There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible, as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man.

οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως οὔτε μάρτυς ἐστι φοβερὸς οὔτε κατήγορος δεινὸς ὡς ἡ σύνεσις ἡ κατοικοῦσ᾽ ἐν ταῖς ἑκάστων ψυχαῖς.

Polybius

More information about this quote

Topic

Conscience Self-criticism Self-hatred

Author

Polybius

Source

Histories (Polybius)

Genre

Historical literature

Language

Greek

Time

118 BC 110s BC 2nd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Occupation

Historian Writer

From

Greece Europe Ancient Greece

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Polybius. Ἱστορίαι [Histories]. c. 110 BC, bk. 18.

Current Citation

Polybius. The Histories, translated by W. R. Paton. Vol. 5, Harvard University Press, 2012, bk. 18.

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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote from Classical antiquity

Of all the creatures that breathe and move across the earth, there is nothing feebler than man.

Homer

The Odyssey

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Read The Odyssey at MIT's classics department website
More information about this quote
Topic
Human frailty Nature of man

Author

Homer
Source
The Odyssey
Medium
Poem
Genre
Epic poem
Language
Greek
Time
700 BC 700s BC 8th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Homer. Ὀδύσσεια [Odyssey]. c. 710 BC, bk. 18, l. 130.

Current Citation

Homer. The Odyssey, edited by Bernard Knox, translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics, 2006, bk. 18, l. 130.

Another quote originally in Greek

Friends have all things in common.

Plato

Phaedrus

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Read Phaedrus at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Nature of friendship Sharing
Speaker
Phaedrus

Author

Plato
Source
Phaedrus
Medium
Philosophical dialogue Dialogue
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
Greek
Time
370 BC 370s BC 4th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Phaedrus. Quoted in Φαῖδρος [Phaedrus], written by Plato. c. 370 BC, sect. 279c.

Current Citation

Phaedrus. Quoted in "Phaedrus." Plato: Lysis; Symposium; Phaedrus, written by Plato, translated by Christopher Emlyn-Jones and William Preddy. Harvard University Press, 2022, sect. 279c.