To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know.

τὸ γάρ τοι θάνατον δεδιέναι, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἢ δοκεῖν σοφὸν εἶναι μὴ ὄντα: δοκεῖν γὰρ εἰδέναι ἐστὶν ἃ οὐκ οἶδεν. 

Socrates

Quoted in Apology, by Plato

Buy the Apology at Amazon Buy the Apology at Amazon
Read the Apology at MIT's classics department website

More information about this quote

Topic

Fear of death The unknown Ignorance Death The afterlife

Speaker

Socrates

Author

Plato

Source

Apology

Medium

Courtroom speech Speech

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

399 BC 390s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Occupation

Philosopher

From

Greece Europe Ancient Greece

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Plato. Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους [Apology of Socrates]. Speech of legal self-defence which Socrates spoke at his trial for impiety and corruption. 399 BC, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Plato. "Apology." Plato: Euthyphro; Apology; Crito; Phaedo, translated by Christopher Emlyn-Jones and William Preddy. Harvard University Press, 2017.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Socrates about fear of death: “To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise:…”
Download
A quote by Socrates about fear of death: “To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise:…”
Download
A quote by Socrates about fear of death: “To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise:…”
Download

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 by Plato

I know that I do not know.

Socrates

Quoted in Apology, by Plato

Buy the Apology at Amazon Buy the Apology at Amazon
Read the Apology at MIT's classics department website
More information about this quote
Topic
Intellectual humility Certainty Ignorance
Speaker
Socrates

Author

Plato
Source
Apology
Medium
Courtroom speech Speech
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
Greek
Time
399 BC 390s BC 4th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Plato. Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους [Apology of Socrates]. Speech of legal self-defence which Socrates spoke at his trial for impiety and corruption. 399 BC, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Plato. "Apology." Plato: Euthyphro; Apology; Crito; Phaedo, translated by Christopher Emlyn-Jones and William Preddy. Harvard University Press, 2017.

Another quote about Death

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night.

Sarah Williams

The Old Astronomer

More information about this quote
Topic
Fear of death Death

Author

Sarah Williams
Source
The Old Astronomer
Medium
Poem
Language
English
Time
1868 1860s 19th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Williams, Sarah. "The Old Astronomer." Twilight Hours: A Legacy of Verse. Strahan and Co., 1868, I. 15.

Another quote from Classical antiquity

A liar should have a good memory.

Quintilian

Institutio Oratoria

Buy The Orator's Education (Books 3-5) at Amazon Buy The Orator's Education (Books 3-5) at Amazon
Read Institutio Oratoria at uchicago.edu
More information about this quote
Topic
Consequences of lying Liars

Author

Quintilian
Source
Institutio Oratoria
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
Latin
Time
95 90s 1st century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria [Institutes of Oratory]. c. 95 AD, bk. 4, ch. 1, sect. 91.

Another quote originally in Greek

Why seek ye the living among the dead?

Jesus

Luke 24:5

Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon
Read this verse at Bible Hub
More information about this quote
Topic
Jesus's resurrection
Speaker
Jesus
Source
Gospel of Luke The Bible
Medium
Scripture
Genre
Religious literature
Statement Type
Question
Language
Greek
Time
61 60s 1st century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 3
Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Luke 24:5).