Isocrates

Of all our possessions, wisdom alone is immortal.

Isocrates (Ἰσοκράτης, Isokrátēs; 436 – 338 BC), an ancient Greek rhetorician, was one of the ten Attic orators. Among the most influential Greek rhetoricians of his time, Isocrates made many contributions to rhetoric and education through his teaching and written works.

Quotes

Greek text cited from G. E. Benseler, F. Blass, Isocratis Orationes, vols. I–II (Leipzig, 1879).
Translations cited from G. Norlin, Isocrates, vols. I–II (Cambridge-London, 1928–1929), unless otherwise noted.

I. To Demonicus (c. 374–370 BC)

• μηδέποτε μηδὲν αἰσχρὸν ποιήσας ἔλπιζε λήσειν· καὶ γὰρ ἂν τοὺς ἄλλους λάθῃς, σεαυτῷ συνειδήσεις. [. . .] τὰς ἡδονὰς θήρευε τὰς μετὰ δόξης· τέρψις γὰρ σὺν τῷ καλῷ μὲν ἄριστον, ἄνευ δὲ τούτου κάκιστον.
  • Never hope to conceal any shameful thing which you have done; for even if you do conceal it from others, your own heart will know. [. . .] Pursue the enjoyments which are of good repute; for pleasure attended by honour is the best thing in the world, but pleasure without honour is the worst.
  • I.16

• εὐλαβοῦ τὰς διαβολάς, κἂν ψευδεῖς ὦσιν· οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν ἀγνοοῦσι, πρὸς δὲ τὴν δόξαν ἀποβλέπουσιν. ἅπαντα δόκει ποιεῖν ὡς μηδένα λήσων· καὶ γὰρ ἂν παραυτίκα κρύψῃς, ὕστερον ὀφθήσει. μάλιστα δ᾿ ἂν εὐδοκιμοίης, εἰ φαίνοιο ταῦτα μὴ πράττων, ἃ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἂν πράττουσιν ἐπιτιμῴης.
  • Guard yourself against accusations, even if they are false; for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation. In all things resolve to act as though the whole world would see what you do; for even if you conceal your deeds for the moment, later you will be found out. But most of all will you have the respect of men, if you are seen to avoid doing things which you would blame others for doing
  • I.17

• ἐὰν ᾖς φιλομαθής, ἔσει πολυμαθής.
  • If you are fond of learning, you will soon be full of learning.
  • I.18 (tr. H. P. Jones, 1900)

• ἃ μὲν ἐπίστασαι, ταῦτα διαφύλαττε ταῖς μελέταις, ἃ δὲ μὴ μεμάθηκας, προσλάμβανε ταῖς ἐπιστήμαις· ὁμοίως γὰρ αἰσχρὸν ἀκούσαντα χρήσιμον λόγον μὴ μαθεῖν καὶ διδόμενόν τι ἀγαθὸν παρὰ τῶν φίλων μὴ λαβεῖν. κατανάλισκε τὴν ἐκ τῷ βίῳ σχολὴν εἰς τὴν τῶν λόγων φιληκοΐαν· οὕτω γὰρ τὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις χαλεπῶς εὑρημένα συμβήσεταί σοι ῥᾳδίως μανθάνειν.
  • What you have come to know, preserve by exercise; what you have not learned, seek to add to your knowledge; for it is as reprehensible to hear a profitable saying and not grasp it as to be offered a good gift by one's friends and not accept it. Spend your leisure time in cultivating an ear attentive to discourse, for in this way you will find that you learn with ease what others have found out with difficulty.
  • I.18

• ἡγοῦ τῶν ἀκουσμάτων πολλὰ πολλῶν εἶναι χρημάτων κρείττω· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ταχέως ἀπολείπει, τὰ δὲ πάντα τὸν χρόνον παραμένει· σοφία γὰρ μόνον τῶν κτημάτων ἀθάνατον. μὴ κατόκνει μακρὰν ὁδὸν πορεύεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς διδάσκειν τι χρήσιμον ἐπαγγελομένους· αἰσχρὸν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν ἐμπόρους τηλικαῦτα πελάγη διαπερᾶν ἕνεκα τοῦ πλείω ποιῆσαι τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν οὐσίαν, τοὺς δὲ νεωτέρους μηδὲ τὰς κατὰ γῆν πορείας ὑπομένειν ἐπὶ τῷ βελτίω καταστῆσαι τὴν αὑτῶν διάνοιαν.
  • Believe that many precepts are better than much wealth; for wealth quickly fails us, but precepts abide through all time; for wisdom alone of all possessions is imperishable. Do not hesitate to travel a long road to those who profess to offer some useful instruction; for it were a shame, when merchants cross vast seas in order to increase their store of wealth, that the young should not endure even journeys by land to improve their understanding.
  • I.19
    • Alternate translation (T. B. Harbottle, 1897; σοφία γὰρ μόνον τῶν κτημάτων ἀθάνατον):
    • Of all our possessions, wisdom alone is immortal.

