Home›Quotes›Pliny the Elder Quotes

Pliny the Elder Quotes

11QUOTES

Pliny the Elder: Roman encyclopaedist of the Natural History who died at Vesuvius, 23 to 79.

It is far from easy to determine whether she has proved to man a kind parent or a merciless stepmother.

Pliny the Elder · The source reads: “It is far from easy to determine whether she [Nature] has proved to man a kind parent or a merciless stepmother.” · Of Nature

With a grain of salt.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, XXIII, 8

When a building is about to fall down, all the mice desert it.

Pliny the Elder · The source reads: “Ruinis imminentibus musculi praemigrant. When a building is about to fall down, all the mice desert it.”

There is always something new out of Africa.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, VIII, 17

Man is the only one that knows nothing, that can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak nor walk nor eat, and in short he can do nothing at the prompting of nature only, but weep.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, VII, 4

Africa always brings us something new.

Pliny the Elder · The source reads: “Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre. Africa always brings [us] something new.”

With man, most of his misfortunes are occasioned by man.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, VII, 5

In comparing various authors with one another, I have discovered that some of the gravest and latest writers have transcribed, word for word, from former works, without making acknowledgment.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, bk. I, dedication, sec. 22

The best plan is to profit by the folly of others.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, XVIII, 31

The human features and countenance, although composed of but some ten parts or little more, are so fashioned that among so many thousands of men there are no two in existence who cannot be distinguished from one another.

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, VII, 8

How many things, too, are looked upon as quite impossible until they have been actually effected?

Pliny the Elder · Natural History, VII, 6

Frequently asked questions

How many quotes by Pliny the Elder are here?

11 quotes, dealt in a fresh order every day, so the page reads differently each morning, and every quote keeps its own page.

Are these quotes real?

Every quote on GKBook is traced to the book, speech, letter or interview it came from before it is published. A famous line that cannot be traced is kept because people search for it, but it is labelled "Attributed to", and a line that belongs to someone else is labelled "Often credited to" with the real origin beside it.

What do the pills under a quote do?

The first pill opens the author's page with every quote of theirs on GKBook; the others open the categories the quote belongs to, such as Love Quotes or Wisdom Quotes.

Can I share or download a quote?

Tap the quote to open its own page, which carries a share button and, where a quote card has been made, a Download button for the full-size picture.

General Knowledge

Every general-knowledge topic and the A-to-Z lists.

World Encyclopedia

The world A to Z: flags, countries, the sciences, places, people, subjects.

We Value Your Opinion Comments