Plutarch Quotes
Plutarch of Chaeronea was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, biographer, and priest at Delphi. His Parallel Lives paired famous Greeks with famous Romans to illuminate the moral character of each, and his Moralia collects essays on ethics, religion, education, politics, and natural philosophy. The quotes below are attributed to Plutarch, organized by topic.
Plutarch on Life
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it, therefore, while it lasts, and not spend it to no purpose.”
Plutarch on Mind
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”
Plutarch on Truth
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“It is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another man's oration; nay, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome.”
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
Plutarch on Virtue
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“Character is simply habit long continued.”
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Attributed to Plutarch:
“To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.”