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Physics LibreTexts

3: Quotations from the Classical Greek

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Here are some notable quotations from ancient Greek authors and philosophers. [21] As practice with the Greek alphabet, try spelling each word by providing the name of each letter. You may also try pronouncing each quotation. Can you spot any Greek words that might be the source of words in English? (For example, the Greek word πεντε means five, and is the source of the English word pentagon (a five-sided polygon).)

τoγαρεξαπατασθαιαvτovvϕαvτovπαντωvχαλεπωτατov.
The worst of all deceptions is self-deception. —Plato

ηθoςαvθρωπωδαιμωv.
A man's character is his fate. - Heraclitus

δoςμoιπαστωκαιτανγανκιησω.
Give me but one firm spot on which to stand, and I will move the world. -Archimedes, describing the lever

εvρηκα,εvρηκα!
Eureka! I have discovered it! -Archimedes, jumping out of a public bath as he discovered the laws of displacement

κτηματωvπαντωvεστιτιμιωτατovανηρϕιλoςσvνετoςτεκαιεvvooς.
The most precious of all possessions is a wise and loyal friend. -Herodotus

o μεv ovv δειλoς καιαμηδειϕоβειται.
A coward fears even things he ought not to fear. - Aristotle

μετρovδεπιπασιναριστov.
Moderation in all things is best. -Pythagoras
(The Roman philosopher Seneca later expressed the same sentiment in Latin: Modum tenēre dēēēus.)


3: Quotations from the Classical Greek is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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