Shocking Sayings

758 sayings found from the Ancient era

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All Controversial Humorous Philosophical Shocking Strange & Unusual

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All Eras Ancient Contemporary Early Modern Medieval Modern

Give him threepence, since he must make a gain out of what he learns.

— Euclid c. 300 BCE
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As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love…

— Pythagoras c. 570–495 BCE (approximate)
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There are men and gods, and beings like Pythagoras.

— Pythagoras c. 570–495 BCE (approximate)
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Those by nature overweight, die earlier than the slim.

— Hippocrates c. 460–370 BCE (approximate)
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To eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness.

— Hippocrates c. 460–370 BCE (approximate)
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Alexander ignored his advisers by his regard for all people with law and government.

— Eratosthenes 3rd century BCE (recounted by Strabo)
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Eratosthenes refused to accept the popular understanding of any subject and sought always to find out the truth of a matter for himself.

— Eratosthenes 3rd century BCE (description of his methodology)
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Those who are enslaved to their sects are not merely devoid of all sound knowledge, but they will not even stop to learn!

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings)
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After coitus every animal is sad, except the human female and the rooster.

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings)
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The mind's inclination follows the body's temperature.

— Galen 2nd century CE (commonly attributed)
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But it is best of all to look at the human skeleton with your own eyes. This is very easy in Alexandria, so that the physicians of that area instruct their pupils with the aid of autopsy.

— Galen 2nd century CE (from 'On Anatomical Procedures')
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We therefore assume that it is either a text from the Roman physician Galen, or an unknown commentary on his work... describing a bizarre theory on hysteria by the Greco-Roman physician Galen (A.D. 130 –210)... that hysteria was caused by a 'wanderin…

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings, discovered in a papyrus)
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All who drink of this remedy recover in a short time except those whom it does not help, who all die.

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings)
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A cold and moist brain is an inseparable companion to folly.

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings)
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The great horde of physicians are always servile imitators, who can neither perceive nor correct the faults of their system, and are always ready to growl at and even to worry the ingenious person that could attempt it. Thus was the system of Galen s…

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings, cited in 1827)
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Employment is Nature's physician, and is essential to human happiness.

— Galen 2nd century CE (from his writings)
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Heaven cannot brook two suns, nor earth two masters.

— Alexander the Great c. 330 BCE
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I send you a kaffis of mustard seed, that you may taste and acknowledge the bitterness of my victory.

— Alexander the Great c. 331 BCE
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καὶ σύ, τέκνον (kai sy, teknon) - 'You too, child?'

— Julius Caesar 44 BCE
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ista quidem vis est! ('Why, this is violence!' or 'But this is violence!')

— Julius Caesar 44 BCE
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