The 75 most famous quotes by Virgil

We review the best famous quotes of this Roman poet, author of The Aeneid.

Publius Virgil Maron, better known simply as Virgilwas a Roman poet famous for writing The Aeneid, the Bucolics and the Georgics. He also played an important role in the work of Dante Alighieri, where Virgil guided him on his descent into hell.

The works of this writer were admired and studied since his beginnings in antiquity, but it was in the Middle Ages when some of his works were even considered prophetic, believing that in one of his works, the writer had even predicted the birth of Christ.

Reflections and phrases of Virgil

For all those who do not know the literary work of this writer, we have compiled the 75 most relevant phrases of Virgil. so that you can begin to discover it.

1. The time of living is for everyone brief and irreparable.

Life has a certain amount of time and this time is never recovered.

2. In small bodies very big souls are agitated.

Someone who is small in size can have an enormous personality.

3. Odd numbers are pleasing to the gods.

Do you think that some numbers are luckier than others? Virgil thought so.

4. Now the forests are covered with leaves; now the year is in its most beautiful season.

Spring is possibly the most beautiful season of the whole year.

5. Who could deceive a lover?

A lover is something secret, forbidden and possibly quite liable to be betrayed.

6. No delay and no rest.

We must do the work quickly, without wasting time.

7. The descent to Avernus is easy and smooth; the gates of Dite are wide open night and day. But to step back and see heaven again is a difficult task!

Going down to hell can be relatively easy, the hard part is getting out.

8. Our race is resilient because of its lineage.

Virgil speaks in many of his works about mythological beings of all kinds.

9. Do not bow down before adversity; rather boldly oppose it as much as your luck permits.

We make our own future for ourselves; we must not allow ourselves to be crushed by troubles.

10. I discover the embers of the old passion.

This writer's way of writing was undoubtedly very poetic.

11. Love conquers all; let us, then, yield to love.

Love is one of the greatest forces that can move the human being.

12. Outside of me I wield weapons, and once I have them in my hand, I lack the necessary prudence.

In order to be able to perform great feats we must be consistently armed.

13. Happy he who knows the country gods!

In ancient Rome they needed all the help they could get to make their orchards fertile.

14. It is not lawful to trust when the gods are adverse.

In ancient times it was believed that a bad omen was a sufficient sign not to act in a certain way.

15. Suspicion of the Danaans, even when they approach with their hands full of gifts.

In Greek mythology, Danao was the brother of Egypt, sons of the Nile and grandsons of Poseidon.

16. We leave the confines of our homeland and our well-loved fields.

In order to have adventures, we must leave our home and comfort zone.

17. It is not Fate that overwhelms us. Mortal we are and mortal is the enemy that besets us. Lives and hands we have as many as he has.

In any battle we are as deadly as our enemies, we need not be afraid of them.

18. Let us begin with Jupiter, O Muses! All things are full of Jupiter.

Jupiter was the king of the Roman gods, named after Zeus in Greek mythology.

19. A new great sequence of centuries is now born.

Time never stands still, it moves forward changing everything around us.

20. Listen now to the treacherous deceptions of the Danaans, and a single example of their crimes warn you of the others.

The Danaans were, according to the Iliad, part of the troops that succeeded in deceiving the Trojans, thus being able to conquer the famous city.

21. For the defeated there is no salvation left but the despair of salvation.

When the soldiers were defeated in a battle, they knew that they would die irremediably.

22. They can, because they believe they can.

If we are totally determined to do something, our determination will help us to make it happen.

23. All things are overcome by hard work and by necessity, spurred on by adversity.

With hard work, effort and perseverance, we will succeed in our task.

24. Wars! Terrible wars!

Wars are terrible for all the peoples who suffer them.

25. Intelligence moves matter.

Intelligence can enable us to create everything that we can imagine.

26. O young people, what force impels you to seek unknown paths?

When we are young, it is the best time to explore the world and to live adventures.

27. Do not abandon the coast.... Leave the high seas to others.

Skirting the coast is a much safer way to sail.

28. Fear uncovers ignoble souls.

Fear is a feeling that can paralyze us and greatly diminish our capacities.

29. Is it so miserable to die?

We will all die at some point, it is a fact of life. It can be very complicated to deal with the death of a loved one or a family member, but it is something that, unfortunately, we cannot avoid.

30. Start now, child, to recognize your mother with a smile.

The first thing a newborn always sees is its mother, one of the most beautiful moments a mother can live.

31. Ah, if only Jupiter could bring me back the years that are already past!

Who wouldn't like to be young again? This writer would have loved it.

32. It is easy to go down to hell.

To commit sins and for them to go down to hell can be quite an easy thing to do.

33. Poverty spurs in the midst of adverse circumstances.

In ancient times, poverty was to be found everywhere.

34. As long as the king lives, harmony is absolute in all; when he is gone, concord is broken.

Our leaders largely dictate the quality of life we perceive in our society.

35. There are two gates of the Dream, of which one is said to be of horny matter, through which the true spectres are given an easy exit; the other is resplendent with white ivories, but through it the Manes send upwards the false reveries.

