“To become just, it is enough to want to be”;

“The just are not only respected as the brave are respected, not only wondered at and admired as the wise are admired; they are loved, firmly relied upon and believed, whereas the brave and the wise are regarded with either fear or distrust”;

“Just as the seed of men who are immoderately greedy for copulation is mostly barren, so an unrestrained tongue breeds empty and foolish speeches”;

“After greeting him, the king asked Diogenes whether he had any request. ‘Stand a little out of my sun,’ he replied; ‘do not block the sun for me.’ They say Diogenes’s words made a great impression on Alexander and that he was struck by the pride and greatness of soul of this man, who treated him with such disdain. On the way back he told his companions, who were joking and mocking the philosopher: ‘If I were not Alexander, I would wish to be Diogenes’”;

“Meanwhile Darius (King Darius III of the great Achaemenid Empire) sent his friends with a letter to the Macedonian king, offering Alexander ten thousand talents as ransom for the prisoners, all the lands on this side of the Euphrates, one of his daughters in marriage, and also his friendship and alliance. When Alexander told his intimates of this offer, Parmenion said: ‘If I were Alexander, I would accept these terms.’ ‘By Zeus, I would do the same,’ exclaimed Alexander, ‘if I were Parmenion!’”;

“Alexander once met some Macedonians carrying skins of water from a river on mules. Seeing Alexander suffering from thirst — it was already midday — they quickly filled a helmet with water and brought it to the king. Alexander asked them whom they were carrying the water to, and the Macedonians answered: ‘To our sons; but if you live, we will father other children, even if we lose these.’ Hearing this, Alexander took the helmet in his hands, but, looking round and seeing that all the horsemen around him had turned and were looking at the water, he returned the helmet without taking a single sip. Praising those who had brought him the water, he said: ‘If I drink alone, they will lose heart.’ Seeing the king’s self-control and generosity, the horsemen, whipping their horses, cried out that he should lead them on without hesitation, for they could feel no weariness, could feel no thirst, and could not even count themselves mortal while they had such a king.”

(From the book by Lucius Mestrius Plutarch, “Parallel Lives”. Plutarch (45–120 AD) was an ancient Greek writer and philosopher of the Roman era, who associated with influential Roman politicians and intellectuals and was a priest of the temple of Apollo at Delphi. Plutarch’s “Parallel Lives” is the largest and most famous work on the biographies of 46 outstanding Greek and Roman politicians and is a valuable historical source. At the end of each account Plutarch compares and analyses the characters and fates of his heroes.

“Parallel Lives” enjoyed enormous popularity as early as Antiquity. Lost to readers in the Middle Ages, they were rediscovered only in the Renaissance. And for more than 500 years they have been regularly reprinted in many languages.)