• ἡδέως μὲν ἔχε πρὸς ἅπαντας, χρῶ δὲ τοῖς βελτίστοις.
  • Be gracious to all men, but choose the best to be your friends.
  • I.20 (tr. H. P. Jones, 1900)

• βουλεύου μὲν βραδέως, ἐπιτέλει δὲ ταχέως τὰ δόξαντα.
  • Be slow in deliberation, but be prompt to carry out your resolves.
  • I.34

Also quoted from Isocrates in the Strategikon of Maurice, VIII.2.31.

• μέγιστον γὰρ ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ νοῦς ἀγαθὸς ἐν ἀνθρώπου σώματι. πειρῶ τῷ σώματι μὲν εἶναι φιλόπονος, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ φιλόσοφος, ἵνα τῷ μὲν ἐπιτελεῖν δύνῃ τὰ δόξαντα, τῇ δὲ προορᾶν ἐπίστῃ τὰ συμφέροντα.
  • The greatest thing in the small compass is a sound mind in a human body. Strive with all your body to be a lover of toil, and with your soul to be a lover of wisdom, in order that with the one you may have the strength to carry out your resolves, and with the other the intelligence to foresee what is for your good.
  • I.40

• πᾶν ὅ τι ἂν μέλλῃς ἐρεῖν, πρότερον ἐπισκόπει τῇ γνώμῃ· πολλοῖς γὰρ ἡ γλῶττα προτρέχει τῆς διανοίας. δύο ποιοῦ καιροὺς τοῦ λέγειν, ἢ περὶ ὧν οἶσθα σαφῶς, ἢ περὶ ὧν ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν. ἐν τούτοις γὰρ μόνοις ὁ λόγος τῆς σιγῆς κρείττων, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄμεινον σιγᾶν ἢ λέγειν.
  • Always when you are about to say anything, first weigh it in your mind; for with many the tongue outruns the thought. Let there be but two occasions for speech — when the subject is one which you thoroughly know and when it is one on which you are compelled to speak. On these occasions alone is speech better than silence; on all others, it is better to be silent than to speak.
  • I.41

• Νόμιζε μηδὲν εἶναι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων βέβαιον· οὕτω γὰρ οὔτ᾿ εὐτυχῶν ἔσει περιχαρὴς οὔτε δυστυχῶν περίλυπος. χαῖρε μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, λυποῦ δὲ μετρίως ἐπὶ τοῖς γιγνομένοις τῶν κακῶν, γίγνου δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις μηδ᾿ ἐν ἑτέροις ὢν κατάδηλος· ἄτοπον γὰρ τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις ἀποκρύπτειν, τὴν δὲ διάνοιαν φανερὰν ἔχοντα περιπατεῖν.
  • Consider that nothing in human life is stable; for then you will not exult overmuch in prosperity, nor grieve overmuch in adversity. Rejoice over the good things which come to you, but grieve in moderation over the evils which befall you, and in either case do not expose your heart to others; for it were strange to hide away one's treasure in the house, and yet walk about laying bare one's feelings to the world.
  • I.42

• μᾶλλον εὐλαβοῦ ψόγον ἢ κίνδυνον· δεῖ γὰρ εἶναι φοβερὰν τοῖς μὲν φαύλοις τὴν τοῦ βίου τελευτήν, τοῖς δὲ σπουδαίοις τὴν ἐν τῷ ζῆν ἀδοξίαν. μάλιστα μὲν πειρῶ ζῆν κατὰ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν· ἐὰν δὲ ποτέ σοι συμβῇ κινδυνεύειν, ζήτει τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου σωτηρίαν μετὰ καλῆς δόξης, ἀλλὰ μὴ μετ᾿ αἰσχρᾶς φήμης· τὸ μὲν γὰρ τελευτῆσαι πάντων ἡ πεπρωμένη κατέκρινε, τὸ δὲ καλῶς ἀποθανεῖν ἴδιον τοῖς σπουδαίοις.
  • Be more careful in guarding against censure than against danger; for the wicked may well dread the end of life, but good men should dread ignominy during life. Strive by all means to live in security, but if ever it falls to your lot to face the dangers of battle, seek to preserve your life, but with honour and not with disgrace; for death is the sentence which fate has passed on all mankind, but to die nobly is the special honour with nature has reserved for the good.
  • I.43

