Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionAuthor
powerful believe math
Why do we believe that in all matters the odd numbers are more powerful?
miscarriage son thinking
Compassion and shame come over one who considers how precarious is the origin of the proudest of living beings: often the smell of a lately extinguished lamp is enough to cause a miscarriage. And to think that from such a frail beginning a tyrant or butcher may be born! You who trust in your physical strength, who embrace the gifts of fortune and consider yourself not their ward but their son, you who have a domineering spirit, you who consider yourself a god as soon as success swells your breast, think how little could have destroyed you!
men training taught
Man is the only one that knows nothing, that can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak nor walk nor eat, and in short he can do nothing at the prompting of nature only, but weep.
happiness true-happiness deserving
True happiness consists in being considered deserving of it.
past oblivion over-it
God has no power over the past except to cover it with oblivion.
laughter men laughing
To laugh, if but for an instant only, has never been granted to man before the fortieth day from his birth, and then it is looked upon as a miracle of precocity.
doe firsts impossible
Indeed, what is there that does not appear marvelous when it comes to our knowledge for the first time? How many things, too, are looked up on as quite impossible until they have been actually effected?
impossible has-beens
How many things... are looked upon as quite impossible until they have been actually effected?
wine insanity crime
Wine takes away reason, engenders insanity, leads to thousands of crimes, and imposes such an enormous expense on nations.
eye afar neglect
We neglect those things which are under our very eyes, and heedless of things within our grasp, pursue those which are afar off.
sex science black
The leading distinction of magnets is sex... The kind that is found in Troas is black, and of the female sex, and consequently destitute of attractive power.
country stars honesty
The largest land animal is the elephant, and it is the nearest to man in intelligence: it understands the language of its country and obeys orders, remembers duties that it has been taught, is pleased by affection and by marks of honour, nay more it possesses virtues rare even in man, honesty, wisdom, justice, also respect for the stars and reverence for the sun and moon.
lust avarice-greed wealth
The lust of avarice as so totally seized upon mankind that their wealth seems rather to possess them than they possess their wealth.
strong honor obligation
Let honor be to us as strong an obligation as necessity is to others.