Virgil’s 75 Most Famous Quotes
Publio Virgilio Marón, better known simply as Virgilio , was a Roman poet famous for having written The Aeneid, the Bucolic and the Georgian. 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 from their beginnings in antiquity, but it was in the Middle Ages when some of his works even came to be considered prophetic, believing that in one of his works, the writer had come to predict the birth of Christ.
- You may be interested in: “The 80 best famous phrases of Julius Caesar”
Virgil’s Reflections and Phrases
For all those who do not know the literary work of this writer, we have compiled the 75 most relevant sentences of Virgil so that you can start to discover it.
1. The time of living is short and irreparable for everyone.
Life has a certain amount of time and this time is never recovered.
2. In small bodies very large souls are agitated.
Someone who in small size can have a huge personality.
3. Odd numbers are pleasing to the gods.
Do you think 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 year.
5. Who could cheat on a lover?
A lover is something secret in itself, forbidden and possibly quite susceptible to be betrayal.
6. Without delay and without rest.
We must do the work quickly, without wasting time.
7. The descent to the Underworld is easy and smooth; Dite’s doors are wide open night and day. But to take a step back and see the sky again is a difficult task and endeavor!
Going down to hell can be relatively easy, the hard part is once you’re in it you can get 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 in the face of adversity; rather oppose it boldly as much as your lot allows.
We are carving out our own future, we must not let problems break us down.
10. I discover the embers of the ancient passion.
This writer’s writing was certainly very poetic.
11. Love conquers all; therefore let us also yield to love.
Love is one of the greatest forces that can move a human being.
12. Outside of me I wield my weapons and once I have them in my hand, I lack the necessary prudence.
In order to perform great deeds, we must be armed accordingly.
13. Happy is he who knows the country gods!
In ancient Rome they needed all the help they could get to make their gardens fertile.
14. It is not lawful to trust when the gods are adverse.
In the past, it was believed that a bad omen was a sufficient sign not to act in a certain way.
15. Mistrust of the Danaeans, even when they come with their hands full of gifts.
In Greek mythology, Danaeus was the brother of Egypt, sons of the Nile and grandsons of Poseidon.
16. We leave the confines of our homeland and our beloved fields.
In order to have adventures, we must leave our home and comfort zone.
17. It is not Fate that overwhelms us. Mortal are we, and mortal is the enemy that besets us. Lives and hands we have so many of them.
In any battle we are as deadly as our enemies, we must not be afraid of them.
18. Let’s start with Jupiter, O Muses! All things are full of Jupiter.
Jupiter was the king of the Roman gods, named as Zeus in Greek mythology.
19. A great new sequence of centuries is now born.
Time never stops, it advances by changing everything around us.
20. Listen now to the treacherous deceptions of the Danaeans, and a single example of their crimes will warn you of the others.
The Danaeans were, according to the Iliad, part of the troops that managed to deceive 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 soldiers were defeated in battle, they knew they would die irretrievably.
22. They can, because they believe in power.
If we are totally determined to do something, our decision will help us make it happen.
23. All things are overcome by hard work and by the need that is spurred on by adversity.
With work, effort and perseverance, we will succeed in our mission.
24. Wars! Terrible wars!
Wars are a terrible thing for all peoples who suffer from them.
25. Intelligence moves matter.
Intelligence can allow us to create everything we can imagine.
26. O young men! what force compels you to seek out unknown paths?
When we are young, it is the best time to explore the world and live adventures.
27. Don’t leave the coast… Leave the high seas to others.
Sailing along the coast is a much safer way of sailing.
28. Fear discovers the ignoble souls.
Fear is a feeling that can paralyze us and greatly diminish our capabilities.
29. Is it so miserable to die?
We all die at some point, it’s the law of life. It can be very complicated to deal with the death of a loved one or a family member but it is something, unfortunately, we cannot avoid.
30. Start now, child, to recognize your mother with a smile.
The first thing a newborn baby sees is always its mother, one of the most beautiful moments a mother can experience.
31. Ah, if Jupiter would only bring me back the years that have already passed!
Who wouldn’t want to be young again? This writer would have loved it.
32. Easy is the descent into hell.
Committing sins and going down to hell for them can be a pretty easy thing to do.
33. Poverty thrives in the midst of adverse circumstances.
In ancient times, poverty was something that was found everywhere.
34. While the king lives, harmony is absolute in all; once he disappears, harmony is broken.
Our leaders largely dictate the quality of life we perceive in our society.
