Ancient Greece is famous for many things, from architecture and democracy to epic heroes and battles that historically remain some of the most dramatic and intense. However, many scholars argue that the greatest cultural legacy of ancient Greek civilization is its freethinkers and the resulting philosophical thought. Pretty much everyone knows the “holy trinity” of ancient Greek philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Each of these great men made a variety of striking statements that have been passed down through history, the most famous being Socrates’s “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing,” perfectly reflecting the spirit of the age’s constant quest for knowledge and observation of existence and its essence.
Still, some of you might be wondering how it all started. The first man to come up with the word philosophy and who defined himself as a philosopher was the legendary mathematician and polymath Pythagoras. Many great thinkers followed after him, and it’s worth mentioning that many contemporary historians and scholars believe he wasn’t the first Greek philosopher but rather the first to define the term philosophy. To get an idea of what a strong, lasting impact ancient Greek philosophy has had on the world, here are 10 Profound Greek Philosopher Quotes You’ll Want To Hear that will definitely open your mind.
10
Excess of grief for the dead is madness, for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not. –Xenophon
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
9
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
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
8
It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men. —Thucydides
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
7
The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself. – Thales
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org
6
Man is the measure of all things. —Protagoras
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
5
The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits. —Plutarch
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
4
Man: a being in search of meaning. —Plato
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
3
Wait for the wisest of all counselors to judge you . . . time. —Pericles
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
2
Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond. —Hypatia
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: commons.wikimedia.org
1
Whatever comes from God is impossible for a man to turn back. —Herodotus
Source: Famous Greek quotes list – Greeka.com, Image: Wikipedia
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