ISOCRATES

ISOCRATES

Athens, 436 - 338 B.C.
POWER, WHICH EVERYONE CHASES, IS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AND DRIVES THOSE WHO LOVE IT TO MADNESS. LIKE LOVERS, WHO INCITE LOVE, AND THEN LEAD THEIR LOVERS TO DESTRUCTION
POWER, WHICH EVERYONE CHASES, IS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AND DRIVES THOSE WHO LOVE IT TO MADNESS. LIKE LOVERS, WHO INCITE LOVE, AND THEN LEAD THEIR LOVERS TO DESTRUCTION - ISOCRATES

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The fourth in line among the famous Attic orators. He was the son of Theodoros the pipe maker, and he received a good and careful upbringing and education. A scholar, he studied with famous sophists (Gorgias, Teisias), he even got to know the teaching of Socrates, but he had no inclination for dialectic, which he even despised. In the beginning he started as a speech writer, from his practice, 6 speeches are preserved (402 - 393 BC).

Due to natural timidity and weakness of voice he did not take part neither in competitions nor in public discussions. In 393 Conon invited him to Chios, which he had just conquered, to entrust him with a political organization of a democratic type. In 390 he founded a rhetorical school, the program of which was his opening speech against the sophists, and by which he promised to produce students not only wise men and orators, but also men capable of thinking and doing.

The program attracted many students who mainly aspired to become politicians. From the school of Isocrates came eminent orators (Isaeus, Lycurgus, Aeschines and Hyperides) but others were also introduced to the art of rhetoric, to become teachers of the Greeks everywhere, a fact that justly made Isocrates proud, his reputation attracted powerful people around him. He was related to the king of Cyprus, Evagoras, the Archidamus of Sparta, Philip of Macedonia. The value of Isocrates' teaching is also evidenced by the fact that his students paid the large amount of a thousand drachmas as tuition fees.

Some of his students had been the philosopher's boarders for years, and when the time came to part with their teacher, to depart for their cities and families, they wept. In his school, he not only taught good rhythm and the elaborate composition of speech, but also politics. That is why his speeches are high, majestic and of pan-Hellenic importance and interest. While for foreign policy he urged the conquest of barbarian peoples, for internal policy he preferred democracy to oligarchy, he praised Pericles, but admired Solon. Sober, he dispassionately critiqued pan-Hellenic issues, without maligning other cities, and gave unanimous advice. Because he did not get actively involved in politics, he did not know the bitterness of Demosthenes and Hyperides, but the calamities of his homeland depressed him. Not wanting to eat anymore, he died of starvation, after the battle of Chaeronea, and was buried at public expense. A siren was placed on his grave as a symbol of the attractive grace of his figure and personality. A bust of him with an inscription was erected in Olympia, which is preserved to this day, but other busts of him were also created. Isocrates' speeches excel in brilliance and nobility of subject matter. Even today they fascinate the reader.

