, not words.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Prometheus Bound

By words everybody is winged.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright

For words live longer down the years than deeds.

—  Pindar, 522-438 BC, Ancient Greek lyric poet

Winged words.

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet ‐ Iliad E’ 871

Words are the doctors of a temper diseased.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian

A wrong word can turn your whole life upside down.

—  Menander, 4th cent. BC, Ancient Greek dramatist (New Comedy)

Always keep the populace on your side sweetening it with cooked words.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Knights

There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

I know that I know nothing.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

( the “Socratic paradox”; from a Latin quote which was a paraphrase of a Plato’s line and not a real saying by Socrates)

Ignorance is bold, knowledge is reserved.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

Much learning does not teach the mind.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Knowledge creates happiness.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Many, though widely read, have no sense.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

I appear to be wiser than he, because I do not fancy I know what I do not know.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher ‐ Apology

Of all our possessions, wisdom alone is immortal.

—  Isocrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician

Of all men’s miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have no power.

—  Herodotus, 480-420 BC, Ancient Greek historian, the “ father of History”

There are two types of knowledge: one through the senses and the other through the intellect.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

All men by nature desire to know.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

What is the first task of the knowledge seeker? To rid oneself of conceit, for you cannot learn what you think you already know.

—  Epictetus, 50-120 AD, Ancient Greek Stoic philosopher

We are a pair of greyheads, but still we must dance.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Bacchae

No form of Nature is inferior to Art. For the arts merely imitate natural forms

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐ Meditations XI, 10

Tears, the preludes of art.

—  Lucian, 120-180 AD, Ancient Syrian-Greek satirist

Painting is poetry that is silent and poetry is painting that speaks.

—  Simonides of Ceos, 556-468 BC, Ancient poet & author of epigrams

Whoever knows about tragedy, knows about epics too.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet ‐ Odyssey I

Love of course teaches poetry, even to those who had no idea about poetry before.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian

Children have a master to teach them, grown-ups have the poets.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Frogs

Painting is poetry that is silent and poetry is painting that speaks.

—  Simonides of Ceos, 556-468 BC, Ancient poet & author of epigrams

Poetry is for an intelligent man or a madman.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

[I don’t write because] I cannot write as I want and I wouldn’t write as I can.

—  Theocritus, 3rd cent. BC, Ancient Greek poet

Proverbs are the remnants of old philosophy preserved due to their brevity and smartness.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Say something a little less educated and more apprehensible.

—  Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Frogs

Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.

—  Archimedes, 287-212 BC, Ancient Greek mathematician & inventor

The beginning of everything is atoms and void, and everything else is perception.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Eureka! (I found! I found!)

—  Archimedes, 287-212 BC, Ancient Greek mathematician & inventor

(running naked from his bath after dicovering the 'Archimedes principle')

O wretched man, may you never know who you are.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet

God always geometrizes.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Do not disturb my circles!

—  Archimedes, 287-212 BC, Ancient Greek mathematician & inventor

(his last words to the Roman soldier who killed him)

Let no one untrained in geometry enter.

—  Motto over the entrance to Plato's Academy

There is no royal road to geometry.

—  Eucliid, 4th-3rd cent. BC, Greek mathematician, the “father of geometry”

(his answer to the king of Egypt Ptolemy, who asked for a shorter way to learn Geometry)

Everything is done according to numbers.

—  Pythagoras, 580-490 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

The totality is not a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

For persuasion, reasoning is far stronger than gold.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

To the rational being only the irrational is unendurable, but the rational is endurable.

—  Epictetus, 50-120 AD, Ancient Greek Stoic philosopher

Lucky he who was taught history.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Antiope

Being a woman, what can I do? How can I, alone, save myself without brother, without father, without friends?

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Orestes

Man: one who reflects upon what he has seen.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

One who thinks right is better than myriads who think wrong.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

It is the mark of a divine mind to be always contemplating something noble.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Think what you are doing.

—  Bias of Priene, 625-540 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

Think of something worthy.

—  Cleobulus, 6th cent. BC, Ancient Greek Poet, one of the 7 sages

it is important to think clearly in times of trouble.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

A life which is not examined is not worth living.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

When he was asked what advantage had accrued to him from philosophy, his answer was, “The ability to hold converse with myself.”

—  Antisthenes, 445-360 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher

Until the kings become philosophers, there will be no end to the troubles of the states.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

We love beauty with simplicity and we philosophize without softness.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

(in Pericles' Funeral Oration)

The farmer cultivates the earth, the philosopher cultivates the soul.

—  Theocritus, 3rd cent. BC, Ancient Greek poet

Try to be hard-working with the body, and a philosopher with the soul.

—  Isocrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician

Refrain from evil not out of fear, but because it is right.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

Of moral states to be avoided there are three kinds: malice, incontinence, bestiality.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher