"Using the proverb frequently in their mouths who enter upon dangerous and bold attempts, "The die is cast," he took the river."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"When men are arrived at the goal, they should not turn back."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"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.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

""You speak truth," said Themistocles; "I should never have been famous if I had been of Seriphus; nor you, had you been of Athens.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Thrasyllus the Cynic begged a drachm of Antigonus. "That," said he, "is too little for a king to give." "Why, then," said the other, "give me a talent." "And that," said he, "is too much for a Cynic (or, for a dog) to receive.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"For ease and speed in doing a thing do not give the work lasting solidity or exactness of beauty."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Archimedes had stated, that given the force, any given weight might be moved; and even boasted that if there were another earth, by going into it he could remove this."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Being about to pitch his camp in a likely place, and hearing there was no hay to be had for the cattle, "What a life," said he, "is ours, since we must live according to the convenience of asses!""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Pittacus said, "Every one of you hath his particular plague, and my wife is mine; and he is very happy who hath this only.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Eurybiades lifting up his staff as if he were going to strike, Themistocles said, "Strike, if you will; but hear.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"It is no great wonder if in long process of time, while fortune takes her course hither and thither, numerous coincidences should spontaneously occur. If the number and variety of subjects to be wrought upon be infinite, it is all the more easy for fortune, with such an abundance of material, to effect this similarity of results."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Themistocles said that he certainly could not make use of any stringed instrument; could only, were a small and obscure city put into his hands, make it great and glorious."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"So very difficult a matter is it to trace and find out the truth of anything by history."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Whenever Alexander heard Philip had taken any town of importance, or won any signal victory, instead of rejoicing at it altogether, he would tell his companions that his father would anticipate everything, and leave him and them no opportunities of performing great and illustrious actions."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it, therefore, while it lasts, and not spend it to no purpose."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"For many, as Cranton tells us, and those very wise men, not now but long ago, have deplored the condition of human nature, esteeming life a punishment, and to be born a man the highest pitch of calamity; this, Aristotle tells us, Silenus declared when he was brought captive to Midas."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"As it is in the proverb, played Cretan against Cretan."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Xenophanes said, "I confess myself the greatest coward in the world, for I dare not do an ill thing.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Demosthenes overcame and rendered more distinct his inarticulate and stammering pronunciation by speaking with pebbles in his mouth."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Anacharsis coming to Athens, knocked at Solon's door, and told him that he, being a stranger, was come to be his guest, and contract a friendship with him; and Solon replying, "It is better to make friends at home," Anacharsis replied, "Then you that are at home make friendship with me.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Cato instigated the magistrates to punish all offenders, saying that they that did not prevent crimes when they might, encouraged them. Of young men, he liked them that blushed better than those who looked pale."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"As Cæsar was at supper the discourse was of death,--which sort was the best. "That," said he, "which is unexpected.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Go on, my friend, and fear nothing; you carry Cæsar and his fortunes in your boat."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Agesilaus being invited once to hear a man who admirably imitated the nightingale, he declined, saying he had heard the nightingale itself."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The most perfect soul, says Heraclitus, is a dry light, which flies out of the body as lightning breaks from a cloud."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Did you not know, then, that to-day Lucullus sups with Lucullus?"

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Democritus said, words are but the shadows of actions."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

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

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"He preferred an honest man that wooed his daughter, before a rich man. "I would rather," said Themistocles, "have a man that wants money than money that wants a man.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"It is circumstance and proper measure that give an action its character, and make it either good or bad."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"'T is a wise saying, Drive on your own track."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Custom is almost a second nature."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"A prating barber asked Archelaus how he would be trimmed. He answered, "In silence.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Philip being arbitrator betwixt two wicked persons, he commanded one to fly out of Macedonia and the other to pursue him."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Dionysius the Elder, being asked whether he was at leisure, he replied, "God forbid that it should ever befall me!""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

""Young men," said Cæsar, "hear an old man to whom old men hearkened when he was young.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Pompey bade Sylla recollect that more worshipped the rising than the setting sun."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Cato used to assert that wise men profited more by fools than fools by wise men; for that wise men avoided the faults of fools, but that fools would not imitate the good examples of wise men."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"King Agis said, "The Lacedæmonians are not wont to ask how many, but where the enemy are.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Cato requested old men not to add the disgrace of wickedness to old age, which was accompanied with many other evils."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Epaminondas is reported wittily to have said of a good man that died about the time of the battle of Leuctra, "How came he to have so much leisure as to die, when there was so much stirring?""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"I, for my own part, had much rather people should say of me that there neither is nor ever was such a man as Plutarch, than that they should say, "Plutarch is an unsteady, fickle, froward, vindictive, and touchy fellow.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The pilot cannot mitigate the billows or calm the winds."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"When Philip had news brought him of divers and eminent successes in one day, "O Fortune!" said he, "for all these so great kindnesses do me some small mischief.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Antagoras the poet was boiling a conger, and Antigonus, coming behind him as he was stirring his skillet, said, "Do you think, Antagoras, that Homer boiled congers when he wrote the deeds of Agamemnon?" Antagoras replied, "Do you think, O king, that Agamemnon, when he did such exploits, was a peeping in his army to see who boiled congers?""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Diogenes the Cynic, when a little before his death he fell into a slumber, and his physician rousing him out of it asked him whether anything ailed him, wisely answered, "Nothing, sir; only one brother anticipates another,--Sleep before Death.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

""And this," said Cæsar, "you know, young man, is more disagreeable for me to say than to do.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"After he routed Pharnaces Ponticus at the first assault, he wrote thus to his friends: "I came, I saw, I conquered.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Have in readiness this saying of Solon, "But we will not give up our virtue in exchange for their wealth.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain