The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
Translated by Edward, active Bysshe
Among the few surviving voices from ancient Athens, Xenophon offers something Plato cannot: a portrait of Socrates written by a man who learned from him directly. This collection preserves the philosopher's defense against the charges that would kill him, impiety and corruption of youth, but more than that, it captures the interior life of a man who chose to die rather than abandon his principles. The Memorable Thoughts moves from that devastating trial into the rich terrain of Socratic dialogue: conversations about virtue that feel less like philosophy lectures and more like watching a brilliant mind dissect an idea in real time. Xenophon also includes the lesser-known works that make this collection essential: The Estate-Manager, a practical manual of ancient economics, and The Dinner-Party, a sparkling exploration of love and desire. Together these texts offer something rare in Western literature, a glimpse into how Socrates actually lived and talked, not as a monument but as a man. For readers curious about the origins of Western thought, or anyone drawn to stories of integrity under pressure, this book preserves the voice of a thinker who transformed how humanity asks questions about the good life.
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“People often say what is right and do what is wrong; but nobody can be in the wrong if he is doing what is right.””
— Xenophon
“Most people, when they are set upon looking into other people's affairs, never turn to examine themselves.””
— Xenophon
“for as they who use no bodily exercises are awkward and unwieldy in the actions of the body, so they who exercise not their minds are incapable of the noble actions of the mind, and have not courage enough to undertake anything worthy of praise, nor command enough over themselves to abstain from things that are forbid.””
— Xenophon
“The man who doesn't know his own ability is ignorant of himself.””
— Xenophon
“And do you think, you fool," added Socrates, "that kisses of love are not venomous, because you perceive not the poison? Know that a beautiful person is a more dangerous animal than scorpions, because these cannot wound unless they touch us; but beauty strikes at a distance: from what place soever we can but behold her, she darts her venom upon us, and overthrows our judgment.””
— Xenophon
“he who marries a beautiful woman in hopes of being happy with her knows not but that even she herself may be the cause of all his uneasinesses;””
— Xenophon
“For I believe that the best life is lived by those who take the best care to make themselves as good as possible, and the pleasantest life by those who are most conscious that they are becoming better.””
— Xenophon
“Nothing that is really good and admirable is granted by the gods to men without some effort and application.””
— Xenophon
“I am a stranger in all countries.””
— Xenophon
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Xenophon. The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-memorable-thoughts-of-socrates-32ec976d-3345-449f-9eae-7aa937b066b3.Xenophon (n.d.). The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-memorable-thoughts-of-socrates-32ec976d-3345-449f-9eae-7aa937b066b3Xenophon. The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-memorable-thoughts-of-socrates-32ec976d-3345-449f-9eae-7aa937b066b3.