35. There are two gates of sleep, one of which is said to be of horny matter, through which the true spectres are given an easy exit; the other shines with white ivories, but through it the Manes send false dreams upwards.
In this quote, Virgil refers to the entrances and exits of Hades, the underworld for the Greeks. An entrance and an exit door.
36. But in the meantime time is fleeing; it is fleeing irretrievably.
Time slowly slips away from us, every second that passes will never happen again.
37. Whatever happens, the dangers and the salvation will be one and the same for both of us.
Staying 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 deal of feeling in those close to him or her, even causing a feeling of revenge.
39. Vice thrives and lives by covering it up.
Many people hide their vices and in time they become stronger.
40. What will happen will happen.
We cannot stop the inevitable, as Virgil tells us in this quote.
41. How happy would the peasants be if they knew they were happy!
In order to be happy we must allow ourselves to be happy.
42. Your honour, your name and your glory will endure forever.
A great date to say goodbye to that person who was great in life.
43. Luck helps the bold.
Luck is always a factor, but by being brave it will help us to a much greater extent.
44. In the meantime, the dawn had brought to the unfortunates its pure light, bringing them again works and fatigues.
Life can be very hard for some people, you never know what the new day will bring.
45. The spirit remains unmoved and lets the tears run in vain.
We must never lose our spirit and enthusiasm, we must be faithful to our way of being.
46. Small is the field of work, but not small is the glory.
Even the simplest tasks can bring us great victories, we must not underestimate anything or anyone.
47. Even virtue is more beautiful in a beautiful body.
Physical beauty is something that has been valued throughout history, so the canons of beauty have been very different over 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. O that the husbandman were blessed, if the goods were precious to him in his state!
The state owes much to its peasants, it owes them its welfare and its future.
50. I am a lover, what things do you not rush to the human heart!
Love can make us commit acts that we later regret.
51. Look for your old mother.
All beings come after all from the same mother nature.
52. The gods also dwelt in the forests.
In ancient times it was believed that the gods inhabited the forests, lakes and mountains.
53. I knew that puppies are similar to dogs, and recumbents to lambs; and so 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 was of 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. Far, far away from here, profane vulgar!
Virgil shows us in this quote his disenchantment with certain parts of society.
56. Fate will find its way.
No matter what happens, we’ll get to our own destination in the end. It’s inevitable.
57. What is there that you do not drag down human hearts, O execrable hunger for gold?
The pursuit of wealth leads men to commit the most vile crimes, greed is very harmful in our lives.
58. A hidden wound lives inside the chest.
Emotional damage causes wounds that can take a long time to heal.
59. If it is lawful to compare the small with the large.
Size is something that always has both negative and positive aspects, depending on how we look at it.
60. Be firm and save yourselves for better days.
At the beginning of any battle the soldier had to stand firm and wait for the best possible outcome.
61. Everyone is confident.
Our personal abilities can be a decisive factor, allowing us to succeed in the most difficult situations
62. We can’t all do everything.
The most important feats can only be performed by a few men in the world.
63. The fairies are calling us.
In this quote Virgil tells us about his famous fairies, a kind of divinity that refers in the real world to the coincidences of life.
64. I don’t have to distinguish between Tyrians and Trojans.
Tyrants and Trojans were enemies of each other, Virgil wants to tell us in this quote that he is indifferent to the victory of either of them.
65. How is it possible that such great anger can fit into heavenly minds?
Anger can be a very difficult emotion to control and can lead to making big mistakes.
66. Human things move us to tears, and their evils touch the heart.
The human being has always gone through great calamities and disasters since its appearance.
67. You admire and extol the vast possessions, but you cultivate a small inheritance.
We must concentrate on what we have, we must not focus on the goods of others.
68. It’s beautiful to die fighting.
The death every soldier would wish for himself.
69. The woman is always a variable and tornado thing.
Relations between men and women have always been stormy since ancient times.
70. This is the place of shadows, of sleep and of the night full of sleep.
We will all die and come to this place, where we will finally rest.
Is it possible that the violent passion of each one should be his God?
Our passions and emotions largely direct our own future.
72. Everyone is dragged along by their own pleasures.
Our pleasures can get us into more than one trouble in life, we must be careful in their enjoyment.
73. A few appear to swim in the vast sea.
There will always be certain people who, against all odds, will manage to get out.
74. Happy is he who has come to know the causes of things!
Knowledge and wisdom allow us to live a much fuller life.
75. Everyone has his day marked out. Brief and irreparable is the time he has allotted to his life!
We will all die when our time comes, we must make the most of our time.