Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch; c. AD 46 – AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
ambition mean men
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.
encouragement children mean
Children ought to be led to honorable practices by means of encouragement and reasoning, and most certainly not by blows and ill treatment.
wickedness wonderful miserable
Wickedness frames the engines of her own torment. She is a wonderful artisan of a miserable life.
might fool criminals
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.
men good-man battle
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?
home doors athens
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.
faults matter human-nature
To conduct great matters and never commit a fault is above the force of human nature.
rain fall battle
Extraordinary rains pretty generally fall after great battles.
war law noise
Lysander said that the law spoke too softly to be heard in such a noise of war.
father taken opportunity
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.
men people asia
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.
life philosophy live-life
Philosophy is an act of living.
believe long sparta
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."