Indeed, what is there that does not appear marvelous when it comes to our knowledge for the first time? How many things, too, are looked up on as quite impossible until they have been actually effected?
PLINY THE ELDERMan is the only one that knows nothing, that can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak nor walk nor eat, and in short he can do nothing at the prompting of nature only, but weep.
More Pliny the Elder Quotes
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Men are most apt to believe what they least understand; and through the lust of human wit obscure things are more easily credited.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Grief has limits, whereas apprehension has none. For we grieve only for what we know has happened, but we fear all that possibly may happen.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Hope is the pillar that holds up the world. Hope is the dream of a waking man.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Wine takes away reason, engenders insanity, leads to thousands of crimes, and imposes such an enormous expense on nations.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Chance is a second master.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Man naturally yearns for novelty.
PLINY THE ELDER -
The desire to know a thing is heightened by its gratification being deferred.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Nothing is more useful than wine for strengthening the body and also more detrimental to our pleasure if moderation be lacking.
PLINY THE ELDER -
The only thing man knows instinctively is how to weep.
PLINY THE ELDER -
True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read.
PLINY THE ELDER -
It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth.
PLINY THE ELDER -
The perverted ingenuity of man has given to water the power of intoxicating where wine is not procured. Western nations intoxicate themselves by moistened grain.
PLINY THE ELDER -
We listen with deep interest to what we hear, for to man novelty is ever charming.
PLINY THE ELDER -
An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit.
PLINY THE ELDER -
Why is it that we entertain the belief that for every purpose odd numbers are the most effectual?
PLINY THE ELDER