The measure of a man's life is the well spending of it, and not the length.

Alexander esteemed it more kingly to govern himself than to conquer his enemies.

It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt.

It is indeed a desirable thing to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors.

This excerpt is presented as reproduced by Copernicus in the preface to De Revolutionibus: "Some think that the earth remains at rest. But Philolaus the Pythagorean believes that, like the sun and moon, it revolves around the fire in an oblique circle. Heraclides of Pontus and Ecphantus the Pythagorean make the earth move, not in a progressive motion, but like a wheel in rotation from west to east around its own center."

But being overborne with numbers, and nobody daring to face about, stretching out his hands to heaven, [Romulus] prayed to Jupiter to stop the army, and not to neglect but maintain the Roman cause, now in extreme danger. The prayer was no sooner made, than shame and respect for their king checked many; the fears of the fugitives changed suddenly into confidence.

Most people do not understand until old age what Plato tells them when they are young.