Phintys of Sparta Quotes
Phintys of Sparta was a Pythagorean philosopher of the fourth or third century BC, the daughter of the Pythagorean Callicrates of Croton and one of the few female Pythagoreans whose writings have survived in any form. The fragments of her On the Moderation of Women, preserved in Stobaeus, set out a Pythagorean account of the proper virtues of women, in which moderation, the discipline of the body and of speech, and the pursuit of wisdom appropriate to the household form the philosophical core of women's lives. The quotes below are attributed to Phintys of Sparta, organized by topic.
Phintys of Sparta on Knowledge
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Attributed to Phintys of Sparta:
“Wisdom is not denied to women; only its public exercise is constrained, and may yet be enlarged.”
Phintys of Sparta on Politics
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Attributed to Phintys of Sparta:
“The household is a small commonwealth in which the philosopher may yet rule.”
Phintys of Sparta on Virtue
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Attributed to Phintys of Sparta:
“Moderation is the chief virtue of women, as it is the chief virtue of any rational being.”
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Attributed to Phintys of Sparta:
“She who has learned to govern her speech has already learned to govern much else.”
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Attributed to Phintys of Sparta:
“The discipline of the body is the precondition of the discipline of the soul.”