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Quotes


  1. SOMETIMES PASSIONS OVERSHADOW REASON LIKE THE CLOUDS OVERSHADOW THE SUN
  2. ZEAL UNACCOMPANIED BY A PRACTICAL SPIRIT IS A FIRE WITHOUT LIGHT
  3. FROM THE EXERCISES OF THE BODY, DO NOT DO THOSE THAT HAVE PHYSICAL STRENGTH AS GOAL BUT THOSE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH
  4. WHAT IS SHAMEFUL TO DO, BELIEVE THAT SAYING THEM IS NOT NICE EITHER
  5. THINK THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ATTENTION
  6. IF YOU BENEFIT THE WICKED, YOU WILL SUFFER LIKE THOSE WHO FEED WILD DOGS
  7. EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY, CONSIDER IT IN YOUR MIND FIRST
  8. IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO HIDE YOUR PROPERTY IN THE HOUSE, YET TO WALK AROUND WITH YOUR THOUGHTS VISIBLE TO ALL
  9. LOVE NOT OBTAINING A LOT OF GOODS, BUT ENJOYING THEM IN APPROPRIATE MEASURE
  10. DON'T BE TIRED OF GOING TOO FAR TO THOSE WHO ARE CAPABLE OF TEACHING SOMETHING USEFUL
  11. I THINK THAT EVERYONE CAN CONFESS THAT, OF THE VIRTUES, PRUDENCE AND JUSTICE ARE ALSO OF GREAT VALUE
  12. AS WE SEE THE BEE SITTING ON ALL THE FLOWERS, TAKING THE BEST JUICES FROM EACH ONE, SO THOSE WHO WISH TO BE EDUCATED SHOULD NOT BE IGNORANT OF ANYTHING, BUT COLLECT THE USEFUL FROM EVERYWHERE
  13. FEAR SLANDER, EVEN IF IT IS FALSE
  14. THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNWORTHY IS DISSOLVED SHORTLY, WHILE A WHOLE CENTURY CANNOT ELIMINATE THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE VIRTUOUS
  15. PHYSICAL STRENGTH, WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY PRUDENCE, BENEFITS, BUT WITHOUT IT, IT HARMS THOSE WHO HAVE IT
  16. ALWAYS HONOR THE DIVINE, ALONG WITH THE REPUBLIC
  17. BE TOWARDS YOUR PARENTS AS YOU WISH YOUR CHILDREN TO BE TOWARDS YOU
  18. NEITHER ENDURE TEASING LAUGHTER, NOR ACCEPT OBSCENE WORDS
  19. SEEK THE PLEASURES ACCOMPANIED BY GLORY
  20. IF YOU ARE A LEARNER, YOU WILL BECOME A WIDE LEARNER
  21. IT IS UGLY WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING USEFUL NOT TO LEARN IT AND WHEN YOU ARE GIVEN SOMETHING GOOD BY YOUR FRIENDS NOT TO TAKE IT
  22. KNOW THAT MUCH OF WHAT YOU HEAR IS MORE USEFUL THAN MANY ESTATES
  23. IT IS A SHAME THAT MERCHANTS CROSS SO GREAT SEAS BECAUSE THEY WISH TO INCREASE THEIR PROPERTY, BUT THE YOUNGER ONES DO NOT ENDURE EVEN THOSE JOURNEYS ON LAND, WHICH INCREASE THEIR LEARNING
  24. BE PLEASURABLE TO ALL, ASSOCIATE WITH THE EXCELLENT THOUGH
  25. KEEP REASON DEPOSITS MORE THAN MONEY DEPOSITS
  26. DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THE SECRETS
  27. FOR MONEY YOU SHOULD NOT SWEAR BY ANY OF THE GODS
  28. DON'T BEFRIEND ANYONE BEFORE CHECKING HOW THEY HAVE TREATED THEIR PREVIOUS FRIENDS
  29. BECOME A FRIEND SLOWLY, BUT ONCE YOU DO, TRY TO REMAIN A FRIEND
  30. YOU WILL TREAT YOUR FRIENDS EXCELLENTLY, IF YOU WILL NOT WAIT FOR THEIR PRAYERS, BUT YOU WILL, SPONTANEOUSLY, HELP THEM AT THE SUITABLE TIME
  31. BE DECENT IN YOUR DRESSING, BUT NOT OVERLY STYLISH
  32. ACCEPT WHAT HAPPENS, BUT AIM FOR THE BEST
  33. HATE FLATTERERS JUST LIKE FRAUDS
  34. WHEN THE MIND IS WORN OUT BY WINE, IT HAS THE SAME FATE AS THE CHARIOT WHICH LOSES ITS DRIVER
