Plutarch Quotes

A collection of quotes by Plutarch.

Plutarch was a Greek philosopher, historian, and biographer who was born around 46 AD in the city of Chaeronea, Boeotia, Greece. He is widely known for his influential works on Greek and Roman history, particularly his collection of parallel biographies titled "Plutarch's Lives" or "Parallel Lives."

Plutarch's education included studying philosophy and mathematics in Athens, where he was influenced by the teachings of the Stoic and Platonic schools. He traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean, seeking knowledge and participating in philosophical discussions. Plutarch's writings frequently blend history, biography, and moral philosophy, as he believed that understanding and reflecting on the lives and actions of great individuals could provide valuable lessons for personal growth and moral improvement.

"Plutarch's Lives" consists of a series of paired biographies comparing a Greek figure with a corresponding Roman figure. In this work, Plutarch explored the moral and character traits of his subjects, shedding light on their virtues and vices. Aside from "Parallel Lives," his other notable works include "Moralia," a collection of essays encompassing a wide range of topics, from philosophy and ethics to politics and cultural criticism.

Plutarch's works had a significant impact on Western literature and had enduring influence during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. His writing style, combining biography and philosophy, continues to inspire scholars and readers to this day. Plutarch passed away in the late 120s or early 130s AD, leaving behind a remarkable literary legacy that continues to shape our understanding of ancient history and the complexities of human nature.

I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods

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

Courage consists not in hazarding without fear; but being re

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

To make no mistakes is not in the power of man but from thei

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.

You speak truth, said Themistocles; I should never have been

You speak truth, said Themistocles; I should never have been famous if I had been of Seriphus; 4 nor you, had you been of Athens.

All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but e

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.

Medicine, to produce health, has to examine disease.

Medicine, to produce health, has to examine disease.

For it was not so much that by means of words I came to a co

For it was not so much that by means of words I came to a complete understanding of things, as that from things I somehow had an experience which enabled me to follow the meaning of words.

Rest is the sweet sauce of labor.

Rest is the sweet sauce of labor.

He made the city Athens, great as it was when he took it, th

He made the city Athens, great as it was when he took it, the greatest and richest of all cities, and grew to be superior in power to kings and tyrants. Some of these actually appointed him guardian of their sons, but he did not make his estate a single drachma greater than it was when his father left it to him.

If I could explain it to the average person, I wouldn't have

If I could explain it to the average person, I wouldn't have been worth the Nobel Prize.

Richard Feynman

The omission of good is no less reprehensible than the commi

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

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

Change Inspirational

Solon being asked, namely, what city was best to live in. Th

Solon being asked, namely, what city was best to live in. That city, he replied, in which those who are not wronged, no less than those who are wronged, exert themselves to punish the wrongdoers.

They are wrong who think that politics is like an ocean voya

They are wrong who think that politics is like an ocean voyage or a military campaign, something to be done with some particular end in view, something which leaves off as soon as that end is reached. It is not a public chore, to be got over with. It is a way of life. It is the life of a domesticated political and social creature who is born with a love for public life, with a desire for honor, with a feeling for his fellows; and it lasts as long as need be.

Courage stands halfway between cowardice and rashness, one o

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

Socrates said he was not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citiz

Socrates said he was not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.

The wildest colts make the best horses.

The wildest colts make the best horses.

Learn to be pleased with everything; with wealth, so far as

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.

When Demosthenes was asked what were the three most importan

When Demosthenes was asked what were the three most important aspects of oratory, he answered, Action, Action, Action.

In words are seen the state of mind and character and dispos

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