Diogenes Laërtius Quotes

Diogenes Laërtius (probably 3rd century AD), native of Laerte in Cilicia, was a biographer of ancient Greek philosophers. His Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, in ten books, is still extant and is an important source of information on the development of Greek philosophy. The period when he lived is not exactly known, but it is supposed to have been during the reigns of Septimius Severus and Caracalla.

The chief good is the suspension of the judgment, which tranquillity of mind follows like its shadow.

Pyrrho, 11.

Share

More Diogenes Laërtius Quotes

Among what he called his precepts were such as these: Do not stir the fire with a sword. Do not sit down on a bushel. Do not devour thy heart.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Pythagoras, 17.

Tags: what, precepts, stir, fire, sword, sit, down, bushel, devour

Share
twitter

He used to say that personal beauty was a better introduction than any letter; 18 but others say that it was Diogenes who gave this description of it, while Aristotle called beauty "the gift of God"; that Socrates called it "a short-lived tyranny"; Theophrastus , "a silent deceit"; Theocritus , "an ivory mischief"; Carneades , "a sovereignty which stood in need of no guards".

Diogenes Laërtius
— The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (c. 200 A.D.), Book 5: The Peripatetics, Aristotle, 9.

Tags: used, personal, beauty, better, introduction, letter, others, Diogenes, who

Share
twitter

He said that men ought to remember those friends who were absent as well as those who were present.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Thales, 9.

Tags: men, remember, friends, who, absent, present

Share
twitter

The apophthegm "Know thyself" is his.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Thales, 13. Compare" "There are two sentences inscribed upon the Delphic oracle, hugely accommodated to the usages of man’s life: 'Know thyself', and 'Nothing too much'; and upon these all other precepts depend", Plutarch, Consolation to Apollonius.

Tags: apophthegm, Know, thyself

Share
twitter

Writers differ with respect to the apophthegms of the Seven Sages, attributing the same one to various authors.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Thales, 14.

Tags: Writers, differ, respect, apophthegms, Seven, Sages, attributing, one, various

Share
twitter

Bias used to say that men ought to calculate life both as if they were fated to live a long and a short time, and that they ought to love one another as if at a future time they would come to hate one another; for that most men were bad.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Bias, 5.

Tags: Bias, used, men, calculate, life, both, fated, live, long

Share
twitter

The saying, "Practice is everything," is Periander’s.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Periander, 6.

Tags: Practice, everything, Perianders

Share
twitter

Anarcharsis, on learning that the sides of a ship were four fingers thick, said that "the passengers were just that distance from death."

Diogenes Laërtius
— Anarcharsis, 5.

Tags: Anarcharsis, learning, sides, ship, four, fingers, thick, passengers, distance

Share
twitter

He used to say that it was better to have one friend of great value than many friends who were good for nothing.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Anarcharsis, 5.

Tags: used, better, one, friend, great, value, friends, who, good

Share
twitter

The market is a place set apart where men may deceive each other.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Anacharsis, 5.

Tags: market, place, set, apart, men, may, deceive, other

Share
twitter

It was a common saying of Myson that men ought not to investigate things from words, but words from things; for that things are not made for the sake of words, but words for things.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Myson, 3.

Tags: common, Myson, men, investigate, things, words, sake

Share
twitter

Plato affirmed that the soul was immortal and clothed in many bodies successively.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Plato, 40.

Tags: Plato, affirmed, soul, immortal, clothed, bodies, successively

Share
twitter

Time is the image of eternity.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Plato, 41.

Tags: Time, image, eternity

Share
twitter

The road to Hades is the easiest to travel.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Bion, 49.

Tags: road, Hades, easiest, travel

Share
twitter

Very late in life, when he was studying geometry, some one said to Lacydes, "Is it then a time for you to be learning now?" "If it is not," he replied, "when will it be?"

Diogenes Laërtius
— Lacydes, 5.

Tags: late, life, when, studying, geometry, one, Lacydes, then, time

Share
twitter

Aristotle was once asked what those who tell lies gain by it. Said he, "That when they speak truth they are not believed."

Diogenes Laërtius
— Aristotle, 9.

Tags: Aristotle, once, what, who, tell, lies, gain, when, speak

Share
twitter

He used to define justice as "a virtue of the soul distributing that which each person deserved."

