Quintilian
Quintilian
Marcus Fabius Quintilianuswas a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing. In English translation, he is usually referred to as Quintilian, although the alternate spellings of Quintillian and Quinctilian are occasionally seen, the latter in older texts...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionEducator
agriculture soil students
Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
mother ambition may
Though ambition may be a fault in itself, it is often the mother of virtues.
men trying may
A man who tries to surpass another may perhaps succeed in equaling inot actually surpassing him, but one who merely follows can never quite come up with him: a follower, necessarily, is always behind.
memories liars army
A liar ought to have a good memory.
hypocrisy wish fool
Those who wish to appear learned to fools, appear as fools to the learned.
journey ideas crowds
In a crowd, on a journey, at a banquet even, a line of thought can itself provide its own seclusion.
men sudden-change fortune
Nothing is more dangerous to men than a sudden change of fortune.
children nurse firsts
It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
teaching quality students
Study depends on the goodwill of the student, a quality that cannot be secured by compulsion.
experience valuable
In almost everything, experience is more valuable than precept.
too-late pondering late
While we ponder when to begin, it becomes too late to do.
becoming
Nothing can be pleasing which is not also becoming.
sometimes expected examining
While we are examining into everything we sometimes find truth where we least expected it.
ambition parent vices
Though ambition in itself is a vice, yet it is often the parent of virtues. [Lat., Licet ipsa vitium sit ambitio, frequenter tamen causa virtutem est.]