Virtue isn't not wronging others but not wishing to wrong others. Democritus More Quotes by Democritus More Quotes From Democritus The word is the shadow of the deed. Democritus shadow deeds 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 learning science country To speak but little becomes a woman; and she is best adorned who is in plain attire. Democritus women speak littles Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil. Democritus ugly-things effort beautiful Soul and intellect are just the same things. Democritus intellect soul 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 differences wise men Nature . . . has buried truth deep in the bottom of the sea. Democritus buried truth sea It is hard to fight against anger: to master it is the mark of a rational man. Democritus fighting masters men Fortune provides a man's table with luxuries, virtue with only a frugal meal. Democritus luxury meals men Men will cease to be fools only when they cease to be men. Democritus be-a-man fool men 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 real truth sweet We know nothing in reality; for truth lies in an abyss. Democritus science lying reality Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence. Democritus trust silly men Whatever a poet writes with enthusiasm and a divine inspiration is very fine. Earliest reference to the madness or divine inspiration of poets. Democritus divinity inspiration writing 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 flow body reality To a wise man, the whole earth is open; for the native land of a good soul is the whole earth. Democritus land wise men 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 hot sweet order To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland. Democritus good-man wise men No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge. Democritus treasure extensions 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 useless giving men
