Democritus

Boldness is the beginning of action, but fortune controls how it ends

Men ask for health in their prayers to the gods: they do not realize that the power to achieve it lies in themselves. Lacking self-control, they perform contrary actions and betray health to their desires.

No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.

Many much-learned men have no intelligence.

If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.

The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space; everything else is merely thought to exist.

Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.

Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses.

Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.

Accept nothing pleasant unless it is beneficial.

Good means not merely not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.

By convention is sweet, by convention is bitter, by convention hot, by convention colour, but by verity atoms and void

To a wise man, the whole earth is open, because the country of a virtuous soul is the entire universe.

World is decay, life is perception.

To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland.