3 Ancient Greek Values That Still Matter (2024)

Key Takeaways

• The ancient Greek world harmonized wisdom, science, and achievements, yielding timeless quotes of profound significance.
• Three quotes reflect enduring Greek values: 'Ever to excel' promotes striving for excellence, 'A healthy mind in a healthy body' emphasizes the synergy between physical and mental well-being, and 'Know thyself' underscores the pursuit of self-awareness for understanding.
• Ancient Greeks valued holistic education, advocating for the nurturing of both the mind and body through wisdom and physical well-being.
• 'Know thyself' encapsulates the Greek quest for introspection, highlighting self-awareness as a foundational step toward comprehending the world and finding personal fulfillment.

The ancient Greek world was a blend of wisdom, science, and achievements.

We often feel amazed by the simplicity of some powerful quoteswe read by men that lived up to 2.000 years ago that serve, even to this day, assignificant lessons about life.

Let's present to you three of these quotes that represent the great values of the ancient Greeks; their timelessness is impressive, as these virtues are still vital now more than ever.

'Ever to excel'

This is a motto of the University of St Andrews, the Edinburgh Academy, and Boston College. It comes from the sixth book of Homer's Iliad, in a speech Glaucus delivers to Diomedes.

The meaning of this phrase is that we always have to strive for excellenceand try as hard as we can to get what we want in life; it is about giving peoplean urge to pursue happinessby achieving their goals. This, of course, is differentiated from one person to another -as Protagoras used to say: “Man is the measure of all things.”

'A healthy mind in a healthy body'

For ancient Greeks exercising both their bodies and their minds was equally important. Various education systems developed in various cities included gymnastics, music, and literacy.

The education of young people was designed to help them develop both their body and their mind and gain harmony. The exemplar of ancient Greeks was to always pursue wisdom and knowledge but, at the same time, to exercise their bodies as this was the only way for them to feel healthy and strong.

The sense of virtue is found in harmony between a beautiful mind and a beautiful body.

'Know thyself'

'Know thyself' is an aphorism inscribed over the entrance f the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. How many books have been written in regard to the importance of self-knowledge?

A meaningful value of the ancient Greek world was the endless search for the inner self, the core of the soul and existence. One cannotfulfill their purpose in life unless they arefamiliar with their own strengths and weaknesses, fears and wishes, and their own path to feeling happy and complete.

This is a journey that we all make through our lifetime, and we should never forget that knowing ourselves is the first step to understanding the world.

Ancient Greek quotesare not our only source of inspiring lessons about life. On the contrary, Greek mythology is full of tales of wisdom. Therefore, join our mythological tour of Athensand learn fascinating stories from ancient Greece that will enrich your life and help you get a perspective.

Alternatively, you can book one of our Greece vacation packages and explore the rich heritage of Greece outside Athens!