• οἷς δεῖ παραδείγμασι χρώμενόν σ᾿ ὀρέγεσθαι τῆς καλοκαγαθίας, καὶ μὴ μόνον τοῖς ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν εἰρημένοις ἐμμένειν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ποιητῶν τὰ βέλτιστα μανθάνειν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων σοφιστῶν εἴ τι χρήσιμον εἰρήκασιν ἀναγιγνώσκειν. ὥσπερ γὰρ τὴν μέλιτταν ὁρῶμεν ἐφ᾿ ἅπαντα μὲν τὰ βλαστήματα καθιζάνουσαν, ἀφ᾿ ἑκάστου δὲ τὰ βέλιστα λαμβάνουσαν, οὕτω δεῖ καὶ τοὺς παιδείας ὀρεγομένους μηδενὸς μὲν ἀπείρως ἔχειν, πανταχόθεν δὲ τὰ χρήσιμα συλλέγειν. μόλις γὰρ ἄν τις ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ἐπιμελείας τὰς τῆς φύσεως ἁμαρτίας ἐπικρατήσειεν.
  • With these examples before you, you should aspire to nobility of character, and not only abide by what I have said, but acquaint yourself with the best things in the poets as well, and learn from the other wise men also any useful lessons they have taught. For just as we see the bee settling on all the flowers, and sipping the best from each, so also those who aspire to culture ought not to leave anything untasted, but should gather useful knowledge from every source. For hardly even with these pains can they overcome the defects of nature.
  • I.51–52

II. To Nicocles (c. 374 BC)

• οἴκει τὴν πόλιν ὁμοίως ὥσπερ τὸν πατρῷον οἶκον ταῖς μὲν κατασκευαῖς λαμπρῶς καὶ βασιλικῶς, ταῖς δὲ πράξεσιν ἀκριβῶς, ἵν᾿ εὐδοκιμῇς ἅμα καὶ διαρκῇς.
  • Manage the city as you would your ancestral estate: in the matter of its appointments, splendidly and royally; in the matter of its revenues, strictly, in order that you may possess the good opinion of your people and at the same time have sufficient means.
  • II.19

• διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὕτω φαίνου προτιμῶν ὥστε πιστοτέρους εἶναι τοὺς σοὺς λόγους μᾶλλον ἢ τοὺς τῶν ἄλλων ὅρκους.
  • Show at all times so strong a regard for truth that your bare word shall carry more weight than the oaths of others.
  • II.22 (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• πιστοὺς ἡγοῦ μὴ τοὺς ἅπαν ὅ τι ἂν λέγῃς ἢ ποιῇς ἐπαινοῦντας ἀλλὰ τοὺς τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις ἐπιτιμῶντας.
  • Regard as your most faithful friends, not those who praise everything you say or do, but those who criticize your mistakes.
  • II.28

• περὶ πλείονος ποιοῦ δόξαν καλὴν ἢ πλοῦτον μέγαν τοῖς παισὶ καταλιπεῖν.
  • Rather let it be your object to bequeath to your children a stainless name than a large fortune.
  • II.32 (tr. H. B. Harbottle, 1897)

III. Nicocles or the Cyprians (c. 372–365 BC)

• ἃ πάσχοντες ὑφ᾿ ἑτέρων ὀργίζεσθε, ταῦτα τοὺς ἄλλους μὴ ποιεῖτε.
  • Do not do to others that which angers you when they do it to you.
  • III.61

• μὴ μόνον ἐπαινεῖται τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ μιμεῖσθε.
  • Be not content only to praise the virtuous, but imitate them too.
  • III.61 (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

IV. Panegyricus (381/0 BC)

• τοσοῦτον δ᾿ ἀπολέλοιπεν ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν περὶ τὸ φρονεῖν καὶ λέγειν τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους, ὥσθ᾿ οἱ ταύτης μαθηταὶ τῶν ἄλλων διδάσκαλοι γεγόνασι, καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὄνομα πεποίηκε μηκέτι τοῦ γένους ἀλλὰ τῆς διανοίας δοκεῖν εἶναι, καὶ μᾶλλον Ἕλληνας καλεῖσθαι τοὺς τῆς παιδεύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἢ τοὺς τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως μετέχοντας.
  • So far has Athens left the rest of mankind behind in thought and expression that her pupils have become the teachers of the world, and she has made the name of Hellas distinctive no longer of race but of intellect, and the title of Hellene a badge of education rather than of common descent.
  • IV.50

