For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories... The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.

When the music changes, the walls of the city shake.

Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy.

Not one of them who took up in his youth with this opinion that there are no gods ever continued until old age faithful to his conviction.

Not every love, but only that which has a noble purpose, is noble and worthy of praise.

And all knowledge, when separated from justice and virtue, is seen to be cunning and not wisdom; wherefore make this your first and last and constant and all-absorbing aim, to exceed, if possible, not only us but all your ancestors in virtue; and know that to excel you in virtue only brings us shame, but that to be excelled by you is a source of happiness to us.

Do not use compulsion, but let early education be rather a sort of amusement.