One is indignant to be defeated by an equal, or a superior; one is more indignant to be defeated by an abject and degraded rival.
81 BC
We form our idea of God by extending to infinity the ideas of knowledge, power, etc., that we find in ourselves through reflection.
1689
There must be only one element, and one and the same matter, for all the qualities that change into one another.
c. 350 B.C.E.
Conflicting doctrines, instead of being one true and the other false, share the truth between them; and the dissenting opinion is necessary to supply the rest of the truth of which the received doctrine realizes only a part.
1859
Bronze batillum (incense shovel)
late 1st–early 2nd century CE
Repentance makes even the good we have done seem ugly in our eyes; but a determination based on reasoned conviction never wavers, even when our undertakings have failed.
100-120 AD
Perhaps one should abide by the author's judgment, and not needlessly increase the mass of documents [...] that he himself deemed negligible.
1896
True love is a devouring fire that carries its ardor into other feelings, and animates them with a new vigor.
1761
To know that the most precious thing is not rooted in existence. This is beautiful. Why? It projects the soul outside of time.
1947
Bronze jug
late 1st–2nd century CE
The bourgeoisie is bound to fear the stupidity of the masses so long as they remain conservative, and the intelligence of the masses as soon as they become revolutionary.
1851/1852
The notion of duration is [...] entirely relative: each person judges it only by the succession of their ideas.
1754
Whoever holds to their freedom must renounce the comforts of the body. Whoever holds to their life must renounce dignities. Whoever holds to union with the Principle must renounce all attachment.
4th century BC
If I grow older, I know that I will necessarily have to pay my tribute to old age; my sight will weaken, I will hear less well, my intelligence will decline [...].
4th century BC
Limestone statuette of a beardless male votary with a wreath of leaves
310–30 BCE
Metaphysical evil consists in simple imperfection, physical evil in suffering, and moral evil in sin.
c. 253-270 AD
It is an effrontery or rather a kind of madness to praise oneself at every moment [...]. It is also to offend reason.
1674-1675
His own wife, Constance, is the soul of the conspiracy. [...] Constance abandons her cruel husband, and puts herself at the head of the conspirators.
1753-1754
What is the most necessary discipline? It is to unlearn the bad things.
1909
Fragment of a terracotta plaque
7th century BCE
The passion of laughter is a sudden movement of vanity produced by a sudden conception of some personal advantage, compared to a weakness we notice [...] in others.
1772
Wherever it is necessary to deliberate on a course of action on which the very salvation of the State depends, one must not be restrained by any consideration of justice or injustice, humanity or cruelty, glory or ignominy.
1513-1519
[Objection:] That this proposition, that a space is empty, is repugnant to common sense.
1647
It is perhaps no less difficult to define than it is rare to possess a gift of this nature [the fiery spirit].
1636
Madonna and Child with Two Angels
1464
[Magic] is found everywhere for those who want to see it there.
1623
One cannot therefore attain moral perfection, arrive at the supreme degree of Virtue, without the knowledge of the true God.
1745
The error [...] of all literary criticism [...] is to absolutely want to find the man in the work.
1926
One must not regard an idea as chimerical and dismiss it as a beautiful dream, just because obstacles prevent its realization.
1797-1798
Limestone statuette of a seated Zeus Ammon
4th century BCE
Agree [...] that we often act according to what we want, but that we never want except according to what we feel, or according to what we think.
1746
The introduction and perfection of arts and sciences in an empire do not cause its decline. But the very same causes that accelerate the progress of sciences sometimes produce the most fatal effects.
1772
The power of each thing is determined by its essence alone.
1661-1676
There are no men so dull and so stupid [...] that they are incapable of arranging various words together and composing a discourse from them by which they make their thoughts understood.
1637
Bronze rod tripod
ca. 1250–1050 BCE
In democracies, [...] a multitude of artificial and arbitrary classifications are created, by which each person seeks to set himself apart, for fear of being unwillingly swept into the crowd.
1835-1840
He who approaches criticism without having prepared himself with extensive studies [...] will fatally be led to neglect substance for form, the idea for the word.
1882
As a result of their mutual dependence, what affects one affects others, and thus any somewhat serious change takes on a general interest.
1893
Here is the most difficult thing: to close the open hand out of love, and to preserve modesty in giving.
1883-1885
Nini in the Garden (Nini Lopez)
1876
There is no sweeter consolation in the loss of our friends than that which comes from the knowledge of having forgotten nothing to tell them and of having had with them a perfect and complete communication.
1580
The multitude believes more in persons than in things, and [...] is more persuaded by the authority of the speaker than by the reasons he gives.
c. 1552-1553
Between God and good men there is a friendship, and virtue is its bond. [...] it is rather an affinity, a resemblance.
c. 64 AD
There enters into our composition something of the character of the turtledove, though allied with that of the wolf and the serpent.
1751
Wall painting: frieze supporting trellis, from the imperial villa at Boscotrecase
last decade of the 1st century BCE
A universal whole is called a genus whose subjective parts are species.
c. 1270
We too must [...] be able to converse with ourselves; to do without others; to need no distraction; to reflect [...] on our relationship with the rest of the world.
c. 108 AD
I love truth, and if I were so fond of novelties, I would be more eager to produce them.
1695
[Nomenclatures] are good as soon as they are able to help our mind in its research, and do not cause it to form false notions.
1805
Terracotta head of a youth
2nd century BCE (?)