Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,161,747 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Said between 300 and 201 BC
“J. C. Rolfe, The Attic Nights of Aulus Gellius, Vol. 1, LCL 195 (1927), p. 204”
Laevius (151–201 BC) said by 201 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“世溷浊而嫉贤兮，好蔽美而称恶。”
Qu Yuan (343–278 BC) said by 278 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Oderunt di homines iniuros.”
Gnaeus Naevius (275–201 BC) said by 201 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Law(道, Way) is Huge and Shapeless, its Moral extends everywhere.”
Han Fei (280–233 BC) said by 233 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But we, the great, the valiant, and the wise, When once the seal of death has closed our eyes, Lost in the hollow tomb obscure and deep, Slumber, to wake no more, one long unbroken sleep!”
Moschus (201–201 BC) said by 201 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Their] law ordains that no one among them shall, under any circumstances, be a slave, but that, enjoying freedom, they shall respect the equal right to it which all possess: for it is but fair and reasonable to institute laws which bind all equally, but allow property to bo unevenly distributed.”
Megasthenes (351–291 BC) said by 291 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.”
Euclid (334–285 BC) said by 285 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Also quoted by: Ευκλείδης (el)
“The Unseasonable man is one who will go up to a busy person, and open his heart to him. He will serenade his mistress when she has a fever. He will address himself to a man who has been cast in a surety-suit, and request him to become his security. He will come to give evidence when the trial is over.”
Theophrastus (371–287 BC) said by 287 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Characters, ch. 9 (12); translation from R. C. Jebb and J. E. Sandys (trans.), The Characters of Theophrastus (London: Macmillan, 1909), p. 75.
“If you let people follow their feelings, they will be able to do good. This is what is meant by saying that human nature is good.”
Mencius (372–289 BC) said by 289 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To his friends he said that he thought the man who feared gibes and jeers was more of a coward than the one who ran away from the enemy.”
Fabius Maximus (died 203 BC) said by 203 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Proposition 16. The sun has to the earth a [volume] ratio greater than [254] that which 6859 has to 27, but less than [368] that which 79507 has to 216.”
Aristarchus of Samos (310–230 BC) said by 230 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“How many theorems in geometry which have seemed at first impracticable are in time successfully worked out!”
Archimedes (287–212 BC) said by 212 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεὸς ἐπεφάνης.”
Menander (341–291 BC) said by 291 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“τί δάκρυον εὗδον ἐγείρεις;”
Callimachus (306–240 BC) said by 240 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Fr. 682 (= Hecale, fr. 158 Hollis; tr. D. L. Clayman, 2022)
“I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those which were of no use.”
Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BC) said by 210 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in The Tyrants: 2500 Years of Absolute Power and Corruption (2006) by Clive Foss, p. 10, ISBN 1905204965
“And now, from somewhere in the bowels of the earth, from the smoky stronghold where they slept, the pair of bulls appeared, breathing flames of fire. The Argonauts were terrified at the sight. But Jason planting his feet apart stood to receive them... He held his shield in front of him, and the two bulls, bellowing loudly, charged and butted it with their strong horns...”
Apollonius of Rhodes (295–215 BC) said by 215 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Lines 1289–1294 and 1296–1297
“Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and the husband and wife do not quarrel.”
Chanakya (375–283 BC) said by 283 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Weep not for me: suffering, as I do, unjustly, I am in a happier case than my murderers.”
Agis IV (265–241 BC) said by 241 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: To one of his executioners, whom he noticed weeping, as quoted in Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1844) by WIlliam Smith, p. 73.
“Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous.”
Zhuangzi (369–288 BC) said by 288 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ch. 2 (tr. Lin Yutang, 1942)
“ἀεργοῖς αἰὲν ἑορτά.”
Theocritus (401–260 BC) said by 260 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: XV.26 (tr. A. S. F. Gow, 1952)
“Beloved-of-the-Gods speaks thus: Father and mother should be respected and so should elders, kindness to living beings should be made strong and the truth should be spoken. In these ways, the Dhamma should be promoted. Likewise, a teacher should be honored by his pupil and proper manners should be shown towards relations. This is an ancient rule that conduces to long life. Thus should one act.”
Ashoka (304–232 BC) said by 232 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A bad feeling is a commotion of the mind repugnant to reason, and against nature.”
Zeno of Citium (334–263 BC) said by 263 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There are two kinds of pleasure: one consisting in a state of rest, in which both body and mind are undisturbed by any kind of pain; the other arising from an agreeable agitation of the senses, producing a correspondent emotion in the soul. It is upon the former of these that the enjoyment of life chiefly depends. Happiness may therefore be said to consist in bodily ease, and mental tranquility.”
Epicurus (342–270 BC) said by 270 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source