V. To Philip (346 BC)

• Ἄργος μὲν γάρ ἐστί σοι πατρίς.
  • Argos is the land of your fathers.
  • V.32

• Διὸ καὶ σοὶ νομίζω συμφέρειν οὕτως ἀνάνδρως διακειμένων τῶν ἄλλων προστῆναι τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον. προσήκει δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις τοῖς ἀφ᾿ Ἡρακλέους πεφυκόσι καὶ τοῖς ἐν πολιτείᾳ καὶ νόμοις ἐνδεδεμένοις ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν στέργειν, ἐν ᾗ τυγχάνουσι κατοικοῦντες, σὲ δ᾿ ὥσπερ ἄφετον γεγενημένον ἅπασαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα πατρίδα νομίζειν, ὥσπερ ὁ γεννήσας ὑμᾶς, καὶ κινδυνεύειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ὁμοίως, ὥσπερ ὑπὲρ ὧν μάλιστα σπουδάζεις.
  • Therefore, since the others are so lacking in spirit, I think it is opportune for you to head the war against the King; and, while it is only natural for the other descendants of Heracles, and for men who are under the bonds of their polities and laws, to cleave fondly to that state in which they happen to dwell, it is your privilege, as one who has been blessed with untrammeled freedom, to consider all Hellas your fatherland, as did the founder of your race, and to be as ready to brave perils for her sake as for the things about which you are personally most concerned.
  • V.127

• ἢν γὰρ ταῦτα πράττῃς, ἅπαντές σοι χάριν ἕξουσιν, οἱ μὲν Ἕλληνες ὑπὲρ ὧν ἂν εὖ πάσχωσι, Μακεδόνες δ᾿ ἢν βασιλικῶς ἀλλὰ μὴ τυραννικῶς αὐτῶν ἐπιστατῇς, τὸ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων γένος, ἢν διὰ σὲ βαρβαρικῆς δεσποτείας ἀπαλλαγέντες Ἑλληνικῆς ἐπιμελείας τύχωσιν.
  • For if you do these things, all men will be grateful to you: the Hellenes for your kindness to them; the Macedonians if you reign over them, not like a tyrant, but like a king; and the rest of the nations, if by your hands they are delivered from barbaric despotism and are brought under the protection of Hellas.
  • V.154

VIII. On the Peace (355 BC)

• καὶ γάρ τοι πεποιήκατε τοὺς ῥήτορας μελετᾶν καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν οὐ τὰ μέλλοντα τῇ πόλει συνοίσειν, ἀλλ᾿ ὅπως ἀρέσκοντας ὑμῖν λόγους ἐροῦσιν.
  • Indeed, you have caused the orators to practise and study, not what will be advantageous to the state, but how they may discourse in a manner pleasing to you.
  • VIII.5

• Φημὶ δ᾿ οὖν χρῆναι ποιεῖσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην μὴ μόνον πρὸς Χίους καὶ Ῥοδίους καὶ Βυζαντίους ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους.
  • I maintain, then, that we should make peace, not only with the Chians, the Rhodians, the Byzantines and the Coans, but with all mankind.
  • VIII.16

• τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἀρχόντων ἔργον ἐστὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους ταῖς αὑτῶν ἐπιμελείαις ποιεῖν εὐδαιμονεστέρους.
  • It is the function of the ruler to use his best endeavours to make his subjects happier.
  • VIII.91 (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

XIII. Against the Sophists (390 BC)

• Εἰ πάντες ἤθελον οἱ παιδεύειν ἐπιχειροῦντες ἀληθῆ λέγειν καὶ μὴ μείζους ποιεῖσθαι τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ὧν ἤμελλον ἐπιτελεῖν, οὐκ ἂν κακῶς ἤκουον ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν.
  • If all who are engaged in the profession of education were willing to state the facts instead of making greater promises than they can possibly fulfil, they would not be in such bad repute with the lay-public.
  • XIII.1

• θαυμάζω δ᾿ ὅταν ἴδω τούτους μαθητῶν ἀξιουμένους, οἳ ποιητικοῦ πράγματος τεταγμένην τέχνην παράδειγμα φέροντες λελήθασι σφᾶς αὐτούς.
  • But I marvel when I observe these men setting themselves up as instructors of youth who cannot see that they are applying the analogy of an art with hard and fast rules to a creative process.
  • XIII.12

