78 Greek Philosopher Quotes On Ancient Knowledge & Life

If you’re in search of powerful and thought-provoking wisdom, relying on the great Greek philosophers of ancient times will serve you well.

We’ve rounded up an epic collection of Greek philosopher quotes to inspire you to think deeper and find your Greek god within.

Greek philosophers contributed hugely to our understanding of the world. Using their intelligence and reasoning skills, they attempted to make sense out of the world and brought along revolutionary philosophical contributions to politics, science and ethics.

As they say, true wisdom is eternal. The great Greek philosophers might have lived in much different times, but we can still apply their ancient wisdom to our modern lives.

Their wise words have the power to change the way you think and approach life.

So, to enlarge your thought, below is our collection of inspirational, wise, and mind-blowing Greek philosopher quotes and sayings, collected from a variety of sources over the years.

Greek Philosopher Quotes On Ancient Knowledge To Motivate You

1. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

2. “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” – Socrates (see more quotes by Socrates)

3. “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.” – Diogenes

4. “For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.” – Plato

5. “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” – Socrates

6. “You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” – Aristotle

7. “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” – Heraclitus

8. “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” – Churchill

9. “Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” – Aristotle

10. “If I had followed the multitude, I should not have studied philosophy.” – Chrysippus

Greek philosopher quotes that will inspire you to find your Greek god within

11. “Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.” – Democritus

12. “Difficulties are things that show a person what they are.” – Epictetus (see more Epictetus quotes)

13. “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” – Socrates

14. “No human being will ever know the Truth, for even if they happen to say it by chance, they would not even know they had done so.” —Xenophanes

15. “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” – Aristotle

16. “When you are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.” – Epictetus

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of Friedrich Nietzsche quotes on life and love.

17. “He has the most who is most content with the least.” – Diogenes

18. “Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” – Heraclitus

19. “Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.” – Democritus

20. “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” – Plato

Greek philosopher quotes to expand your understanding

21. “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus

22. “I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” – Plutarch

23. “Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves nor their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.” – Plato

24. “It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men.” —Thucydides

25. “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.” – Thales

26. “Good means not merely not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.” – Democritus

27. “There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.” – Plato

28. “Much learning does not teach understanding.” – Heraclitus

29. “The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” – Epictetus

30. “There was never a genius without a tincture of madness.” – Aristotle

Also, check out these Medusa quotes about the unique guardian from Greek mythology.

Greek philosopher quotes that will inspire you to think deeper

31. “It is a true man’s part not to err, but it is also noble of a man to perceive his error.” – Apollonius of Tyana

32. “Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom.” – Plato
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of knowledge quotes for those who love learning.

33. “Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.” – Epicurus

34. “Man is the measure of all things.” —Protagoras

35. “The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.” —Plutarch

36. “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” – Aristotle

37. “Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity.” – Democritus

38. “The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” – Aristotle

39. “Wait for the wisest of all counselors to judge you . . . time.” —Pericles

40. “Whatever comes from God is impossible for a man to turn back.” —Herodotus

More Greek philosopher quotes to expand your mind

41. “Control thy passions lest they take vengence on thee.” – Epictetus

42. “No one that encounters prosperity does not also encounter danger.” – Heraclitus

43. “Misfortune shows those who are not really friends.” – Aristotle

44. “Death does not concern us because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.” —Epicurus

45. “Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest.” – Epicurus

46. “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” —Demosthenes

47. “Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.” – Democritus

48. “Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details.” – Heraclitus

49. “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” – Aristotle

50. “People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.” – Plato

You might also like these philosophical Epicurus quotes for a happy life.

More Greek philosopher quotes

51. “To test a perfect theory with imperfect instruments did not impress the Greek philosophers as a valid way to gain knowledge.” – Isaac Asimov

52. “The Republic isn’t as much fun as The Symposium. It’s all long speeches, and nobody bursting in drunk to woo Socrates in the middle.” – Jo Walton, Among Others

53. “We are not separated from spirit, we are in it.” – Plotinus

54. “But what difference does it make who spoke the words? They were uttered for the world.” – Seneca
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of Seneca quotes that will help you in all facets of your life.

55. “It wasn’t easy looking dignified wearing a bed sheet and a purple cape.” – Rick Riordan, The Son of Neptune

56. “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.” – Aristotle

57. “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” – Herophilus

58. “Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream.” – Euripides

Short Greek philosopher quotes from Plotinus and Pythagoras

59. “Withdraw into yourself and look.” ― Plotinus

60. “Time is the soul of this world.” — Pythagoras

61. “Life is the flight of the alone to the alone.” ― Plotinus

62. “Silence is better than unmeaning words.” — Pythagoras

63. “It is in virtue of unity that beings are beings.” ― Plotinus

64. “The world is knowable, harmonious, and good.” ― Plotinus

65. “Thy foolish passions: learn thou to subdue them.” — Pythagoras

66. “Wisdom thoroughly learned will never be forgotten.” — Pythagoras

67. A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence.” — Pythagoras

68. “Concern should drive us into action and not into depression.” — Pythagoras

Greek philosopher quotes that will make you wise

69. “At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” — Plato

70. “When you want wisdom and insight as badly as you want to breathe, it is then you shall have it.” — Socrates

71. “The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.” — Plato

72. “Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.” — Plutarch

73. “It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life.” — Epicurus

74. “The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” — Epictetus

75. “All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire.” — Aristotle

76. “The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.” — Aristotle

77. “The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.” — Plutarch

78. “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” — Socrates

What did you learn from these Greek Philosopher quotes?

Ancient Greek philosophy is still important today? Even when passed down for thousands of years, wisdom speaks to human nature.

We can learn many life lessons from the work and lives of the great Greek philosophers. Hopefully, these quotes from the ancients have inspired you to live wisely and compassionately.

Which of these Greek philosopher quotes and sayings resonated with you best? Do you have any other favorite quotes to add? Feel free to share with us in the comment section below.