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Famous quotes

Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide

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Said between 400 and 301 BC

• “What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.”

  Aristotle (384–322 BC) said by 322 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “εἰ δὲ μέλαινα, τί τοῦτο; καὶ ἄνθρακες· ἀλλ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐκείνους θάλψωμεν, λάμπους᾽ ὡς ῥόδεαι κάλυκες.”

  Asclepiades of Samos (320–301 BC) said by 301 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Anthologia Palatina, bk. 5, no. 210 (ed. & tr. W. R. Paton, vol. i, 1916, p. 233)

• “لا أخاف من جيش من الأسود يقوده خروف، بل أخاف من جيش من الخراف يقوده أسد.”

  الإسكندر الأكبر (356–323 BC) said by 323 BC at the latest wikiquote:ar, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “The Spartans do not ask how many the enemies are but where they are.”

  Agis II (470–398 BC) said by 398 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “'Tis not in strength of body nor in gold that men find happiness, but in uprightness and in fulness of understanding.”

  Democritus (461–361 BC) said by 361 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “Listen, then. I say justice is nothing other than what is advantageous for the stronger.”

  Thrasymachus (459–399 BC) said by 399 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “On reaching Athens he fell in with Antisthenes. Being repulsed by him, because he never welcomed pupils, by sheer persistence Diogenes wore him out. Once when he stretched out his staff against him, the pupil offered his head with the words, "Strike, for you will find no wood hard enough to keep me away from you, so long as I think you've something to say.”

  Diogenes of Sinope (400–323 BC) said by 323 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “Ἀρίστων ὁ Χῖος ὁ Φάλανθος, ἐπικαλούμενος Σειρήν, τέλος ἔφησεν εἶναι τὸ ἀδιαφόρως ἔχοντα ζῆν πρὸς τὰ μεταξὺ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας μηδ᾿ ἡντινοῦν ἐν αὐτοῖς παραλλαγὴν ἀπολείποντα, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπίσης ἐπὶ πάντων ἔχοντα· εἶναι γὰρ ὅμοιον τὸν σοφὸν τῷ ἀγαθῷ ὑποκριτῇ, ὃς ἄν τε Θερσίτου ἄν τε Ἀγαμέμνονος πρόσωπον ἀναλάβῃ, ἑκάτερον ὑποκρινεῖται προσηκόντως.”

  Aristo of Chios (300–301 BC) said by 301 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “ΠΡ. κοινωνεῖν γὰρ πάντας φήσω χρῆναι πάντων μετέχοντας κἀκ ταὐτοῦ ζῆν, καὶ μὴ τὸν μὲν πλουτεῖν, τὸν δ᾿ ἄθλιον εἶναι, [...] τὴν γῆν πρώτιστα ποιήσω κοινὴν πάντων καὶ τἀργύριον καὶ τἄλλ᾿, ὁπόσ᾿ ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ. [...] ΧΡ. τὴν γῆν δὲ τίς ἐσθ᾿ ὁ γεωργήσων; ΠΡ. οἱ δοῦλοι.”

  Aristophanes (445–385 BC) said by 385 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: : I want all to have a share of everything and all property to be in common; there will no longer be either rich or poor; [...] I shall begin by making land, money, everything that is private property, common to all. [.…

• “لا تمارِ إخوانك وإن كنت لسناً جدلاً.”

  سقراط (470–399 BC) said by 399 BC at the latest wikiquote:ar, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “Δημοσθένης ἐμὲ βούλεται διορθοῦν, ἡ ὗς τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν.”

  Demades (381–317 BC) said by 317 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: In Plutarch, Moralia, Praecepta gerendae reipublicae (tr. H. N. Fowler, 1936). Plutarch also quotes Demosthenes' reply, "Yes, your Athena was caught in adultery last year!" Cited by Erasmus, Adagia, 1, 1, 40: Tritissimu…

• “If I am to live longer, perhaps I must live out my old age, seeing and hearing less, understanding worse, coming to learn with more difficulty and to be more forgetful, and growing worse than those to whom I was once superior. Indeed, life would be unliveable, even if I did not notice the change. And if I see the change, how could life not be even more wretched and unpleasant?”

  Socrates (470–399 BC) said by 399 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν μεγάλων κακῶν συμβάντων ἔσωσαν τὴν πόλιν τὸ κάλλιστον ἐκ παιδείας ῥῆμα φθεγξάμενοι, 'μὴ μνησικακεῖν'.”