• τοὺς μὲν γὰρ λόγους οὐχ οἷόν τε καλῶς ἔχειν, ἢν μὴ τῶν καιρῶν καὶ τοῦ πρέποντος καὶ τοῦ καινῶς μετάσχωσιν, τοῖς δὲ γράμμασιν οὐδενὸς τούτων προσεδέησεν.
  • Oratory is good only if it has the qualities of fitness for the occasion, propriety of style, and originality of treatment, while in the case of letters there is no such need whatsoever.
  • XIII.13

• καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω με λέγειν, ὡς ἔστι δικαιοσύνη διδακτόν· ὅλως μὲν γὰρ οὐδεμίαν ἡγοῦμαι τοιαύτην εἶναι τέχνην, ἥτις τοῖς κακῶς πεφυκόσι πρὸς ἀρετὴν σωφροσύνην ἂν καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐμποιήσειεν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ συμπαρακελεύσασθαί γε καὶ συνασκῆσαι μάλιστ᾿ ἂν οἶμαι τὴν τῶν λόγων τῶν πολιτικῶν ἐπιμέλειαν.
  • And let no one suppose that I claim that just living can be taught; for, in a word, I hold that there does not exist an art of the kind which can implant sobriety and justice in depraved natures. Nevertheless, I do think that the study of political discourse can help more than any other thing to stimulate and form such qualities of character.
  • XIII.21

Attributed

• αἱ ἀκόναι αὐταὶ μὲν τεμεῖν οὐ δύνανται τὸν δὲ σίδηρον τμητικὸν ποιοῦσιν.
  • Whetstones are not themselves able to cut, but make iron sharp and capable of cutting. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1869)
  • Reported by pseudo-Plutarch, Lives of the Ten Orators, 838e:
    • πρὸς τὸν ἐρόμενον διὰ τί οὐκ ὢν αὐτὸς ἱκανὸς ἄλλους ποιεῖ, εἶπεν ὅτι καὶ αἱ ἀκόναι αὐταὶ μὲν τέμνειν οὐ δύνανται τὸν δὲ σίδηρον τμητικὸν ποιοῦσιν.
    • When he was asked how he, not being a good speaker himself, could make others so, he replied that whetstones cannot themselves cut, but make iron fit to do so. (tr. H. N. Fowler, 1936)

Misattributed

• Democracy destroys itself because it abuses its right to freedom and equality. Because it teaches its citizens to consider audacity as a right, lawlessness as a freedom, abrasive speech as equality, and anarchy as progress.
  • A falsified quote invented during the 2010 financial crisis. [1] Isocrates' actual, more nuanced, quote from the Areopagiticus runs:
    • Οἱ γὰρ κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον τὴν πόλιν διοικοῦντες κατεστήσαντο πολιτείαν [. . .] οὐδ᾿ ἣ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐπαίδευε τοὺς πολίτας ὥσθ᾿ ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν μὲν ἀκολασίαν δημοκρατίαν, τὴν δὲ παρανομίαν ἐλευθερίαν, τὴν δὲ παρρησίαν ἰσονομίαν, τὴν δ᾿ ἐξουσίαν τοῦ ταῦτα ποιεῖν εὐδαιμονίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισοῦσα καὶ κολάζουσα τοὺς τοιούτους βελτίους καὶ σωφρονεστέρους ἅπαντας τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν.
    • Those who directed the state in the time of Solon and Cleisthenes did not establish a polity which [. . .] trained the citizens in such fashion that they looked upon insolence as democracy, lawlessness as liberty, impudence of speech as equality, and licence to do what they pleased as happiness, but rather a polity which detested and punished such men and by so doing made all the citizens better and wiser.
    • VII.20

Quotes about Isocrates

• Isocrates in diverso genere dicendi nitidus et comptus et palaestrae quam pugnae magis accommodatus omnes dicendi veneres sectatus est, nec inmerito: auditoriis enim se, non iudiciis comparat: in inventione facilis, honesti studiosus, in compositione adeo diligens ut cura eius reprehendatur.
  • Isocrates is an orator of a different kind [sc. than Lysias], neat and polished, better suited to the wrestling school than to the battlefield. He aimed at all the graces of style, and he was right to do so, because he had trained himself for the lecture room, not for the courts. His Invention is ready, he has high moral standards, and he is so careful about his Composition that his precision becomes a ground for criticism.
  • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, X.1.79 (tr. D. A. Russell, 2002)

External links

• Speeches of Isocrates (Perseus Project)
• "Plutarch", Life of Isocrates (attalus.org)
• B. Keith Murphy (Fort Valley State University) - Isocrates
• Isocrates (436 - 338 B.C.)