Plutarch Quotations

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

It is a hard matter, my fellow citizens, to argue with the belly, since it has no ears.

The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune.

In words are seen the state of mind and character and disposition of the speaker.

Courage consists not in hazarding without fear; but being resolutely minded in a just cause.

Moral habits, induced by public practices, are far quicker in making their way into men's private lives, than the failings and faults of individuals are in infecting the city at large.

If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.

We ought not to treat living creatures like shoes or household belongings, which when worn with use we throw away.

To be ignorant of the lives of the most celebrated men of antiquity is to continue in a state of childhood all our days.

To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.

No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune.

To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.

Do not speak of your happiness to one less fortunate than yourself.

It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything.

I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.

Prosperity is no just scale; adversity is the only balance to weigh friends.

All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own.

The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.

Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.

Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.

Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little.

Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.

Medicine to produce health must examine disease; and music, to create harmony must investigate discord.

I would rather excel in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the extent of my power and possessions.

For to err in opinion, though it be not the part of wise men, is at least human.

An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.

The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.

The omission of good is no less reprehensible than the commission of evil.

A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues.

It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt.

Courage stands halfway between cowardice and rashness, one of which is a lack, the other an excess of courage.

Let us carefully observe those good qualities wherein our enemies excel us; and endeavor to excel them, by avoiding what is faulty, and imitating what is excellent in them.

Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity.

When the strong box contains no more both friends and flatterers shun the door.

Fate leads him who follows it, and drags him who resist.

It is indeed a desirable thing to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors.

Learn to be pleased with everything; with wealth, so far as it makes us beneficial to others; with poverty, for not having much to care for, and with obscurity, for being unenvied.

Paulus Aemilius, on taking command of the forces in Macedonia, and finding them talkative and impertinently busy, as though they were all commanders, issued out his orders that they should have only ready hands and keen swords, and leave the rest to

To do an evil act is base. To do a good one without incurring danger, is common enough. But it is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds though he risks everything in doing them.

The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it, therefore, while it lasts, and not spend it to no purpose

The whole life is but a point of time; let us enjoy it, therefore, while it lasts, and not spend it to no purpose.

The richest soil, if cultivated, produces the rankest weeds

Another such victory over the Romans and we are undone.

The measure of a man is way he bears up under misfortune

Athenodorus says hydrophobia, or water-dread, was first discovered in the time of Asclepiades.

There were two brothers called Both and Either; perceiving Either was a good, understanding, busy fellow, and Both a silly fellow and good for little, Philip said, "Either is both, and Both is neither.

After he routed Pharnaces Ponticus at the first assault, he wrote thus to his friends: "I came, I saw, I conquered.

Pompey bade Sylla recollect that more worshipped the rising than the setting sun.

Cicero called Aristotle a river of flowing gold, and said of Plato's Dialogues, that if Jupiter were to speak, it would be in language like theirs.

Remember what Simonides said, that he never repented that he had held his tongue, but often that he had spoken.

Spintharus, speaking in commendation of Epaminondas, says he scarce ever met with any man who knew more and spoke less.

Lampis, the sea commander, being asked how he got his wealth, answered, "My greatest estate I gained easily enough, but the smaller slowly and with much labour.

From Themistocles began the saying, "He is a second Hercules.

By the study of their biographies, we receive each man as a guest into our minds, and we seem to understand their character as the result of a personal acquaintance, because we have obtained from their acts the best and most important means of forming an opinion about them. "What greater pleasure could'st thou gain than this?" What more valuable for the elevation of our own character?

Alcibiades had a very handsome dog, that cost him seven thousand drachmas; and he cut off his tail, "that," said he, "the Athenians may have this story to tell of me, and may concern themselves no further with me.

Nature without learning is like a blind man; learning without Nature, like a maimed one; practice without both, incomplete. As in agriculture a good soil is first sought for, then a skilful husbandman, and then good seed; in the same way nature corresponds to the soil, the teacher to the husbandman, precepts and instruction to the seed.

Pompey had fought brilliantly and in the end routed Caesar's whole force... but either he was unable to or else he feared to push on. Caesar [said] to his friends: 'Today the enemy would have won, if they had had a commander who was a winner.

Anaximander says that men were first produced in fishes, and when they were grown up and able to help themselves were thrown up, and so lived upon the land.

Let us not wonder if something happens which never was before, or if something doth not appear among us with which the ancients were acquainted.

Xenophon says that there is no sound more pleasing than one's own praises.

Poverty is never dishonourable in itself, but only when it is a mark of sloth, intemperance, extravagance, or thoughtlessness. When, on the other hand, it is the handmaid of a sober, industrious, righteous, and brave man, who devotes all his powers to the service of the people, it is the sign of a lofty spirit that harbours no mean thoughts

Empire may be gained by gold, not gold by empire. It used, indeed, to be a proverb that "It is not Philip, but Philip's gold that takes the cities of Greece.

