3rd century BC

Explore 52 quotes from the 3rd century BC

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

Thales

Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by Diogenes Laërtius

Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon
Read The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Passage of time Time Wisdom

Speaker

Thales

Author

Diogenes Laërtius

Source

The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

Medium

Presocratic fragment Fragment

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Thales. Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius. c. 240 AD, bk. 1, ch. 1.

Current Citation

Thales. Quoted in The Lives of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Pamela Mensch, edited by James Miller. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 1, ch. 1.

God dwells in the heart of all beings, Arjuna: thy God dwells in thy heart. And his power of wonder moves all things-puppets in a play of shadows-whirling them onwards on the stream of time.

Bhagavad Gita

Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon
Read the Bhagavad-Gita at bhagavad-gita.org

More information about this quote

Topic

Pantheism God

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 18, v. 61.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 18, v. 61.

Set thy heart upon thy work but never upon its reward. Work not for a reward: but never cease to do thy work. Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and, free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or in failure.

Bhagavad Gita

Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon
Read the Bhagavad-Gita at bhagavad-gita.org

More information about this quote

Topic

Work Attachment (Buddhism)

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 2, v. 47-48.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, v. 47-48.

If any man thinks he slays, and if another thinks he is slain, neither knows the ways of truth. The Eternal in man cannot kill: the Eternal in man cannot die. He is never born, and he never dies. He is in Eternity, he is for evermore. Never-born and eternal, beyond times gone or to come, he does not die when the body dies.

Bhagavad Gita

Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon
Read the Bhagavad-Gita at bhagavad-gita.org

More information about this quote

Topic

Death The soul Eternal life

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 2, v. 19-20.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, v. 19-20.

Those who are contented and at ease when the occasion comes and live in accord with the course of Nature cannot be affected by sorrow or joy. This is what the ancients called release from bondage. Those who cannot release themselves are so because they are bound by material things.

Zhuang Zhou

More information about this quote

Topic

Letting go Attachment (Buddhism)

Author

Zhuang Zhou

Source

Zhuang Zhou

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Zhou, Zhuang. 莊子 [Zhuangzi]. c. 221 BC, ch. 6.

Only by love can men see me, and know me and come unto me. He who works for me, who loves me, whose End Supreme I am, free from attachment to all things, and with love for all creation, he in truth comes unto me.

Bhagavad Gita

Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon Buy Bhagavad Gita at Amazon
Read the Bhagavad-Gita at bhagavad-gita.org

More information about this quote

Topic

God's love Love Attachment (Buddhism)

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 11, v. 54-55.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 11, v. 54-55.

The soul of man is divided into three parts, intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and passion are possessed by other animals, but reason by man alone.

Pythagoras

Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by Diogenes Laërtius

Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon
Read The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Man and animals Reason The soul Human nature

Speaker

Pythagoras

Author

Diogenes Laërtius

Source

The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

Medium

Presocratic fragment Fragment

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Pythagoras. Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius. c. 240 AD, bk. 8, ch. 1, sect. 30.

Current Citation

Pythagoras. Quoted in The Lives of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Pamela Mensch, edited by James Miller. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 8, ch. 1, sect. 30.

The season of ships is here,
The west wind and the swallows;
Flowers in the fields appear,
And the ocean of hills and hollows
Has calmed its waves and is clear.
Free that anchor and chain!
Set your full canvas flying,
O men in the harbor lane:
It is I, Pirapus crying.
Sail out on your trades again!

Leonidas of Tarentum

Spring on the Coast

More information about this quote

Topic

Spring Seasons

Author

Leonidas of Tarentum

Source

Spring on the Coast

Medium

Poem

Language

Greek

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Leonidas of Tarentum. Spring on the Coast. 3rd century BC.

Current Citation

Leonidas of Tarentum. "Spring on the Coast." The Greek Anthology, translated by Clive Sansom, edited by Peter Jay. Penguin Classics, 1973.

He who is influenced neither by the soaking in of slander nor by the assault of denunciation may indeed be called illumined.

Confucius

Quoted in Analects

Buy The Analects at Amazon Buy The Analects at Amazon
Read The Analects at acmuller.net

More information about this quote

Topic

Criticism from others

Speaker

Confucius

Source

Analects

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

221 BC 220s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Confucius. 論語 [The Analects]. c. 479 BCE.

Current Citation

Confucius. The Analects, edited and translated by Annping Chin. Penguin Classics, 2014.

To pursue it is to be human, to give it up is to be a beast.

Xunxi

Buy Xunzi: The Complete Text at Amazon Buy Xunzi: The Complete Text at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Education Self-improvement

Author

Xunxi

Source

An Exhortation to Learning

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

250 BC 250s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Xunzi. Xunzi. c. 238 BC.

Current Citation

Xunzi. Xunzi: The Complete Text, translated by Eric L. Hutton. Princeton University Press, 2014, ch. 1.

He has not acquired a fortune; the fortune has acquired him.

Bion of Borysthenes

Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by Diogenes Laërtius

Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon
Read The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Wealth as burden Downsides of wealth Wealth

Speaker

Bion of Borysthenes

Author

Diogenes Laërtius

Source

The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

Genre

Biography Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Bion. Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius. c. 240 AD, bk. 4, ch. 7, sect. 50.

Current Citation

Bion. Quoted in The Lives of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Pamela Mensch, edited by James Miller. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 4, ch. 7, sect. 50.

The man who has never been flogged has never been taught.

Menander

More information about this quote

Topic

Corporal punishment Learning

Author

Menander

Source

The Girl Who Gets Flogged

Medium

Fragment

Language

Greek

Time

291 BC 290s BC 3rd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Menander. The Girl Who Gets Flogged. c. 300 BC.