Nothing exists but atoms and the void. Democritus More Quotes by Democritus More Quotes From Democritus I am the most travelled of all my contemporaries; I have extended my field of enquiry wider than anybody else, I have seen more countries and climes, and have heard more speeches of learned men. No one has surpassed me in the composition of lines, according to demonstration, not even the Egyptian knotters of ropes, or geometers. Democritus learningsciencecountry To speak but little becomes a woman; and she is best adorned who is in plain attire. Democritus womenspeaklittles Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil. Democritus ugly-thingseffortbeautiful Soul and intellect are just the same things. Democritus intellectsoul One great difference between a wise man and a fool is, the former only wishes for what he may possibly obtain; the latter desires impossibilities. Democritus differenceswisemen Nature . . . has buried truth deep in the bottom of the sea. Democritus buriedtruthsea It is hard to fight against anger: to master it is the mark of a rational man. Democritus fightingmastersmen Fortune provides a man's table with luxuries, virtue with only a frugal meal. Democritus luxurymealsmen Men will cease to be fools only when they cease to be men. Democritus be-a-manfoolmen By convention sweet is sweet, by convention bitter is bitter, by convention hot is hot, by convention cold is cold, by convention color is color. But in reality there are atoms and the void. That is, the objects of sense are supposed to be real and it is customary to regard them as such, but in truth they are not. Only the atoms and the void are real. Democritus realtruthsweet We know nothing in reality; for truth lies in an abyss. Democritus sciencelyingreality Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence. Democritus trustsillymen Whatever a poet writes with enthusiasm and a divine inspiration is very fine. Earliest reference to the madness or divine inspiration of poets. Democritus divinityinspirationwriting We know nothing accurately in reality, but [only] as it changes according to the bodily condition, and the constitution of those things that flow upon [the body] and impinge upon it. Democritus flowbodyreality To a wise man, the whole earth is open; for the native land of a good soul is the whole earth. Democritus landwisemen According to convention there is a sweet and a bitter, a hot and a cold, and according to convention, there is an order. In truth, there are atoms and a void. Democritus hotsweetorder To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland. Democritus good-manwisemen No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge. Democritus treasureextensions Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly. Democritus uselessgivingmen Nature and education are somewhat similar. The latter transforms man, and in so doing creates a second nature. Democritus natureeducationinspirational
