Classical antiquity

Explore 1180 quotes from Classical antiquity

Mankind have been created for the sake of one another.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

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Topic

Interconnectedness of all people Man as social animal

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 8.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 8.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

God

Exodus 20:7

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Topic

Swearing The Ten Commandments

Speaker

God

Source

Exodus The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Statement Type

Orders and commands

Language

Hebrew

Time

1405 BC 1400s BC 15th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Exodus 20:7).

Love the little trade which you have learned, and be content with it.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

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Topic

Vocation Doing a good job Doing one's job

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 4.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 4.

Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.

Aristotle

Politics

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Topic

Legal theory Law

Author

Aristotle

Source

Politics

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

350 BC 350s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aristotle. Politics. 4th century BC, bk. 2.

Current Citation

Aristotle. Politics, translated by R. F. Stalley and Sir Ernest Barker. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 2.

What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

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Topic

Individual vs. the collective

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 6.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 6.

One might perhaps say that this very thing is probable, that many things happen to men that are not probable.

Agathon

Quoted in Rhetoric, by Aristotle

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Topic

Probability The human condition

Speaker

Agathon

Author

Aristotle

Source

Rhetoric

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Irony Paradox

Language

Greek

Time

4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Agathon. Quoted in Ῥητορική [Rhetoric], written by Aristotle. c. 350 BC.

Current Citation

Agathon. Quoted in Rhetoric, written by Aristotle, translated by W. Rhys Roberts. Dover Publications, 2004.

The weakness of little children's limbs is innocent, not their souls.

St. Augustine

Confessions

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Topic

Original sin Human nature Children

Author

St. Augustine

Source

Confessions

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Latin

Time

400 400s 5th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Augustine of Hippo. Confessiones [Confessions]. c. 398, bk. 1, ch. 7.

Current Citation

Augustine of Hippo. Confessions, translated by R. S. Pine-Coffin. Penguin Classics, 1961, bk. 1, ch. 7.

Plenty has made me poor.

Ovid

Metamorphoses

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Topic

Downsides of wealth

Author

Ovid

Source

Metamorphoses

Medium

Poem

Language

Latin

Time

8 0s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Ovid. Metamorphōsēs [Metamorphoses]. c. 8 CE, bk. 3, l. 466.

Current Citation

Ovid. Metamorphoses, translated by David Raeburn. Penguin Classics, 2004, bk. 3, l. 466.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Apostle Paul

2nd Corinthians 5:7

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Topic

Faith

Author

Apostle Paul

Source

2nd Corinthians The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Greek

Time

56 50s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (2nd Corinthians 5:7).

The partisan, when he is engaged in a dispute, cares nothing about the rights of the question, but is anxious only to convince his hearers of his own assertions.

Socrates

Quoted in Phaedo, by Plato

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Topic

Sophistry Hackery Persuasion

Speaker

Socrates

Author

Plato

Source

Phaedo

Medium

Philosophical dialogue Dialogue

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

360 BC 360s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Socrates. Quoted in Φαίδων [Phaedo], written by Plato. c. 360 BC.

Current Citation

Socrates. Quoted in "Phaedo." Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, written by Plato, translated by G. M. A. Grube and John M. Cooper. Hackett Publishing, 2002.

The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.

Sophocles

Oedipus Rex

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Speaker

Second Messenger

Author

Sophocles

Source

Oedipus Rex

Medium

Play

Genre

Greek tragedy Tragedy (play)

Language

Greek

Time

430 BC 430s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. c. 429 BC, Theatre of Dionysus, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Sophocles. "Oedipus Rex." The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone, translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Mariner Books, 2002.

Travel light and you can sing in the robber's face.

Juvenal

Satires

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Topic

Travel

Author

Juvenal

Source

Satires

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Advice

Language

Latin

Time

127 120s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Juvenal. Satirae [Satires]. c. 127, satire 10.

Current Citation

Juvenal. The Satires, translated by Niall Rudd. Oxford University Press, 2008, satire 10.

Will you not allow that I have as much of the spirit of prophecy in me as the swans? For they, when they perceive that they must die, having sung all their life long, do then sing more lustily than ever, rejoicing in the thought that they are going to the god they serve.

Socrates

Quoted in Phaedo, by Plato

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Topic

Facing death Swans Birds Animals

Speaker

Socrates

Author

Plato

Source

Phaedo

Medium

Philosophical dialogue Dialogue

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

360 BC 360s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Socrates. Quoted in Φαίδων [Phaedo], written by Plato. c. 360 BC.

Current Citation

Socrates. Quoted in "Phaedo." Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, written by Plato, translated by G. M. A. Grube and John M. Cooper. Hackett Publishing, 2002.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

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Topic

Unity Interconnectedness of all people

Source

Psalms The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Hebrew

Time

450 BC 450s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible, New International Version. International Bible Society, 1978. (Psalm 133:1).

We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

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Topic

Loving oneself What other people think

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. c. 180, bk. 12.

Current Citation

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations, edited and translated by Martin Hammond. Penguin Classics, 2015, bk. 12.

Socrates is a wrongdoer because he corrupts the youth and does not believe in the gods the state believes in, but in other new spiritual beings.

Plato

Apology

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Topic

Socrates

Author

Plato

Source

Apology

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Legal charge

Language

Greek

Time

339 BC 330s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Plato. Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους [Apology of Socrates]. c. 339 BC, sect. 24b-24c.

Current Citation

Plato. "Apology." Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, translated by John M. Cooper and G. M. A. Grube. Hackett Publishing Company, 2002, sect. 24b-24c.

The old are in a second childhood.

Strepsiades

The Clouds

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Topic

Youth vs. old age Old age

Speaker

Strepsiades

Author

Aristophanes

Source

The Clouds

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedic play Greek theater

Language

Greek

Time

423 BC 420s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aristophanes. Νεφέλαι [The Clouds]. c. 423 BC, The Dionysia, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Aristophanes. "The Clouds." Aristophanes: Frogs and Other Plays, translated by Stephen Halliwell. Oxford University Press, 2017.

How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be
When there's no help in truth!

Sophocles

Oedipus Rex

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Topic

Truth hurts Truth Ignorance is bliss

Speaker

Teiresias

Author

Sophocles

Source

Oedipus Rex

Medium

Play

Genre

Greek tragedy Tragedy (play)

Language

Greek

Time

430 BC 430s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. c. 429 BC, Theatre of Dionysus, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Sophocles. "Oedipus Rex." The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone, translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Mariner Books, 2002.

And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years.

God

Numbers 14:33

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Topic

God and the Jewish people

Speaker

God

Source

Numbers The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Hebrew

Time

1405 BC 1400s BC 15th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Numbers 14:33).

For a city consists of men, and not of walls nor ships empty of men.

Nicias

Quoted in History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides

Speech to the defeated Athenian army at Syracuse, 413 BC.

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Topic

Cities

Speaker

Nicias

Author

Thucydides

Source

History of the Peloponnesian War

Genre

Historical literature

Language

Greek

Time

404 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Nicias. Quoted in History of the Pelopponesian War, written by Thucydides. c. 405 BC, bk. 7.

Current Citation

Nicias. Quoted in History of the Pelopponesian War, written by Thucydides, translated by Martin Hammond. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 7.