  Aeschines (390–322 BC) said by 322 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Paraphrased by C. T. Ramage, 1930:

• “The speech is admirable, but the speaker is not to be trusted; for he has never been amid the blare of trumpets.”

  Eudamidas I (401–301 BC) said by 301 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Speech about a philosopher who had claimed that philosophers were the only good generals, Quoted in Plutarch Apophthegmata Laconica, translated by F. C. Babbitt, 1931, also quoted in Chambers Dictionary of Quotations, p…

• “Ἄνθρωπ’, ἀπολεῖς με. τῶν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ποικίλης στοᾶς λογαρίων ἀναπεπλησμένος νοσεῖς· "ἀλλότριόν ἐσθ’ ὁ πλοῦτος ἀνθρώπῳ, πάχνη· σοφία δ’ ἴδιον, κρύσταλλος. οὐθεὶς πώποτε ταύτην λαβὼν ἀπώλεσ’.’ ὦ τάλας ἐγώ, οἵῳ μ’ ὁ δαίμων φιλοσόφῳ συνῴκισεν. ἐπαρίστερ’ ἔμαθες, ὦ πόνηρε, γράμματα· ἀντέστροφέν σου τὸν βίον τὰ βιβλία· πεφιλοσόφηκας γῇ τε κοὐρανῷ λαλῶν, οἷς οὐθέν ἐστιν ἐπιμελὲς τῶν λόγων.”

  Theognetus (301–301 BC) said by 301 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Φάσμα ἢ Φιλάργυρος (The Ghost or The Miser), in Athenaeus, bk. 3, sec. 63 · 104b–d (tr. C. D. Yonge, 1854)

• “When nobody in the world loves any other, naturally the strong will overpower the weak, the many will oppress the few, the wealthy will mock the poor, the honoured will disdain the humble, the cunning will deceive the simple. Therefore all the calamities, strifes, complaints, and hatred in the world have arisen out of want of mutual love. Therefore the benevolent disapproved of this want.”

  Mozi (470–391 BC) said by 391 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “ἐρωτηθεὶς τί τῶν μαθημάτων ἀναγκαιότατον, “τὸ περιαιρεῖν,” ἔφη, “τὸ ἀπομανθάνειν.”

  Antisthenes (445–365 BC) said by 365 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “That tho' a Man were admitted into Heaven to view the wonderful Fabrick of the World, and the Beauty of the stars, yet what would otherwise be Rapture and Extasie, would be but melancholy Amazement if he had not a Friend to communicate it to.”

  Archytas (430–345 BC) said by 345 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Attributed to Archytus by Christiaan Huygens, The Celestial Worlds Discover'd (1722) Book 1, pt.4 and quoted by Arthur Beer, Vistas in Astronomy (1955) Vol.1 Cicero was reputed to have said the same thing.

• “λόγος δυνάστης μέγας ἐστίν, ὃς σμικροτάτῳ σώματι καὶ ἀφανεστάτῳ θειότατα ἔργα ἀποτελεῖ· δύναται γὰρ καὶ φόβον παῦσαι καὶ λύπην ἀφελεῖν καὶ χαρὰν ἐνεργάσασθαι καὶ ἔλεον ἐπαυξῆσαι.”

  Gorgias (485–375 BC) said by 375 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: Speech is a powerful master and achieves the most divine feats with the smallest and least evident body. It can stop fear, relieve pain, create joy, and increase pity. (tr. M. Gagarin, P. Woodruff, 1995)

• “Faber est quisque fortunae suae (or) Faber est suae quisque fortunae (or) Est unusquisque faber ipsae suae fortunae.”

  Appius Claudius Caecus (died 301 BC) said by 301 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

  Recorded in: This quote from Appius' famous speech (279 BC) opposing peace with the Greek general Pyrrhus I is sourced from the earliest known Roman historian with surviving works, Sallust, within a letter of political counsel writt…

• “Phaedrus: Socrates, you easily make up stories of Egypt or any country you please.”

  Plato (429–349 BC) said by 349 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “لا يوجد شيء.”

  غورغياس (485–375 BC) said by 375 BC at the latest wikiquote:ar, CC BY-SA 4.0 source

• “[W]hen night came on, the Macedonians and the barbarian crowd suddenly took fright in one of those mysterious panics to which great armies are liable...”

  Thucydides (461–395 BC) said by 395 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source