Where two discourse, if the anger of one rises, he is the wise man who lets the contest fall.

Phocion compared the speeches of Leosthenes to cypress-trees. "They are tall," said he, "and comely, but bear no fruit.

When Demaratus was asked whether he held his tongue because he was a fool or for want of words, he replied, "A fool cannot hold his tongue.

Archimedes had stated, that given the force, any given weight might be moved; and even boasted that if there were another earth, by going into it he could remove this.

Pythias once, scoffing at Demosthenes, said that his arguments smelt of the lamp.

The pilot cannot mitigate the billows or calm the winds.

When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but he that saith it never heard the sound of trumpets.

A soldier told Pelopidas, "We are fallen among the enemies." Said he, "How are we fallen among them more than they among us?

Courage and wisdom are, indeed, rarities amongst men, but of all that is good, a just man it would seem is the most scarce.

For the rich men without scruple drew the estate into their own hands, excluding the rightful heirs from their succession; and all the wealth being centred upon the few, the generality were poor and miserable. Honourable pursuits, for which there was no longer leisure, were neglected; the state was filled with sordid business, and with hatred and envy of the rich.

For there is no virtue, the honour and credit for which procures a man more odium from the elite than that of justice; and this, because more than any other, it acquires a man power and authority among the common people. For they only honour the valiant and admire the wise, while in addition they also love just men, and put entire trust and confidence in them.

They fought indeed and were slain, but it was to maintain the luxury and the wealth of other men.

Justice makes the life of such as are in prosperity, power and authority the life of a god, and injustice turns it to that of a beast.

Nor let us part with justice, like a cheap and common thing, for a small and trifling price.

Of the land which the Romans gained by conquest from their neighbours, part they sold publicly, and turned the remainder into common; this common land they assigned to such of the citizens as were poor and indigent, for which they were to pay only a small acknowledgment into the public treasury. But when the wealthy men began to offer larger rents, and drive the poorer people out, it was enacted by law that no person whatever should enjoy more than five hundred acres of ground.

Rome was in the most dangerous inclination to change on account of the unequal distribution of wealth and property, those of highest rank and greatest spirit having impoverished themselves by shows, entertainments, ambition of offices, and sumptuous buildings, and the riches of the city having thus fallen into the hands of mean and low-born persons. So that there wanted but a slight impetus to set all in motion, it being in the power of every daring man to overturn a sickly commonwealth.

Children ought to be led to honorable practices by means of encouragement and reasoning, and most certainly not by blows and ill treatment.

Wickedness frames the engines of her own torment. She is a wonderful artisan of a miserable life.

Being summoned by the Athenians out of Sicily to plead for his life, Alcibiades absconded, saying that that criminal was a fool who studied a defence when he might fly for it.

The great god Pan is dead.

Epaminondas is reported wittily to have said of a good man that died about the time of the battle of Leuctra, "How came he to have so much leisure as to die, when there was so much stirring?

Anacharsis coming to Athens, knocked at Solon's door, and told him that he, being a stranger, was come to be his guest, and contract a friendship with him; and Solon replying, "It is better to make friends at home," Anacharsis replied, "Then you that are at home make friendship with me.

To conduct great matters and never commit a fault is above the force of human nature.

Extraordinary rains pretty generally fall after great battles.

Lysander said that the law spoke too softly to be heard in such a noise of war.

Whenever Alexander heard Philip had taken any town of importance, or won any signal victory, instead of rejoicing at it altogether, he would tell his companions that his father would anticipate everything, and leave him and them no opportunities of performing great and illustrious actions.

One made the observation of the people of Asia that they were all slaves to one man, merely because they could not pronounce that syllable No.

Philosophy is an act of living.

A traveller at Sparta, standing long upon one leg, said to a Lacedaemonian, "I do not believe you can do as much." "True," said he, "but every goose can."

To one that promised to give him hardy cocks that would die fighting, "Prithee," said Cleomenes, "give me cocks that will kill fighting.

When one told Plistarchus that a notorious railer spoke well of him, "I 'll lay my life," said he, "somebody hath told him I am dead, for he can speak well of no man living.

Had I a careful and pleasant companion that should show me my angry face in a glass, I should not at all take it ill; to behold man's self so unnaturally disguised and dishonored will conduce not a little to the impeachment of anger.

To fail to do good is as bad as doing harm.

Grief is natural; the absence of all feeling is undesirable, but moderation in grief should be observed, as in the face of all good or evil.

Immoderate grief is selfish, harmful, brings no advantage to either the mourner or the mourned, and dishonors the dead.

Playing the Cretan with the Cretans (i.e. lying to liars).