“A fox is subtlety itself.”

Look at the orators in our republics; as long as they are poor, both state and people can only praise their uprightness; but once they are fattened on the public funds, they conceive a hatred for justice, plan intrigues against the people and attack the democracy.

Old age is second childhood.

You can’t have anything else to say: you’ve poured out every drop of what you know.

Ignorance can be cured, but stupidity is forever.

One must not try to trick misfortune, but resign oneself to it with good grace.

The wise learn many things from their enemies.

To invoke solely the weaker arguments and yet triumph is an art worth more than a hundred thousand drachmae.

It often happens that less depends upon the valor of an army than the skill of the leader.

Poverty, the most fearful monster that ever drew breath.

Under every stone lurks a politician.

A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.

Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right. I shall not please, but I shall say what is true.

If a man owes me money, I never seem to forget. But if I do the owing, I somehow never remember.

Mix and knead together all the state business as you do for your sausages. To win the people, always cook them some savory that pleases them.

Surely you do not believe in the gods. What’s your argument? Where’s your proof?

The truth is forced upon us, very quickly, by a foe.

It is easy to conquer the world from the back of a horse.

When a horse wants to display himself, he lifts his neck up high and flexes his poll haughtily, and picks his legs up freely, and keeps his tail up.

Expelled from the truth of Being, man everywhere circles around himself as the animal rationale.

If you want to imagine the future, imagine a boy and his dog and his friends. And a summer that never ends.

Being the rational animal, man must be capable of thinking if he really wants to. Still, it may be that man wants to think, but cannot.

Those who were adept and brave fellows I have made military commanders. Those who were quick and nimble I have made herders of horses. Those who were not adept I have given a small whip and sent to be shepherds.

I could take you for a walk on the beach and I could point out just about any creature and give you their Latin names.

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.