  35. WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE AN ADVISOR, CONSIDER FIRST HOW HE MANAGED HIS OWN AFFAIRS
  36. HE WHO THINKS BAD OF HIS KIN, NEVER THINKS GOOD OF OTHERS
  37. LEAVE PUBLIC MANAGEMENT NOT RICHER, BUT MORE GLORIOUS
  38. THE PRAISE OF THE PEOPLE IS BETTER THAN MANY THINGS
  39. JUSTICE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE THINGS BENEFIT THOSE WHO ARE LIVING, JUSTICE GLORIFIES EVEN THOSE WHO ARE DEAD
  40. TAKE CARE OF ALL THINGS RELATED TO LIVING, EXERCISE YOUR PRUDENCE MORE THOUGH
  41. SPEAK ONLY ON TWO OCCASIONS, EITHER, WHEN YOU HAVE TO SAY THINGS WHICH YOU KNOW WELL, OR, WHEN NEED REQUIRES IT
  42. KNOW THAT NOTHING HUMAN IS STABLE
  43. FEAR THE ACCUSATION MORE THAN THE DANGER
  44. THE GLORIOUS DEATH IS GIVEN BY NATURE AS A GIFT TO THE VIRTUOUS
  45. THINK THAT FAITHFUL FRIENDS ARE NOT THOSE WHO PRAISE YOU FOR WHAT YOU SAY OR DO, BUT THOSE WHO CRITICIZE YOU FOR YOUR FAILURES
  46. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN A GOOD NAME AND NOT GREAT WEALTH
  47. MONEY CANNOT BUY GLORY
  48. IF YOU REMEMBER THE PAST, YOU WILL PLAN BETTER THE FUTURE
  49. IF YOU ARE IN DANGER, PREFER GLORIOUS DEATH TO DISHONEST LIFE
  50. IMITATE THE DEEDS OF THOSE WHOSE GLORY YOU ENVY
  51. FEAR GODS, HONOR PARENTS, RESPECT FRIENDS, OBEY LAWS
  52. WISDOM IS THE ONLY IMMORTAL ACQUISITION
  53. NO THING IS MORE MODEST AND MORE CERTAIN THAN VIRTUE
  54. A VIRTUOUS COUNSELOR IS MORE USEFUL THAN ALL THINGS
  55. THINK CAREFULLY BUT EXECUTE YOUR DECISIONS QUICKLY
  56. DON'T LAUGH AT THE MISFORTUNE OF OTHERS, BECAUSE LUCK IS COMMON AND THE FUTURE IS UNKNOWN
  57. RESPECT THE GOODS OF OTHERS, IF YOU WANT TO PEACEFULLY ENJOY YOURS
  58. THE WORST RULER IS ONE WHO CANNOT GOVERN HIMSELF
  59. IF YOU THINK GOOD THINGS, YOU MUST DO THEM. IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THEM, DON'T THINK ABOUT THEM
  60. BAD FOR CHILDREN NOT TO IMITATE EXCELLENT PARENTS
  61. HE WHO SPEAKS WITHOUT THINKING IS LIKE ONE WHO THROWS A JAVELIN WITHOUT A TARGET
  62. PREFER JUST POVERTY TO UNJUST WEALTH
  63. BEAUTIFUL IS THE TRIUMPH OF THE PLASTICITY OF THE BODY, BUT MORE BEAUTIFUL IS THE TRIUMPH OF THE SOUL AND THE SPIRIT
  64. WE KNOW OUR TRUE FRIENDS IN MISFORTUNE
  65. ENCOURAGE YOUNGSTERS TOWARDS VIRTUE NOT ONLY BY GOOD ADVICE, BUT ABOVE ALL BY YOUR EXAMPLE
  66. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO PRAISE THE VIRTUOUS, YOU SHOULD ALSO IMITATE THEM
  67. BE BUSY ABOUT BEING MORE HONEST INSTEAD OF GETTING MORE WEALTHY
  68. POWER, WHICH EVERYONE CHASES, IS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AND DRIVES THOSE WHO LOVE IT TO MADNESS. LIKE LOVERS, WHO INCITE LOVE, AND THEN LEAD THEIR LOVERS TO DESTRUCTION
  69. LIKE INDIVIDUALS, SO ALSO THE PEOPLE ARE MORE IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR DEFECTS THAN WITH THEIR VIRTUES
  70. MANY MORE EVILS FOLLOW ONE EVIL DEED
  71. KEEP YOUR TREASURY OF SECRETS WITH MORE CARE THAN YOU KEEP THE TREASURY OF YOUR MONEY
  72. YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD BE DECENT IN APPEARENCE, WALK AND DRESSING
  73. THE ROOTS OF LEARNING ARE BITTER, BUT ITS FRUIT IS SWEET
  74. IN ALL YOUR ACTIONS ACT AS IF THE WHOLE WORLD IS SEEING YOU