Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Plutarch (Greek Biographer)

Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE,) later Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and moralist. One of the most influential writers ever, his works strongly influenced the evolution of the essay, the biography, and historical writing in Europe from the 16th to the 19th century.

Born in Chaeroneia in the Greek region of Boeotia, Plutarch spent most of his later life there. He studied philosophy in Athens and voyaged to Italy and Egypt, making a circle of distinguished friends. He possibly visited Rome, where he gave public lectures in philosophy.

Among Plutarch’s 227 works, the most important is the Bioi parallēloi (‘Parallel Lives,’) in which he recounts the noble deeds and characters of Greek and Roman soldiers, legislators, orators, and diplomats. Plutarch was very much concerned with men’s moral conduct and individual moral guidance in an age when men were losing their faith in religion and philosophy.

Plutarch also wrote the Moralia, or Ethica, a series of more than 83 treatises on diverse subjects such as vegetarianism, superstition, philosophy (Epicurean, Stoic, and Academic,) dietetics, divine justice, prophecy, demonology, conjugal relations, family life, mysticism, and numerous helpful precepts.

Plutarch occupies a unique place in literature as the foremost encyclopedist of antiquity. Sir Thomas North’s translation into English of Plutarch’s Parallel Lives was a primary source used by William Shakespeare for several of his Roman plays.

Ironically, Plutarch, who was the biographer of many others, had no biographer except for a scant remark in Suidas, a 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world. Prominent modern biographies include Donald Russell’s Plutarch (1973,) C P Jones’s Plutarch and Rome (1971,) and Reginald Barrow’s Plutarch and His Times (1967.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Plutarch

Abstain from beans.
—Plutarch
Topics: Food, Eating

The giving of riches and honors to a wicked man is like giving strong wine to him that hath a fever.
—Plutarch
Topics: Honor, Wine

Nothing is cheap which is superfluous, for what one does not need, is dear at a penny.
—Plutarch
Topics: Shopping, Economy, Money

In human life there is constant change of fortune; and it is unreasonable to expect an exemption from the common fate. Life itself decays, and all things are daily changing.
—Plutarch
Topics: Change

He can never speak well, who knows not how to hold his peace.
—Plutarch
Topics: Silence

Character is simply habit long enough continued.
—Plutarch
Topics: Character

For it was not so much that by means of words I came to a complete understanding of things, as that from things I somehow had an experience which enabled me to follow the meaning of words.
—Plutarch
Topics: Words

The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune.
—Plutarch
Topics: Success & Failure, Achievement

He that is fond of building will soon ruin himself without the help of enemies.
—Plutarch

Where two discourse, if the anger of one rises, he is the wise man who lets the contest fall.
—Plutarch
Topics: Intelligence

Let us carefully observe those good qualities wherein our enemies excel us; and endeavor to excel them, by avoiding what is faulty, and imitating what is excellent in them.
—Plutarch

Someone praising a man for his foolhardy bravery, Cato, the elder, said, “There is a wide difference between true courage and a mere contempt of life.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Praise

The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.
—Plutarch

He made the city Athens, great as it was when he took it, the greatest and richest of all cities, and grew to be superior in power to kings and tyrants. Some of these actually appointed him guardian of their sons, but he did not make his estate a single drachma greater than it was when his father left it to him.
—Plutarch

A Roman divorced from his wife, being highly blamed by his friends, who demanded, “Was she not chaste? Was she not fair? Was she not fruitful?” holding out his shoe, asked them whether it was not new and well made. “Yet,” added he, “none of you can tell where it pinches me.
—Plutarch
Topics: Divorce

The first evil those who are prone to talk suffer, is that they hear nothing.
—Plutarch
Topics: Speakers, Speaking

I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
—Plutarch
Topics: Friendship

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.
—Plutarch
Topics: Reality, Achievement, Success & Failure

The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits
—Plutarch
Topics: Welfare

Neither blame or praise yourself.
—Plutarch
Topics: Blame

The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart.
—Plutarch
Topics: God, Thankfulness

Rest is the sweet sauce of labor.
—Plutarch
Topics: Leisure, One liners, Rest

The richest soil, if uncultivated, produces the rankest weeds.
—Plutarch
Topics: Mind

Poverty is not dishonorable in itself, but only when it comes from idleness, intemperance, extravagance, and folly.
—Plutarch
Topics: Poverty

The wildest colts make the best horses.
—Plutarch
Topics: Children

It was a shrewd saying, whoever said it, “That the man who first brought ruin on the Roman people was he who pampered them by largesses and amusements.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Luxury

Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.
—Plutarch
Topics: Realistic Expectations, Adversity, Acceptance

The correct analogy for the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting — no more — and then it motivates one towards originality and instills the desire for truth.
—Plutarch
Topics: Mind, Education, Thought, Intelligence

Distressed valor challenges great respect, even from an enemy.
—Plutarch
Topics: Valor, Bravery

A word or a nod from the good, has more weight than the eloquent speeches of others.
—Plutarch
Topics: Influence

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