Quotes by Roman Authors - Page 12

He is much to be dreaded who stands in dread of poverty.
Publilius Syrus
What we fear comes to pass more speedily than what we hope.
Publilius Syrus
The mere apprehension of a coming evil has put many into a situation of the utmost danger.
Lucan
The mind that is anxious about the future is miserable.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
Anger is momentary madness so control your passion or it will control you.
Horace
A field becomes exhausted by constant tillage.
Ovid
Praise a large domain cultivate a small estate.
Virgil
When you are aspiring to the highest place it is honorable to reach the second or even the third rank.
Cicero
If you wish to reach the highest begin at the lowest.
Syrus
Old age is by nature rather talkative.
Cicero
Old age especially an honoured old age has so great authority that this is of more value than all the pleasures of youth.
Cicero
Whatever advice you give be short.
Horace
Many receive advice only the wise profit by it.
Syrus
Admonish your friends privately but praise them openly.
Syrus
It has seemed to be more necessary to have regard to the weight of words rather than to their number.
Cicero
The good things that belong to prosperity are to be wished but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
Adversity reveals genius prosperity conceals it.
Horace
In victory even the cowardly like to boast while in adverse times even the brave are discredited.
Sallust
Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.
Horace
Fire is the test of gold adversity of strong men.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
Brave men rejoice in adversity just as brave soldiers triumph in war.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
No untroubled day has ever dawned for me.
Seneca
Prosperity tries the fortunate adversity the great.
Pliny the Younger
Night brings our troubles to the light rather than banishes them.
Seneca
Get good counsel before you begin: and when you have decided act promptly.
Sallust
What must be shall be and that which is a necessity to him that struggles is little more than choice to him that is willing.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
Better to accept whatever happens.
Horace
Every man must be content with that glory which he may have at home.
Boethius
There is no such thing as pure pleasure some anxiety always goes with it.
Ovid
He who has calmly reconciled his life to fate ... can look fortune in the face.
Boethius
The great soul surrenders itself to fate.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
What it is forbidden to be put right becomes lighter by acceptance.
Horace
Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live.
Marcus Aurelius
Love only what befalls you and is spun for you by fate.
Marcus Aurelius
Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands.
Marcus Annaeus Seneca
Here is a rule to remember when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not "This is a misfortune " but "To bear this worthily is good fortune."
Marcus Aurelius
If you aspire to the highest place it is no disgrace to stop at the second or even the third place.
Cicero
He who cannot do what he wants must make do with what he can.
Terence
Vex not thy spirit at the course of things they heed not thy vexation. How ludicrous and outlandish is astonishment at anything that may happen in life.
Marcus Aurelius
A wise man never refuses anything to necessity.
Publilius Syrus
Let no one be willing to speak ill of the absent.
Propertius
They are able because they think they are able.
Virgil
Greater things are believed of those who are absent.
Tacitus
He has half the deed done who has made a beginning.
Horace
They are able who think they are able.
Virgil
The greatest talents often lie buried out of sight.
Plautus
Every visible thing in this world is put in the charge of an Angel.
Augustine of Hippo
Pain is slight if opinion has added nothing to it; ... in thinking it slight, you will make it slight. Everything depends on opinion. It is according to opinion that we suffer. A man is as wretched as he has convinced himself that he is.
Seneca
You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.
Marcus Aurelius
Life will follow the path it started upon, and will neither reverse nor check its course; it will make no noise, it will not remind you of its swiftness. Silent it will glide on; it will not prolong itself at the command of a king, or at the applause of the populace. Just as it was started on its first day, so it will run; nowhere will it turn aside, nowhere will it delay.
Seneca
The seeds of life - fiery is their force, divine their birth, but they are weighed down by the bodies' ills or dulled by limbs and flesh that's born for death. That is the source of all men's fears and longings, joys and sorrows, nor can they see the heaven's light, shut up in the body's tomb, a prison dark and deep.
Virgil
All of us are creatures of a day; the rememberer and the remembered alike. All is ephemeral—both memory and the object of memory. The time is at hand when you will have forgotten everything; and the time is at hand when all will have forgotten you. Always reflect that soon you will be no one, and nowhere.
Marcus Aurelius
If you would know who controls you see who you may not criticise.
Tacitus
Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise.
Marcus Aurelius
…praise does not make anything better or worse.
Marcus Aurelius
Neither worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised.
Marcus Aurelius
Desultory reading is delightful, but to be beneficial, our reading must be carefully directed.
Seneca
A key point to bear in mind: The value of attentiveness varies in proportion to its object. You’re better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve.
Marcus Aurelius
Envy of other people shows how they are unhappy. Their continual attention to others behavior shows how they are boring.
Seneca
They envy the distinction I have won; let them, therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it.
Sallust