Creatures of a day. What is someone? What is no one? Man is the dream of a shadow. But when the brilliance given by Zeus comes, a shining light is on man, and a gentle lifetime.

τί δέ τις; τί δ᾽ οὔ τις; σκιᾶς ὄναρ ἄνθρωπος. ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν αἴγλα διόσδοτος ἔλθῃ, λαμπρὸν φέγγος ἔπεστιν ἀνδρῶν καὶ μείλιχος αἰών.

Pindar

Pythian Odes

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More information about this quote

Topic

Ephemeral nature of life God's favor

Author

Pindar

Source

Pythian Odes

Medium

Poem

Language

Greek

Time

446 BC 440s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Occupation

Poet

From

Greece Europe Ancient Greece

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Pindar. Pythian Odes. c. 474, pythian 8.

Current Citation

Pindar. The Complete Odes, translated by Anthony Verity. Oxford University Press, 2008, pythian 8.

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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 about Ephemeral nature of life

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

William Shakespeare

Macbeth

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More information about this quote
Topic
Absurdity of life The absurd Life as performance Ephemeral nature of life Life
Speaker
Macbeth

Author

William Shakespeare
Source
Macbeth
Medium
Play
Genre
Tragedy (play)
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1616 1610s 17th century
Era
European Renaissance
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Macbeth." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 5, sc. 5.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Macbeth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 5, sc. 5.

Another quote from the 5th century BC

Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be defeated.

Sun Tzu

The Art of War

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More information about this quote
Topic
Self-knowledge Enemies

Author

Sun Tzu
Source
The Art of War
Medium
Treatise
Genre
Military treatise
Statement Type
Advice
Language
Chinese
Time
475 BC 470s BC 5th century BC
Authentication Score 0
Original Citation

Sun Tzu. 孫子兵法 [The Art of War]. c. 475 BC, ch. 3.

Current Citation

Sun Tzu. The Art of War: The Essential Translation of the Classic Book of Life, translated by John Minford. Penguin Classics, 2009, ch. 3.

Another quote from Classical antiquity

Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world; and whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world.

The Talmud

More information about this quote
Topic
Moral theory
Source
The Talmud
Medium
Scripture
Genre
Religious literature
Statement Type
Precepts and axioms
Language
Hebrew
Time
200 200s 3rd century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 1
Original Citation

Talmud. Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:9:1.

Current Citation

The Talmud: A Selection, translated by Norman Solomon. Penguin Classics, 2009, Fourth Order Neziqin, Fourth Tractate Sanhedrin (The Court) 4:9:1.

Another quote originally in Greek

It is never right to do wrong or to requite wrong with wrong, or when we suffer evil to defend ourselves by doing evil in return.

Socrates

Quoted in Crito, by Plato

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More information about this quote
Topic
Eye for an eye Retaliation Revenge Justice
Speaker
Socrates

Author

Plato
Source
Crito
Medium
Philosophical dialogue
Genre
Philosophical literature
Statement Type
Precepts and axioms
Language
Greek
Time
399 BC 390s BC 4th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Plato. Crito. 399 BCE.

Current Citation

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