Language/Ancient-greek-to-1453/Culture/Greek-Philosopher-quotes

Best wise and Inspiring Greek Philosopher quotes

Ancient Greek	English	Greek modern	Meaning
Φιλία ἐστί μία ψυχὴ ἐν δυσί σώμασιν ἑνοικουμένη  Aristotle : 384-322 BC	Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies	Η αγάπη αποτελείται από μια ψυχή που κατοικεί σε δύο σώματα	The feeling of wholeness and completeness that is said to be available once a soul-mate has been found
εἷς οἰωνὸς ἄριστος, ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ πάτρης Homer's Iliad : c. 800-750 BC	One omen is best, to fight in defense of one's country	Ένας οιωνός είναι καλύτερος, να πολεμάς για την υπεράσπιση της πατρίδας σου	Fight for your country; that is the best, the only omen!
Μη προτρεχέτω ἡ γλῶττα τοῡ νοῡ ἤ τῆς διανοίας Chilon, Spartan ephor : 556 BC	Do not let your tongue outrun your mind	Να μην προτρέχει η γλώσσα της σκέψης	Thinking before you speak is good habit, to avoid causing trouble in the most important areas of your life
ἀεὶ ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας γεωμετρεῖ τὸ σύμπαν  Plato : 427-347 BC	Always the great God applies geometry to the universe	ο Θεός πάντα εφαρμόζει γεωμετρία στο σύμπαν	π = 3.1415926... ἀεὶ ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας γεωμετρεῖ τὸ σύμπαν 3 letters 1 letter 4 letters 1 letter 5 letters 9 letters 2 letters 6 letters
Ὁ δ' ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳ Socrates : 470- 399 BC	The unexamined life is not worth living	Την ανεξερεύνητη ζωή, δεν αξίζει να την ζει κανείς	An unexamined human life is deprived of the meaning and purpose of existence. To become fully human means to use our highly developed faculty of thought to raise our existence above that of mere beasts. For if we don’t think, we are no more than animals, simply eating, sleeping, working and procreating.
Γλῶσσα λανθάνουσα τ' ἀληθῆ λέγει Menander, 4th cent. BC	A slip of the tongue speaks the truth	Γλώσσα λανθάνουσα τα αληθή λέγει.	When the tongue slips it tells the truth; something that you say by accident when you intended to say something else
Ἧθος ἀνθρώπω δαίμων Heraclitus : c. 535 - 475 BC	Character is destiny	Η μοίρα του ανθρώπου είναι ο χαρακτήρας του	By this he meant that our personalities and actions shape the outcomes of our lives
Τὶς εὑδαίμων; Ὁ τὸ μὲν σῷμα ὑγιῇς, τὴν δε ψυχὴν εὒπορος, τὴν δε φύσιν εὐπαίδευτος   Thales :  c. 626/623 - 548/545 BC	The happy man is the one who has a healthy body, a wealthy soul and a well-educated nature	Ευτυχισμένος είναι αυτός που έχει σώμα υγιές εφευρετικό μυαλό και έμφυτη ικανότητα να δεχτεί την μόρφωση	A well educated nature: we should understand a well-taught man who has the will and the ability to keep on learning. This means that a happy man is open-minded
Σοφόν τὸ σαφές Euripides, 480-406 BC	Wisdom lies in clarity	Σοφόν το σαφές	wisdom is shown in clarity, not in obscurity
Γυμνοὶ ἤλθομεν οἱ πάντες, γυμνοὶ καὶ ἀπελευσόμεθα Aesop : 620-560 BC	We all came naked (in this life), and we will leave naked	Γυμνοί ήρθαμε όλοι σ’ αυτή τη ζωή, και γυμνοί θα φύγουμε	We are all born in the same way, naked, and we all die the same way; you can't take nothing with your assets
Ἄρχεσθαι μαθῷν ἂρχειν ἐπιστήσει Solon, the Athenian : 638 - 559 BC	He who has learned how to obey will know how to command	‘Όταν μάθεις πρώτα να διοικείσαι, θα μάθεις και να διοικείς	One must control his passions, his character, to obeying, before be leader and controlling others
Diogenes the Cynic : 410-323 BC	I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world	Δεν είμαι Αθηναίος ή Έλληνας, είμαι Πολίτης του Κόσμου	People are not just a citizen of their state, they are a citizen of the world. Humans typically think of themselves in small groups. But in reality, they are part of a bigger group
Κακόν ἀνάγκη, ἀλλ' οὐδεμία ἀνάγκη ζῆν μετά ἀνάγκης Epicurus 341-270 BC	Necessity is a bad thing, but there is no necessity to live with necessity	Η αναγκαιότητα είναι κάτι κακό, αλλά δεν υπάρχει ανάγκη να ζεις με την ανάγκη	Epicurus admonishes: Through the true philosophy, we can see that the fear of death, of the interference of the gods, and of the hard grip of necessity are without foundation in reality.
ὁ σῴζων ἑαυτὸν, σωθήτω Oracle of Delphi in 480 BC	He who saves himself may be saved	Ο σώζον εαυτόν, σωθήτω	It is an oracle given by the Oracle of Delphi in 480 BC. responding to a relevant request of the Athenians that face the great Persian countryside.

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