Bion of Borysthenes Quotes on Virtue
Bion of Borysthenes was a Greek philosopher of the third century BC, the son of a freedman and a courtesan, who reinvented the ancient diatribe as a vehicle of moral instruction. This page collects quotes attributed to Bion of Borysthenes on the topic of virtue, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“Avarice is the mother-city of all evils.”
As quoted by Stobaeus, iii.10.37 -
Attributed to Bion of Borysthenes:
“Old men should give advice; young men, action; everyone else, silence.”
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Attributed to Bion of Borysthenes:
“He who tries to please everyone pleases no one.”
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Attributed to Bion of Borysthenes:
“Even fortune cannot rob a wise man of what he never claimed to own.”
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“Good slaves are free, but bad free men are slaves of many passions.”
As quoted by Stobaeus, iii.1.18