Diogenes Laërtius
— Aristotle, 9.

Tags: used, define, justice, virtue, soul, distributing, person, deserved

Share
twitter

Another of his sayings was, that education was the best viaticum of old age.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Aristotle, 9.

Tags: Another, sayings, education, best, viaticum, old, age

Share
twitter

The chief good he has defined to be the exercise of virtue in a perfect life.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Aristotle, 13.

Tags: chief, good, defined, exercise, virtue, perfect, life

Share
twitter

All things are in common among friends.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Diogenes, 6.

Tags: things, common, friends

Share
twitter

"Be of good cheer," said Diogenes; "I see land."

Diogenes Laërtius
— Diogenes, 6.

Tags: good, cheer, Diogenes, see, land

Share
twitter

Plato having defined man to be a two-legged animal without feathers, Diogenes plucked a cock and brought it into the Academy, and said, "This is Plato’s man." On which account this addition was made to the definition,—"With broad flat nails."

Diogenes Laërtius
— Diogenes, 6.

Tags: Plato, having, defined, man, twolegged, animal, without, feathers, Diogenes

Share
twitter

When Zeno was asked what a friend was, he replied, "Another I."

Diogenes Laërtius
— Zeno, 19.

Tags: When, Zeno, what, friend, replied, Another

Share
twitter

They say that the first inclination which an animal has is to protect itself.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Zeno, 52.

Tags: first, inclination, animal, protect

Share
twitter

One ought to seek out virtue for its own sake, without being influenced by fear or hope, or by any external influence. Moreover, that in that does happiness consist.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Zeno, 53.

Tags: One, seek, virtue, own, sake, without, influenced, fear, hope

Share
twitter

In the time of Pythagoras that proverbial phrase Ipse dixit was introduced into ordinary life.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Pythagoras, 25.

Tags: time, Pythagoras, proverbial, phrase, Ipse, dixit, introduced, ordinary, life

Share
twitter

Xenophanes was the first person who asserted... that the soul is a spirit.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Xenophanes, 3.

Tags: Xenophanes, first, person, who, asserted, soul, spirit

Share
twitter

Epicurus laid down the doctrine that pleasure was the chief good.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Epicurus, 6.

Tags: Epicurus, laid, down, doctrine, pleasure, chief, good

Share
twitter

He alludes to the appearance of a face in the orb of the moon.

Diogenes Laërtius
— Epicurus, 25.

Tags: alludes, appearance, face, orb, moon

Share
twitter
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • »
  • Dictionary
  • Thesaurus
  • Examples
    • See in a sentence
    • Example articles
  • Quotes
    • Famous Quotes
    • Quote Articles
  • Spanish
    • Spanish-English Translation
    • Reference
  • Reference
    • Education
    • ESL
    • Grammar
    • Abbreviations
    • Biography
    • Books & Literature
    • Examples
    • Foreign Languages
    • Resources
    • Slideshows
  • Word Finder
    • Word Finder
    • 4 Pics 1 Word Answers
    • Anagram Solver
    • Unscramble
    • Word Cookies Cheat
    • Word Game Dictionary
    • Word Unscrambler
    • Words With Friends Cheat
Share
  • Dictionary
  • Thesaurus
  • Examples
    • See in a sentence
    • Example articles
  • Quotes
    • Famous Quotes
    • Quote Articles
  • Spanish
    • Spanish-English Translation
    • Reference
  • Reference
    • Education
    • ESL
    • Grammar
    • Abbreviations
    • Biography
    • Books & Literature
    • Examples
    • Foreign Languages
    • Resources
    • Slideshows
  • Word Finder
    • Word Finder
    • 4 Pics 1 Word Answers
    • Anagram Solver
    • Unscramble
    • Word Cookies Cheat
    • Word Game Dictionary
    • Word Unscrambler
    • Words With Friends Cheat
Share
  • Home
  • Quotes
  • Authors
  • diogenes laërtius
Share
Word Finder Scrabble® points: 18 More on Word Finder →

Follow YourDictionary

Get our free Amazon Alexa Skills!

Join YourDictionary today

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Please set a username for yourself.
People will see it as Author Name with your public flash cards.