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Plutarch Quotes - Page 11

All Quotes Adversity Age Anger Army Art Belief Birth Change Character Children Courage Death Democracy Destiny Earth Education Envy Evil Failing Fate Feelings Fighting Food Friends Friendship Giving Glory God Gold Greek Grief Happiness Heart House Inspiration Inspirational Justice Learning Life Lying Motivational Pain Passion Perseverance Philosophy Plato Pleasure Politics Poverty Praise Prosperity Rage Reality Shame Silence Son Soul Study Suffering Teaching Time Understanding Virtue War Water Wealth Wife Wisdom

I confess myself the greatest coward in the world, for I dare not do an ill thing.

I confess myself the greatest coward in the world, for I dare not do an ill thing.

Coward, World, Dare

Plutarch (1871). “Plutarch's Morals”, p.65

The wildest colts make the best horses.

Horse, Children, Teaching

Plutarch, John Langhorne, William Langhorne (1801). “Plutarch's Lives,: Translated from the Original Greek, with Notes Critical and Historical, and a Life of Plutarch”, p.283

Talkativeness has another plague attached to it, even curiosity; for praters wish to hear much that they may have much to say.

Curiosity, Wish, May

Plutarch (1909). “Plutarch's Complete Works”

Once when Phocion had delivered an opinion which pleased the people, he turned to his friend and said, "Have I not unawares spoken some mischievous thing or other?"

People, Opinion, Said

"Apophthegms of Kings and Great Commanders". 55 Phocion. "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th edition", 1919.

Books delight to the very marrow of one's bones. They speak to us, consult with us, and join with us in a living and intense intimacy.

Book, Delight, Speak

Aristodemus, a friend of Antigonus, supposed to be a cook's son, advised him to moderate his gifts and expenses. "Thy words," said he, "Aristodemus, smell of the apron.

Son, Smell, Aprons

Plutarch (1871). “Plutarch's Morals”, p.203

Both Empedocles and Heraclitus held it for a truth that man could not be altogether cleared from injustice in dealing with beasts as he now does.

Men, Doe, Injustice

Plutarch (1909). “Plutarch's Complete Works”

Rome was in the most dangerous inclination to change on account of the unequal distribution of wealth and property, those of highest rank and greatest spirit having impoverished themselves by shows, entertainments, ambition of offices, and sumptuous buildings, and the riches of the city having thus fallen into the hands of mean and low-born persons. So that there wanted but a slight impetus to set all in motion, it being in the power of every daring man to overturn a sickly commonwealth.

Wisdom, Ambition, Mean

Plutarch, John Dryden, Arthur Hugh Clough (2005). “Greek and Roman Lives”, p.376, Courier Corporation

As to Caesar, when he was called upon, he gave no testimony against Clodius, nor did he affirm that he was certain of any injury done to his bed. He only said, He had divorced Pompeia because the wife of Caesar ought not only to be clear of such a crime, but of the very suspicion of it.

Wife, Done, Bed

Plutarch (1872). “Plutarch's Lives”, p.606

Gout is not relieved by a fine shoe nor a hangnail by a costly ring nor migraine by a tiara.

Shoes, Gout, Tiaras

Blinded as they are to their true character by self-love, every man is his own first and chiefest flatterer, prepared, therefore, to welcome the flatterer from the outside, who only comes confirming the verdict of the flatterer within.

Character, Men, Self

Music, to create harmony, must investigate discord.

Harmony, Harmony In Music, Discord

Plutarch (2015). “Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans: Top Biography”, p.1187, 谷月社

Had I a careful and pleasant companion that should show me my angry face in a glass, I should not at all take it ill; to behold man's self so unnaturally disguised and dishonored will conduce not a little to the impeachment of anger.

Anger, Men, Self

A human body in no way resembles those that were born for ravenousness; it hath no hawk's bill, no sharp talon, no roughness of teeth, no such strength of stomach or heat of digestion, as can be sufficient to convert or alter such heavy and fleshy fare . . . There is nobody that is willing to eat even a lifeless and a dead thing even as it is; so they boil it, and roast it, and alter it by fire and medicines, as it were, changing and quenching the slaughtered gore with thousands of sweet sauces, that the palate being thereby deceived may admit of such uncouth fare.

Sweet, Medicine, Fire

The first evil those who are prone to talk suffer, is that they hear nothing.

Evil, Suffering, Firsts

When malice is joined to envy, there is given forth poisonous and feculent matter, as ink from the cuttle-fish.

Envy, Ink, Matter

The human heart becomes softened by hearing of instances of gentleness and consideration.

Heart, Hearing, Consideration

So very difficult a matter is it to trace and find out the truth of anything by history.

Matter, Difficult

Plutarch, Arthur Hugh Clough (1860). “Greek History: From Themistocles to Alexander”, p.76

The first man . . . ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had a little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived. How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds?

Eye, Men, Animal

Whenever Alexander heard Philip had taken any town of importance, or won any signal victory, instead of rejoicing at it altogether, he would tell his companions that his father would anticipate everything, and leave him and them no opportunities of performing great and illustrious actions.

Father, Taken, Opportunity

Plutarch (2004). “The Life of Alexander the Great”, p.6, Modern Library

...To the Dolphin alone, beyond all other, nature has granted what the best philosophers seek: friendship for no advantage

Dolphins, Philosopher, Granted

Plutarch (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Plutarch (Illustrated)”, p.3559, Delphi Classics

Nature without learning is blind, learning apart from nature is fractional, and practice in the absence of both is aimless.

Education, Practice, Blind

Ought a man to be confident that he deserves his good fortune, and think much of himself when he has overcome a nation, or city, or empire; or does fortune give this as an example to the victor also of the uncertainty of human affairs, which never continue in one stay? For what time can there be for us mortals to feel confident, when our victories over others especially compel us to dread fortune, and while we are exulting, the reflection that the fatal day comes now to one, now to another, in regular succession, dashes our joy.

Men, Thinking, Reflection

Plutarch (2012). “Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans: Complete”, p.371, Simon and Schuster

The new king [Alexander the Great] should perform acts so important and glorious as would make the poets and musicians of future ages labour and sweat to describe and celebrate him.

Kings, Future, Sweat

If any man think it a small matter, or of mean concernment, to bridle his tongue, he is much mistaken; for it is a point to be silent when occasion requires, and better than to speak, though never so well.

Mean, Men, Thinking

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