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Gods Quotes

Old words on fate and the divine

Many of these gods quotes come from classical thought, weighing whether prayer can alter fate and what it means to live justly under forces beyond us. Read more on Existence quotes.

The gods help them that help themselves.

Quotes by Aesop

Who apart from the gods is without pain for his whole lifetime's length?

Quotes by Aeschylus

Of all the gods only death does not desire gifts.

Quotes by Aeschylus

For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune.

Quotes by Aeschylus

Against Quotes

The gods did not reveal, from the beginning, all things to us.

Quotes by Xenophanes

As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport.

William Shakespeare

From my example learn to be just, and not to despise the gods.

Quotes by Virgil

Cease to think that the decrees of the gods can be changed by prayers.

Quotes by Virgil

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God.

Thomas Jefferson

Existence Quotes

The gods look in pleasure on penitent sinners.

Quotes by Theodor W. Adorno

I have with me two gods, Persuasion and Compulsion.

Quotes by Themistocles

In Bengal, Hindus are known to crack jokes at the expense of their gods and goddesses and that's what I did.

Quotes by Sunil Gangopadhyay

The poets are only the interpreters of the gods.

Socrates

You're in the lap of the gods. If people go, they go, and if they don't.

Quotes by Sam Mendes

God Quotes

We are the playthings of the gods.

Quotes by Roger Ebert

As to gods, I have no way of knowing either that they exist or do not exist, or what they are like.

Quotes by Protagoras

Mankind is poised midway between the gods and the beasts.

Quotes by Plotinus

In some ways, evil is backhanded proof of Gods existence.

Quotes by Philip Yancey

It is convenient that there be gods, and, as it is convenient, let us believe there are.

Quotes by Ovid

He Quotes

The gods behold all righteous actions.

Quotes by Ovid

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the theme of these gods quotes?
They mostly come from classical and philosophical sources, exploring whether fate can be changed through prayer and how people should act justly regardless of divine will.
Do the quotes suggest the gods reveal everything to us?
No, one quote states that divine knowledge was never fully disclosed to humanity from the start, suggesting understanding comes gradually.
Is there a darker view of the gods included?
Yes, one line compares humans to playthings at the mercy of the gods, reflecting an old, somewhat fatalistic view of divine power.
How do these quotes relate to broader questions of existence?
They touch on humanity's place under forces larger than itself. See Existence quotes for related reflections.
Are these quotes connected to quotes about God?
They share some overlap in exploring belief and the divine. Browse God quotes for more.

Others question how much the divine chooses to reveal, or cast the gods as indifferent to human suffering. For a broader view on belief, see God quotes.