Quotes from Plutarch

Justice makes the life of such as are in prosperity, power and authority the life of a god, and injustice turns it to that of a beast.

The man who is completely wise and virtuous has no need of glory, except so far as it…eases his way to action by the greater trust that it procures him.

To make no mistakes is not in the power of man but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.

It is a high distinction for a homely woman to be loved for her character rather than for beauty.

Courage stands halfway between cowardice and rashness, one of which is a lack, the other an excess of courage.

Cato used to assert that wise men profited more by fools than fools by wise men; for that wise men avoided the faults of fools, but that fools would not imitate the good examples of wise men.

Not by lamentations and mournful chants ought we to celebrate the funeral of a good man, but by hymns, for in ceasing to be numbered with mortals he enters upon the heritage of a diviner life.

Silence is an answer to a wise man.

As Meander says, "For our mind is God;" and as Heraclitus, "Man's genius is a deity."

The man who first brought ruin upon the Roman people was he who pampered them by largesses and amusements.

Apothegms are the most infallible mirror to represent a man truly what he is.

Someone praising a man for his foolhardy bravery, Cato, the elder, said, ''There is a wide difference between true courage and a mere contempt of life.

Lying is a most disgraceful vice; it first despises God, and then fears men.

To do an evil action is base; to do a good action without incurring danger is common enough; but it is the part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risks every thing.

Agesilaus being invited once to hear a man who admirably imitated the nightingale, he declined, saying he had heard the nightingale itself.

Cicero said loud-bawling orators were driven by their weakness to noise, as lame men to take horse.

Plato said that God geometrizes continually.

The richest soil, if uncultivated, produces the rankest weeds.

It is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another man's oration, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in it's place is a work extremely troublesome.

Anger turns the mind out of doors and bolts the entrance.

As small letters hurt the sight, so do small matters him that is too much intent upon them; they vex and stir up anger, which begets an evil habit in him in reference to greater affairs.

It does not follow, that because a particular work of art succeeds in charming us, its creator also deserves our admiration.

Even a nod from a person who is esteemed is of more force than a thousand arguments or studied sentences from others.

Pythias once, scoffing at Demosthenes, said that his arguments smelt of the lamp.