Conversations of Socrates Quotes

“People often say what is right and do what is wrong; but nobody can be in the wrong if he is doing what is right.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“Most people, when they are set upon looking into other people's affairs, never turn to examine themselves.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“for as they who use no bodily exercises are awkward and unwieldy in the actions of the body, so they who exercise not their minds are incapable of the noble actions of the mind, and have not courage enough to undertake anything worthy of praise, nor command enough over themselves to abstain from things that are forbid.”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“The man who doesn't know his own ability is ignorant of himself.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“he who marries a beautiful woman in hopes of being happy with her knows not but that even she herself may be the cause of all his uneasinesses;”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“For I believe that the best life is lived by those who take the best care to make themselves as good as possible, and the pleasantest life by those who are most conscious that they are becoming better.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“And do you think, you fool," added Socrates, "that kisses of love are not venomous, because you perceive not the poison? Know that a beautiful person is a more dangerous animal than scorpions, because these cannot wound unless they touch us; but beauty strikes at a distance: from what place soever we can but behold her, she darts her venom upon us, and overthrows our judgment.”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“Nothing that is really good and admirable is granted by the gods to men without some effort and application.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“I am a stranger in all countries.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“I will choosing to die rather than to remain alive without freedom and beg, as an alternative to death, a vastly inferior life.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“He neglected not his own body, and praised not those that neglected theirs.  In like manner, he blamed the custom of some who eat too much, and afterwards use violent exercises; but he approved of eating till nature be satisfied, and of a moderate exercise after it, believing that method to be an advantage to health, and proper to unbend and divert the mind. ”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“the shortest and surest way to live with honour in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be: and if you observe, you will find that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them. ”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“but that it is only the writings and precepts of the philosophers and other fine writers that are the true riches, because they enrich with virtue the minds of those that possess them." Euthydemus”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“do you not take him to be just who commits no manner of injustice?" "It”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“It is better said Socrates, to change an Opinion, than to persist in a wrong one.”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Things of Socrates

“You can take it from me that there is no other feat of endurance either – in fact there is no activity of any kind – in which you will be at a disadvantage from having your body better prepared. The body is valuable for all human activities, and in all its uses it is very important that it should be as fit as possible. Even in the act of thinking, which is supposed to require least assistance from the body, everyone knows that serious mistakes often happen through physical ill-health. Many people’s minds are often so invaded by forgetful-ness, despondency, irritability and insanity because of their poor physical condition that their knowledge is actually driven out of them.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“Thus strife and anger beget war, avarice stifles benevolence, envy produces hate. But friendship overcoming all these difficulties, finds out the virtuous, and unites them together. For,”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“I have seen despicable rhetoricians beloved by the most famous orators, and persons who knew nothing of war live in familiarity with great generals." "But”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“and in general, every ordinance made without the consent of those who are to obey it, is a violence rather than a law." "And is”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“Do you think there is anything worse for a man than that which makes him choose what is bad for him instead what is good, and persuades him to cultivate the former and disregard the latter, and compels him to behave in the opposite way to that which is adopted by disciplined people?”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“Those who do not know themselves and are totally deceived about their own abilities are in the same position whether they are dealing with other people or any other aspect of human affairs.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“What good have you to offer, or what do you know of pleasure, you who refuse to do anything with a view of either? You don't even wait for the desire for what is pleasant: you stuff yourself with everything before you want it, eating before you are hungry and drinking before you are thirsty.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“So violence is not to be expected of those who exercise reason; such conduct belongs to those who have strength without judgement.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“You're a good friend, Apollodorus, but would you rather see me put to death justly or unjustly?”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“When Cyrus the Younger was preparing war against his brother Artaxerxes Mnemon, King of Persia, Xenophon went with him.  After the death of Cyrus on the plains of Cunaxa, the barbarian auxiliaries fled, and the Greeks were left to return as they could from the far region between the Tigris and Euphrates.  Xenophon had to take part in the conduct of the retreat, and tells the story of it in his “Anabasis,” a history of the expedition of the younger Cyrus and of the retreat of the Greeks.  His return into Greece was in the year of the death of Socrates, b.c. 399, but his association was now with the Spartans, with whom he fought, b.c. 394, at Coroneia.  Afterwards he settled, and lived for about twenty years, at Scillus in Eleia with his wife and children. ”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“Glaucon, (1) the son of Ariston, had conceived such an ardour to gain the headship of the state that nothing could hinder him but he must deliver a course of public speeches, (2) though he had not yet reached the age of twenty. His friends and relatives tried in vain to stop him making himself ridiculous and being dragged down from the bema. (3) Socrates, who took a kindly interest in the youth for the sake of Charmides (4) the son of Glaucon, and of Plato, alone succeeded in restraining him.

(1) Glaucon, Plato's brother. Grote, "Plato," i. 508.

(2) "Harangue the People."

(3) See Plat. "Protag." 319 C: "And if some person offers to give them
advice who is not supposed by them to have any skill in the art
(sc. of politics), even though he be good-looking, and rich, and
noble, they will not listen to him, but laugh at him, and hoot
him, until he is either clamoured down and retires of himself; or
if he persists, he is dragged away or put out by the constables at
the command of the prytanes" (Jowett). Cf. Aristoph. "Knights,"
665, {kath eilkon auton oi prutaneis kai toxotai}.

(4) For Charmides (maternal uncle of Plato and Glaucon, cousin of
Critias) see ch. vii. below; Plato the philosopher, Glaucon's
brother, see Cobet, "Pros. Xen." p. 28.”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates

“Either Plato and Xenophon are involved in a massive cover-up, or there were factors peculiar to Athenian State religion which make Socrates guilty as charged. We can only hope that the former alternative is not the case, since Plato’s and Xenophon’s accounts are practically our only evidence on Socrates’ views.”
― Xenophon, Conversations of Socrates

“A Number of Friends is of more Worth than a Flock of Sheep, or of Goats, or than a Herd of Oxen.”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Things of Socrates

“And therefore, a Man who should neglect to render himself capable of such an employment, and yet pretend to it, ought to be severely punished.”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Things of Socrates

“Fable of the Dog For in the Days when Beasts and the Sheep, could speak, her Sheep said to a Mailer, You are a strange Man, we yield you Woo J Lambs, and Cheese, and yet you give us nothing but what we can get upon the Ground: And the Dog, who brings you in no Profit, is kindly used, for you feed him with the same Bread you eat your self. The Dog over-hearing this Complaint, answered her: It is not without Reason that I am used so well: It is I who protect you; it is I who hinder Thieves from stealing you away, and Wolves from fucking your Blood:”
― Xenophon, The Memorable Things of Socrates