George Orwell

George Orwell (c. 1903-1950)

"As a general rule things happen too late, but just occasionally--just so that you shan't even be able to depend on their happening late--they happen too early."

• From Homage to Catalonia (Chapter I) written by George Orwell and edited by Adam Hochschild and Lionel Trilling (Mariner Books, 1969).

Read more George Orwell quotes, HERE.

Take a look at other British quotes, HERE.

Check out more modern quotes, HERE.

Glance through other quotes about war, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Aristotle

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

"Our characters are determined by our choice of what is good or evil, not by our opinion about it."

• From The Nicomachean Ethics (Book III, ii) by Aristotle, translated by J. A. K. Thomson (Penguin Classics, 2004).

Take a look at more Aristotle quote pictures, HERE.

Check out other Greek quotes, HERE.

Glance through the ancient quote picture section, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE. 

Sima Qian

Sima Qian (c. 145-87 BCE)

"Wise men make laws, stupid men are constrained by them. Worthy men change rites, unworthy men merely cling to them."

• From Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji), by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Check out more Sima Qian quotes, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Virgil

Virgil (c. 70-19 BCE)

"Since Fortune's got the upper hand,
let's follow her where she calls and change course."

• From The Aeneid (Book V) by Virgil, translated by Robert Fagles (Penguin Classics, 2010).

Check out other Virgil quote pictures, HERE.

Take a look at other Roman quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey of Monmouth (12th-century British writer)

"Kings were anointed not in God's name, but because they were more bloodthirsty than their fellows."

• From Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain (Part Eight), completed in 1136 CE, translated from Latin into English by Lewis Thorpe (Penguin Classics, 1966).

Read our biography about Geoffrey of Monmouth and his interesting book of pseudo-history, HERE.

Take a look at other Geoffrey of Monmouth quote pictures, HERE.

Check out more British quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE. 

Christine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan (French authoress, c. 1364-1430)

"Let me tell you that those who speak ill of women do more harm to themselves than they do to the women they actually slander."

• From The Book of the City of Ladies (Part I, chapter 2) by Christine de Pizan, translated by Rosalind Brown-Grant (Penguin Classics, 1999).

Take a look at other quote pictures from Christine de Pizan, HERE.

Check out more quotes from women throughout history, HERE.

Glance through other medieval quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture page, HERE. 

Homer

Homer (writing around 700 BCE)

"So you, above all, must both
give and listen to advice and carry out the suggestion that
others may feel bound to put forward in the common interest."

• From The Iliad (Book 9) by Homer, translated by E. V. Rieu and revised by Peter Jones (Penguin Classics, 2014).

Check out our short video on who Homer really was, HERE.

Take a look at our video about The Iliad, The Odyssey and Troy, HERE.

Find other Homer quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.