Ancient Rome

Marcus Aurelius

Philosophy

Stoic

"Retire into thyself. The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquility."

Epictetus

Philosophy

Stoic

50–138

"You become what you give your attention to."

Seneca the Younger

Philosophy

Stoic

-4–65

"“New friends, however, will not be the same.” No, nor will you yourself remain the same; you change with every day and every hour."

Ovid

Literature

-42–17

"Est deus in nobis; agitante calescimus illo:impetus hic sacrae semina mentis habet."

Augustine of Hippo

Philosophy

354–430

"Don’t hold yourselves cheap, seeing that the creator of all things and of you estimates your value so high, so dear, that he pours out for you every day the most precious blood of his only-begotten Son."

Pythagoras

Mathematics

-570–-495

"Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism, The Catholic Encyclopedia"

Virgil

Literature

1896–1989

"Original texts of Virgil's works at The Latin Library"

Tacitus

Politics

"All this is unauthenticated, and I shall leave it open."

Ennius

Literature

-238–-168

"Varro: De Lingua Latina , Books V-VII in Latin and English"

Julius Caesar

Politics

-100–-44

"It is not the well-fed long-haired man I fear, but the pale and the hungry looking."

Philo

Philosophy

stoicism

-14–50

"The legislator of the Jews in a bolder spirit went to a further extreme and in the practice of his “naked” philosophy, as they call it, ventured to speak of him who was possessed by love of the divine."

Diogenes Laërtius

Philosophy

"Democritus says, "But we know nothing really; for truth lies deep down."

Basil of Caesarea

Religion

329–379

"Preface to the Asketikon, English translation by Oxford University Press"

Porphyry (philosopher)

Philosophy

233–301

"The Pythagoreans made kindness to beasts a training in humanity and pity."

Clement of Alexandria

Philosophy

"He alone can remit sins who is appointed our Master by the Father of all; He only is able to discern obedience from disobedience."

Arsenius the Great

Religion

354–449

"Strive with all your might to bring your interior activity into accord with God, and you will overcome exterior passions."

Evagrius Ponticus

Religion

345–399

"Do not desire wealth for giving to the poor."

"Is not that perhaps a thing worthy of admiration… that by means of the visible absurdity the soul may immediately feel that the words are veils and believe the truth to be a mystery?"

Roman Dmowski

Politics

1864–1939

"Wherever we can multiply our forces and our civilizational efforts, absorbing other elements, no law can prohibit us from doing so, as such actions are our duty."

Terence

Literature

-184–-158

"The Eunuch at The Perseus Digital Library"

"Project Gutenberg English text of Suetonius' life of Tiberius from The Twelve Caesars"

"To spare the guilty is to injure the innocent."

"It is not death; but a bad life, which destroys the soul."

Stanisław Sosabowski

Military

1892–1967

"Parachuting has taught us to be strong, and only those are needed by our country"

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus

Medicine

"Complete Latin text: Flavi Vegeti Renati Viri Inlustris Comitis, Epitoma Rei Militaris Libri I-IV, 390 CE. The Latin Library. Accessed 17 August 2014."

Ulpian

Law

"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his own."

Longinus

Military

"Genius needs the curb as often as the spur."

Tertullian

Literature

"The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment, is idolatry."

Sidonius Apollinaris

Politics

"Text of "Poems and letters" with an English translation by W. B. Anderson"

"Online text: Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica translated by J. H. Mozley"

Statius

Literature

"Aut monstrare lyra veteres heroas alumno."

Hilary of Poitiers

Religion

"The Son of God is nailed to the cross; but on the cross God conquers human death. Christ, the Son of God, dies; but all flesh is made alive in Christ. The Son of God is in hell; but man is carried back to heaven."

Prudentius

Literature

"Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes"

Plautus

Literature

-249–-183

"It was not for nothing that the raven was just now croaking on my left hand."

"Farewell, good Strato. — Caesar now be still: I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. -- Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, V.v."

Titian

Art

Venetian school

1488–1576

"to engrave and distribute for the benefit and knowledge and use of painters and sculptors and other knowledge-able persons."

Catullus

Literature

-83–-53

"Catullus: Latin text, concordances and frequency list"