Diogenes Laertius
Native of Laerte in Cilicia, was a biographer of ancient Greek philosophers.
All things are in common among friends.
Plato was continually saying to Xenocrates, "Sacrifice to the Graces."
Wealth is the sinews of affairs.
One ought to seek out virtue for its own sake, without being influenced by fear or hope, or by any external influence. Moreover, that in that does happiness consist.
Socrates said, "Those who want fewest things are nearest to the gods."
Euripides says,—
Who knows but that this life is really death,
And whether death is not what men call life?
The saying, "Practice is everything," is Periander’s.
Plato having defined man to be a two-legged animal without feathers, Diogenes plucked a cock and brought it into the Academy, and said, "This is Plato’s man." On which account this addition was made to the definition,—"With broad flat nails."
He said that there was one only good, namely, knowledge; and one only evil, namely, ignorance.
The Stoics also teach that God is unity, and that he is called Mind and Fate and Jupiter, and by many other names besides.
Once when Bion was at sea in the company of some wicked men, he fell into the hands of pirates; and when the rest said, "We are undone if we are known,"—"But I," said he, "am undone if we are not known."
Old age is the harbor of all ills.
He declared that he knew nothing, except the fact of his ignorance.
Solon gave the following advice: "Consider your honour, as a gentleman, of more weight than an oath. Never tell a lie. Pay attention to matters of importance."
Epicurus laid down the doctrine that pleasure was the chief good.
When asked what learning was the most necessary, he said, "Not to unlearn what you have learned."
When a man reproached him for going into unclean places, he said, "The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them."
He was once asked what a friend is, and his answer was, "One soul abiding in two bodies."
Democritus says, "But we know nothing really; for truth lies deep down."
Diogenes said once to a person who was showing him a dial, "It is a very useful thing to save a man from being too late for supper."