4th century

Explore 17 quotes from the 4th century

Give me chastity and continency—but not yet!

St. Augustine

Confessions

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Topic

Chastity Sexual morality Self-control Sex

Author

St. Augustine

Source

Confessions

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Language

Latin

Time

398 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Augustine of Hippo. Confessiones [Confessions]. c. 398, bk. 8, ch. 7.

Current Citation

Augustine of Hippo. Confessions, translated by R. S. Pine-Coffin. Penguin Classics, 1961, bk. 8, ch. 7.

Hear the other side.

St. Augustine

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Topic

Tolerance Listening Goodwill

Author

St. Augustine

Source

On Two Souls, Against the Manichaeans

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Advice

Language

Latin

Time

391 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Citation

St. Augustine of Hippo. De Duabus Animabus Contra Manichaeos. [Concerning Two Souls, Against the Manichaeans.] 391 AD.

No athlete is crowned but in the sweat of his brow.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Athletes Hard work

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

374 370s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Heliodorus. c. 374.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. The Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2016.

When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Hunger Perspective

Author

St. Jerome

Source

Letters of St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

Latin

Time

395 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Paulinus. c. 395, sect. 2.

A friend is long sought, hardly found, and with difficulty kept.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Value of friendship Friendship Friends

Author

St. Jerome

Source

Letters of St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

Latin

Time

374 370s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Rufinus the Monk. c. 374, sect. 6.

Love is not to be purchased, and affection has no price.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Value of love Love

Author

St. Jerome

Source

Letters of St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

374 370s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Rufinus the Monk. c. 374, sect. 6.

Do not let your deeds belie your words, lest when you speak in church someone may say to himself, "Why do you not practice what you preach?"

St. Jerome

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Topic

Hypocrisy Words vs. actions

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

394 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Nepotian. c. 394, sect. 7.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. "Letter LII." Select Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2015, sect. 7.

The Roman world is falling, yet we hold our heads erect instead of bowing our necks.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Roman empire Societal collapse Decline of civilization

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

396 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Heliodorus. c. 396, sect. 16.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. "Letter LX." Select Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2015, sect. 16.

The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Eyes are the window to the soul Housework and homemaking Communication

Author

St. Jerome

Source

Letters of St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

394 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Furia. c. 394, sect. 13.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. "Letter LIV." Select Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2015, sect. 13.

Even brute beasts and wandering birds do not fall into the same traps or nets twice.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Learning from mistakes Man and animals Animals

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

394 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Furia. c. 394, sect. 4.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. "Letter LIV." Select Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2015, sect. 4.

Every day were are changing, every day we are dying, and yet we fancy ourselves eternal.

St. Jerome

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Topic

The only constant is change Inevitability of death

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

396 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Heliodorus." c. 396, sect. 19.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. "Letter LX." Select Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2015, sect. 19.

When you are at Rome live in the Roman style: when you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere.

St. Ambrose

Quoted in Letter to Casulanus, by Saint Augustine

Saint Ambrose's advice to Saint Augustine.

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Topic

Cultural sensitivity Custom and convention Adaptability

Speaker

St. Ambrose

Author

Saint Augustine

Source

Letter to Casulanus

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

397 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Saint Ambrose. Quoted in "Letter To Casulanus, From Saint Augustine." c. 396, ch. 32.

A law that is not just does not seem to me to be a law.

St. Augustine

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Topic

Unjust laws Law

Author

St. Augustine

Source

On Free Choice of the Will

Medium

Essay

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

389 380s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Augustine. De libero arbitrio voluntatis [On Free Choice of the Will]. c. 389, 1.5.11.33.

Current Citation

Augustine. "On the Free Choice of the Will." Augustine: On the Free Choice of the Will, On Grace and Free Choice, and Other Writings, edited by Peter King. Cambridge University Press, 2010, 1.5.11.33.

God became man so that man might become God.

Athanasius

On the Incarnation

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Topic

God and man

Author

Athanasius

Source

On the Incarnation

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Greek

Time

318 310s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Athanasius of Alexandria. De Incarnatione [On the Incarnation]. c. 318.

Current Citation

Athanasius. On the Incarnation: Saint Athanasius. St. Vladimir's Serminary Press, 2012.

It is worse still to be ignorant of your ignorance.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Willful ignorance Ignorance

Author

St. Jerome

Source

Letters of St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

394 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Paulinus. c. 394.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. The Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2016.

If there is but little water in the stream, it is the fault, not of the channel, but of the source.

St. Jerome

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Topic

Assigning blame

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Latin

Time

379 370s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Presbyter Marcus. c. 379, sect. 2.

Let him who desires peace prepare for war.

Vegetius

More information about this quote

Topic

Deterrence War and peace Preparation

Author

Vegetius

Source

On Military Matters

Language

Latin

Time

383 380s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vegetius. Epithoma rei militaris [Concerning Military Matters]. Utrecht, c. 1473.

Current Citation

Vegetius. Vegetius: Epitome of Military Science, translated by N. P. Milner. Liverpool University Press, 1997, bk. 3, preface.