Cool ancient quotes

[cliff_marsland]

My personal favorite is Pompey Magnus, "Little man, stop quoting laws to me.  We carry swords."   A runner up is Sulla's reply to the Athenian.

Does anyone have the text of Tiberius calling one of Lepidus' relatives a "lazy, degenerate pauper.?"  I wish modern people were that cool!

What are your favorite quotes?

[rick2]

Nihil Mihi Officit !

i dont give a f... 

that s my favourite one with a slightly modernized translation

i cant remember who said it though

[Molinari]

Not ancient, but my favorite:

"Man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains," J.J. Rousseau

The quote struck me as a disgruntled teen and made me major in philosophy!

Nick

[cliff_marsland]

Pretty cool, Rick.

How could I forget Caligula's "Let them hate me as long as they fear me."

My favorite modern quote, "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat."   From a great Olympian.

[benito]

Nihil Mihi Officit !

i dont give a f... 

that s my favourite one with a slightly modernized translation

i cant remember who said it though

or a da..
Sic etiam dici potest.

[Mark Z]

How about one from Julius Caesar?:

"I love treason but hate a traitor!"

A saying that I like to paraphrase:

"I love politics but I despise politicians!"

mz

[benito]

From an anonymous Roman citizen
Miximus in lecto. Fateor, peccavimus, hospes.  Si dices: Quare? Nulla fuit matella

[benito]

And one from Cicero to a collector of coins.      Appetitus rationi pareat
Let your desires be ruled by reason.

[Fallen Horseman]

One of my favorites will always be the dying words of Augustus.

"Have I played my part well? Then applaud as I exit."

[Syltorian]

In a speech defending a man accused by Clodia, the sister of his arch-enemy Clodius, Cicero wants to make it clear that he took the case to defend Caelius, not out of a grudge "because of my enmity to that woman's husband... I mean brother, I always get this wrong!"

Also, Tacitus has come up with some of my favourite quotes. On Roman conquest: "Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant". "Where they create a wasteland, they call it peace". On Augustus' ending the civil wars. "pacem sine dubio post haec, verum cruentam". "There was peace without a doubt after this. But a bloody one."

And one from Greece, Plutarch, Sayings of the Spartans, Antalcidas 39.3 When An Athenian said to him, "You must admit that we have many a time put you to rout from the Cephisus," he retorted, "But we have never put you to rout from the Eurotas." - The Cephisus flows near Athens, the Eurotas near Sparta (never reached by an Athenian army).

[Randygeki(h2)]

This one is a bit short, but in context, is one of my favorites.

Julius Caesar (while in north Africa) "citizens"

[marcos x]

    "What is a God? That what has nor a beginning nor an end "  ΘΑΛΗΣ Ο ΜΙΛΗΣΙΟΣ

[Lloyd]

Look to that beneath beneath my avatar.... Debt is the slavery of the free...Publilius Syrus.

As relevant today as it was under the heavily taxed Roman Empire which resulted in indebtedness of individuals and cities and was the source of most of the animosity to Roman rule. A Syrian brought as a slave to Rome, Pubilius Syrus was influenced by his own experience and what he saw in the eastern provinces in revolt during the early years of the first century BC...
Herodotus, Xenophon, Strabo and other Greek historian described the Persian dualistic view, in which Light and Truth (Arta in Old Iranian) eternally battle evil forces of Darkness and Lies (Druj). Dishonesty was reprehensible. Debt was a morally deplorable condition, because indebted people were susceptible to deceit and enslavement. Debtors and slaves were unable to exercise free will, unable to chose to struggle against Darkness.  These beliefs help explain why hatred of the Romans was so profound in the Persian-influenced Provinces of Asia. Under Rome's rapacious and corrupt taxation policies, moneylenders charged exorbitant interest rates and confiscated all of an indebted man's possessions when he defaulted; then he was enslaved and sold to Roman masters. Roman taxes plunged entire cities into overwhelming debt, forcing them to sell artworks and other treasures, their land and their own people. Even the wealthiest kings succumbed to bankruptcy and blackmail. To oppose the Romans was to fight on the side of Truth and Light. ... pp 46-47 of The Poison King The Life and Legend of Mithradates Rome's Deadliest Enemy by Adrienne Mayor

History may not repeat, but it sure rhymes and collectively it seems that humanity never learns. And a few others from good old Publilius who had a most profound insight into human nature and life in general, more so than all the modern pop-psychologists put together.....

A rolling stone gathers no moss.....Publilius Syrus

Look to be treated by others as you have treated others......Publilius Syrus

A good reputation is more valuable than money......Publilius Syrus

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.......Publilius Syrus

and one I frequently have occasion to relate to : I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.  ......Publilius Syrus

[cliff_marsland]

That's a great quote, Lloyd T. So true.  That's my life's motto, although I didn't know of that quote.  I may not be able to buy $10,000+ coins but I'm completely debt free.  But didn't the pre-3rd century Roman empire have a lower combined tax rate than the U.S./UK/various European nations?  I'm referring to citizens, and not the provinces, which got soaked.

There's been a lot of great quotes, some of which I've not seen before.  I'd like to see more!

[rick2]

well the best quote about debt came out of the recent crisis......

"its better to be in debt and let somebody else do all the worrying"

[Andrew McCabe]

well the best quote about debt came out of the recent crisis......

"its better to be in debt and let somebody else do all the worrying"

HAHA. Go Greece!!! Go USA!!! Let the Chinese worry!!!

Actually its a reasonable comment. Greek bondholders got stung and the US can devalue its dollar over time. I'd be more worried if I were Chinese. At least the Greeks have stocked up on flat-screen TVs, the Athens Metro, and home improvements over the last decade. That's real currency.

[Randygeki(h2)]

 

[Kained but Able]

A couple of my favourites from the inimitable Marcus Aurelius..

V.xxiv. Think of the totality of all Being, and what a mite of it is yours; Think of all Time, and the brief fleeting instant of it that is alotted to yourself, think of Destiny, and how puny a part of it you are.

XI.xiii. Will someone sneer at me? That will be his concern; mine will be to ensure that nothing I do or say shall deserve this sneer. Will he perhaps hate me? Again, his concern. Mine, to be in friendship and charity with all men, ready to show this very man himself where he is mistaken.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Vespasian's last words. 'I think I'm becoming a god'.

[Randygeki(h2)]

Vespasian's last words. 'I think I'm becoming a god'.

I like that one too

[gallienus1]

Thanks Cliff, for starting this thread. Terrific quotes especially from Publilius Syrus by Lloyd T.

The pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus is one of my favorite sources of quotes.
 
Some of his gems include-

You only know where you are going if you know where you have been. Any navigator will tell you this.

Affluence is a product of self discipline.

A man's character is his fate.

A modern source of good quotes is the economic commentator Max Keiser. This is one of his I particularly like-

 We live in a world that has a super conducting economy where everyone’s money is represented by an election that is equal to zero.

Best Regards,
Steve