Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday in embryo, tomorrow a mummy or ashes. So for the hairsbreadth of time assigned to thee, live rationally, and part with life cheerfully, as drops the ripe olive, extolling the season that bore it and the tree that matured it.

τὸ ἀκαριαῖον οὖν τοῦτο τοῦ χρόνου κατὰ φύσιν διελθεῖν καὶ ἵλεων καταλῦσαι, ὡς ἂν εἰ ἐλαία πέπειρος γενομένη ἔπιπτεν, εὐφημοῦσα τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν καὶ χάριν εἰδυῖα τῷ φύσαντι δένδρῳ.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

Buy Meditations at Amazon Buy Meditations at Amazon
Read Meditations at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Ephemeral nature of life

Author

Marcus Aurelius

Source

Meditations

Medium

Personal journal

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

180 180s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Occupation

National leader Stoic Philosopher

From

Italy Europe Roman Empire

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.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Marcus Aurelius about ephemeral nature of life: “Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday…”
Download
A quote by Marcus Aurelius about ephemeral nature of life: “Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday…”
Download
A quote by Marcus Aurelius about ephemeral nature of life: “Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday…”
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 Marcus Aurelius

Every instant of time is a pinprick of eternity.

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

Buy Meditations at Amazon Buy Meditations at Amazon
Read Meditations at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Eternity Time

Author

Marcus Aurelius
Source
Meditations
Medium
Personal journal
Genre
Philosophical literature
Statement Type
Paradox
Language
Greek
Time
180 180s 2nd century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 1
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.

Another quote about Ephemeral nature of life

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.

1st Peter 1:24

Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon
Read this verse at Bible Hub
More information about this quote
Topic
Sic transit gloria mundi Ephemeral nature of life Grass Life
Source
1st Peter The Bible
Medium
Scripture
Genre
Religious literature
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
Greek
Time
65 60s 1st century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 3
Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (1st Peter 1:24).

Another quote from Classical antiquity

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Proverbs 6:20

Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon
Read this verse at Bible Hub
More information about this quote
Topic
Parents and children
Source
Proverbs The Bible
Medium
Scripture
Genre
Religious literature
Language
Hebrew
Time
686 BC 680s BC 7th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 3
Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Proverbs 6:20).

Another quote originally in Greek

Liars when they speak the truth are not believed.

Aristotle

Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by Diogenes Laërtius

Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon Buy The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Amazon
Read The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Consequences of lying Liars Lying
Speaker
Aristotle

Author

Diogenes Laërtius
Source
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
Genre
Historical literature
Language
Greek
Time
400 400s 3rd century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Aristotle. Quoted in Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laertius. c. 240 AD, bk. 5, ch. 1, sect. 17.

Current Citation

Aristotle. Quoted in The Lives of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Pamela Mensch, edited by James Miller. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 5, ch. 1, sect. 17.