black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Too exact, and studious of similitude rather than of beauty.

Quintilian

He who speaks evil only differs from his who does evil in that he lacks opportunity.
QUINTILIAN

Evil Himself Opportunity Talk
God, that all-powerful Creator of nature and architect of the world, has impressed man with no character so proper to distinguish him from other animals, as by the faculty of speech.
QUINTILIAN

Animal Creation Faculty God Impression Nature Powerful Talk
Without natural gifts technical rules are useless.
QUINTILIAN

Gift Natural Rule Technical
We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty.
QUINTILIAN

Difficult Excuse Ourselves
To swear, except when necessary, is becoming to an honorable man.
QUINTILIAN

Exception Honor Man Necessary
A religion without mystics is a philosophy.
QUINTILIAN

One Liner Philosophy Religion
When we cannot hope to win, it is an advantage to yield.
QUINTILIAN

Advantage Hope Protection Win
Vain hopes are like certain dreams of those who wake.
QUINTILIAN

Awake Dreams Hope
One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.
QUINTILIAN

Assistance Capacity Natural Rule
Give bread to a stranger, in the name of the universal brotherhood which binds together all men under the common father of nature.
QUINTILIAN

Father Food Nature Poor Stranger Togetherness
For comic writers charge Socrates with making the worse appear the better reason.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Better Comic Reason Worst Writing
A liar must have a good memory.
QUINTILIAN

Goodness Lying Memories
A mediocre speech supported by all the power of delivery will be more impressive than the best speech unaccompanied by such power.
QUINTILIAN

Accompany Average Impression Support
A great part of art consists in imitation. For the whole conduct of life is based on this: that what we admire in others we want to do ourselves.
QUINTILIAN

Admire Art Consist Greatness Life Ourselves
One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.
QUINTILIAN

Goal Perspective Possible
Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Fools Virtue Wisdom

Too exact, and studious of similitude rather than of beauty.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Too exact, and studious of similitude rather than of beauty.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Quintilian Quotes