Democritus
First to propose that matter consists of indivisible atoms
Quotes by Democritus
Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity.
Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.
Man is a microcosm.
The soul is a collection of smooth, round, and fiery atoms.
Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.
By convention sweet is sweet, by convention bitter is bitter, by convention hot is hot, by convention cold is cold, by convention color is color; but in reality there are only atoms and the void.
The good and the true are the same for all men, but the pleasant differs for different men.
The cause of evil is ignorance.
A life without a festival is a long road without an inn.
More people become good through practice than by nature.
The man who is fortunate in his choice of a son-in-law gains a son; the man unfortunate in his choice loses a daughter also.
Do not trust all men, but trust the trustworthy; and be careful to make a good choice.
The brave man is not he who is without fear, but he who conquers that fear.
The sweet is that which is pleasant, the bitter that which is unpleasant.
Everything that exists in the universe is the result of chance and necessity.
The word is the shadow of the deed.
The mind is the source of all pleasure and pain.
To a wise man, the whole earth is a temple.
It is better to destroy one's own errors than those of others.
The world is a stage, life is a play, and we are the actors.