In this quote, Virgil refers to the entrances and exits of Hades, the underworld for the Greeks. An entrance door and an exit door.

36. But meanwhile time flees; it flees irreparably.

Time slowly slips away from us, every second that passes will never happen again.

37. Whatever happens, dangers and salvation will be one and the same for both of us.

To stay with those we love, is something we should all do in our lives.

38. Rise from my ashes an avenger!

The death of a loved one can provoke a great number of feelings in those close to him or her, even provoking a feeling of revenge.

39. Vice thrives and lives by covering it up.

Many people hide their vices and with time they become stronger.

40. What will happen, will happen.

We cannot stop the inevitable, as Virgil tells us in this quotation.

How happy the peasants would be if they knew they were happy!

In order to be happy we must allow ourselves to be happy.

42. Your honor, your name and your glory will last forever.

A great quote to say goodbye to that person who was great in life.

43. Luck helps the bold.

Luck is always a factor to take into account, but if we are brave it will help us to a much greater extent.

44. In the meantime, the dawn had brought to the unfortunate ones its pure light, bringing them again labors and fatigues.

Life can be very hard for some people, you never know what the new day will bring.

45. The spirit remains unshaken and lets the tears run in vain.

We must never lose our spirit and enthusiasm, we must be true to our way of being.

46. Small is the field of labor, but small is not the glory.

Even the simplest tasks can bring us great victories, we must not belittle anyone or anything.

47. Even virtue is most beautiful in a beautiful body.

Physical beauty is something that throughout history has been known to be valued, the canons of beauty have been, therefore, very different with the passage of time.

48. I do not feel envy, but rather admiration.

We should rejoice in the achievements of others, we should not feel any envy for them.

49. Oh, how happy would the husbandman be if he prized the goods of his state!

The state owes much to its peasants; it owes to them its welfare and its future.

50. Foul love, to what things do you not precipitate the human heart!

Love can make us commit acts that we later regret.

51. Seek your ancient mother.

All beings come after all from the same mother nature.

52. The gods also inhabited the forests.

In the antiquity it was believed that the gods inhabited the forests, lakes and mountains.

53. I knew that puppies are similar to dogs, and recentals are similar to lambs; and thus I used to compare the great with the small.

Every living being is in its beginnings or youth a miniature version of itself.

54. Even if I had a hundred mouths and a hundred tongues, and my voice were iron, I could not enumerate all the forms of crime.

Crimes can be committed in a thousand different ways; new crimes are continually being created in the world.

55. Away, away from here, profane vulgar!

Virgil shows us in this quote his disenchantment with certain parts of society.

56. Fate will find its way.

Whatever happens, in the end we will arrive at our own destiny. It is inevitable.

57. What is there that you do not drag human hearts to, O execrable hunger for gold?

The lust for wealth leads men to commit the vilest crimes; greed is very harmful in our life.

58. A hidden wound lives within the breast.

Emotional damages cause us wounds that can take a long time to heal.

59. If it is permissible to compare the small with the big.

The size is something that always carries with it negative and positive aspects, depending on the way we look at it.

60. Be firm and save yourselves for better days.

At the beginning of any battle the soldier should stand firm and hope for the best possible result.

61. Every man trusts in himself.

Our personal capabilities can be a decisive factor, enabling us to succeed in the most difficult situations.

62. Not everyone can do everything.

The most important feats can only be accomplished by a few men in the world.

63. The fates call us.

In this quotation Virgil tells us about his famous fairies, a type of divinities that refer in the real world to the coincidences of life.

64. I must not distinguish between Tyrians and Trojans.

Tyrians and Trojans were enemies of each other, Virgil wants to tell us in this quotation that he is indifferent to the victory of either of them.

65. How is it possible that such great anger can be found in heavenly spirits?

Anger can be a very difficult emotion to control and can lead to great mistakes.

66. Human things move to tears, and their evils touch the heart.

The human being has always gone through great calamities and disasters since his appearance.

67. Admire and praise extensive possessions, but you cultivate a small inheritance.

We should concentrate on what we have, not on the possessions of others.

68. It is beautiful to die fighting.

The death that every soldier would wish for himself.

69. Woman is a thing always variable and changeable.

Relations between men and women have always been stormy since antiquity.

70. This is the place of shadows, of sleep and of the night full of slumbers.

We shall all be overtaken by death and come to this place, where we shall at last rest.

71. Is it perchance the violent passion of each one to be his god?

Our passions and emotions direct to a great extent our own future.

72. Each one is carried away by his own pleasures.

Our pleasures can get us into more than one trouble in life, we should be cautious in their enjoyment.

73. A few appear swimming in the vast sea.

There will always be certain people who, against all odds, will manage to get afloat.

74. Happy is he who has come to know the causes of things!

Knowledge and wisdom enable us to live a much fuller life.

75. Each one has his appointed day, and the time allotted to his life is short and irreparable!

We will all die when our time comes; we must make the most of our time as much as possible.