Plutarch Zitate

seite 7

„„Ich brauche keinen Freund, der sich ändert, wenn ich mich ändere, und der nickt, wenn ich nicke. Mein Schatten macht das viel besser.“

„[ Wein ] ist unter den Getränken das nützlichste, unter den Arzneien das schmackhafteste und unter den Nahrungsmitteln das angenehmste.“

„Es ist schlimm, erst dann zu merken, dass man keine Freunde hat, wenn man Freunde nötig hat.“

„Der Wein ist unter den Getränken das nützlichste, unter den Arzneien das schmackhafteste, unter den Nahrungsmitteln das angenehmste.“

„Erholung ist die Würze der Arbeit.“

„Der Anfang des rechten Lebens ist, wie wir glauben, das rechte Hören.“

„Der Tod ist das Ende aller Dinge des menschlichen Lebens, nur des Aberglaubens nicht.“

„Armut ist keine Schande an sich, sondern wo sie ein Zeichen von Leichtfertigkeit, Mangel an Selbstbeherrschung, Gedankenlosigkeit oder Verschwendung ist.“

„Der Geist ist nicht wie ein Gefäß, das gefüllt werden soll, sondern wie Holz, das lediglich entzündet werden will.“

„Der Menge gefallen heißt den Weisen missfallen.“

„Die Kunst besteht darin, in allem den Mittelweg einzuhalten.“

„Dumm und feige ist, wer aus Furcht vor Verlust den Besitz des Nötigen ablehnt.“

„Ein lästiger und ungezogener Tischgenosse zerstört alle Lust.“

„Einsicht verschafft das Gute, erhält es, mehrt es und macht rechten Gebrauch davon.“

„Er schärfte den Seinen ein, kühn mit Verleumdungen zu packen und zu beißen, so dass, auch wenn der Gebissene die Wunde behandelt, die Narbe bleibt.“

„Lieber der Erste hier als der Zweite in Rom!“

„Man soll ebensowenig nach den Augen heiraten wie nach den Fingern.“

„Wenn ich dir etwas gebe, bettelst du umso mehr. Der Erste, der seine Hand auftut, ist schuld an deiner Gemeinheit, weil er dich zum Faulenzer machte.“

„Nachlässigkeit richtet selbst vorzügliche Anlage der Natur zugrunde.“

„Es ist schon wünschenswert, von guter Abstammung zu sein, aber der Ruhm dafür gebührt den Vorfahren.“

“The general himself ought to be such a one as can at the same time see both forward and backward.”

“When he was in great prosperity, and courted by many, seeing himself splendidly served at his table, he turned to his children and said: "Children, we had been undone, if we had not been undone."”

“And when the physician said, "Sir, you are an old man," "That happens," replied Pausanias, "because you never were my doctor."”

“When Alexander asked Diogenes whether he wanted anything, "Yes," said he, "I would have you stand from between me and the sun."”

“Alexander was wont to say, "Were I not Alexander, I would be Diogenes."”

“About Pontus there are some creatures of such an extempore being that the whole term of their life is confined within the space of a day; for they are brought forth in the morning, are in the prime of their existence at noon, grow old at night, and then die.”

“It is a true proverb, that if you live with a lame man, you will learn a limp.”

“Antiphanes said merrily that in a certain city the cold was so intense that words were congealed as soon as spoken, but that after some time they thawed and became audible; so that the words spoken in winter articulated next summer.”

“Cicero said loud-bawling orators were driven by their weakness to noise, as lame men to take horse.”

“Rest gives relish to labour.”

“When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but he that saith it never heard the sound of trumpets."”

“Themistocles said to Antiphales, "Time, young man, has taught us both a lesson."”

“Cæsar said to the soothsayer, "The ides of March are come;" who answered him calmly, "Yes, they are come, but they are not past."”

“In his house he had a large looking-glass, before which he would stand and go through his exercises.”

“Simonides calls painting silent poetry, and poetry speaking painting.”

“Remember what Simonides said,—that he never repented that he had held his tongue, but often that he had spoken.”

“He that first started that doctrine, that knavery is the best defense against a knave, was but an ill teacher, advising us to commit wickedness to secure ourselves.”

“When asked why he parted with his wife, Cæsar replied, "I wished my wife to be not so much as suspected."”

“A remorseful change of mind renders even a noble action base, whereas the determination which is grounded on knowledge and reason cannot change even if its actions fail.”

“It is a difficult thing for a man to resist the natural necessity of mortal passions.”

“Knowledge of divine things for the most part, as Heraclitus says, is lost to us by incredulity.”

“No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune.”

“Once when Phocion had delivered an opinion which pleased the people,… he turned to his friend and said, "Have I not unawares spoken some mischievous thing or other?"”

“An old doting fool, with one foot already in the grave.”

“Children are to be won to follow liberal studies by exhortations and rational motives, and on no account to be forced thereto by whipping.”

“There is no debt with so much prejudice put off as that of justice.”

“Euripides was wont to say, "Silence is an answer to a wise man."”

“All men whilst they are awake are in one common world; but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own.”

“He is a fool who leaves things close at hand to follow what is out of reach.”