Ancient Greek and Roman Wisdom That Still Holds True
The impacts of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations still echo now, centuries later. Their contributions can be seen throughout the world in nearly every culture that has ever existed, in areas as diverse as architecture, language, philosophy, and technology. Geographical proximity between the Romans and the Greeks sparked conflicts and conquests, but it also facilitated cultural exchanges between the ancient rivals: The conquering Romans adopted many aspects of the more advanced Greek culture.
The historical period known as classical antiquity stretches from the earliest recorded writings of the Greek poet Homer in the eighth century BCE to the decline of the Roman Empire in the fifth century BCE. Historians have long studied how the development of Western civilization evolved from Greco-Roman culture, and the influence of those ancient civilizations can still be seen in the modern world, from farming techniques used by the Romans to Greek influences on U.S. democracy.
Though many texts written during this lengthy historical period have been lost over the centuries, a vast body of writing still exists, encompassing the histories of Greece and Rome as well as prose, poetry, and drama that explores their mythologies, philosophies, and cultures.
From the sage insights of Virgil to the sharp observations of Euripides, here are 16 wise and witty quotes from Greek and Roman writers of the classical era.
