Reading Greece quotes is a nice way to get yourself in the mood for your trip to the Mediterranean. There are some gorgeous poems, sonnets, and other pieces of literature that have been written in honor of Greece’s culture and beauty.
Famous quotes about Greece have been written by famous Greek Philosophers, as well as internationally acclaimed poets, writers, and singers. The British poet Lord Byron famously lived out much of his adult life in Greece and in particular, he fell in love with the gritty, chaotic nature of Athens.
Oscar Wilde, Nikos Kazantzakis, Henry Miller, and other creatives have written some stunning Greece quotes that seemingly transport you there. These are nice to read if you want to sit and think about your upcoming Greece itinerary.
They also make nice accompaniments to scrawl beside your photos in photo albums or to write as Instagram and social media captions.
Beautiful Quotes About Greece
This post provides a collection of beautiful Greece quotes. Here, you will find an assortment of reflections from various notable figures.
Writers, Poets, and Creatives have all fallen in love with Greece and drawn inspiration from her shores. Similarly, despite being millennia old, quotes from Greek Philosophers and Academics remain among the most frequently used inspirational quotes even today.
Quotes About the Beauty of Greece
With its idyllic island archipelagos that are surrounded by crystal-clear Cerulean waters, Greece is arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
It is no surprise that more than 30 million people visit Greece each year. The vast majority of those that visit fall madly in love with the Greek country and culture.
There is also much more to Greece than initially meets the eye. This is a larger country than a lot of people realise.
Greece boasts 13,676 kilometers of coastline, the largest in the Mediterranean basin. The islands may be the main draw for many people, and indeed there are thousands of Greek islands scattered across six Greek island groups.
However, the mainland of Greece is just as spectacular, grossly underrated, and a fantastic place for a road trip. Some of the best quotes about Greece to get you excited about your trip are detailed below.
Best Greece Quotes
“The sea was sapphire coloured, and the sky burned like a heated opal through the air; We hoisted sail; the wind was blowing fair. For the blue lands that to the eastward lie.”
Oscar Wilde, Writer
“It takes a lifetime for someone to discover Greece, but it only takes an instance to fall in love with her.”
Henry Miller, American Writer
“Greece was a muse. It inspired creativity in magical ways that I can’t even begin to understand or explain.”
Joe Bonamassa, American Musician
“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the good fortune to sail the Aegean sea.”
Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer
“Unless you have seen the houses of Mykonos, you can’t pretend to be an architect. Whatever architecture has to say, it is said here.”
Le Corbusier, French-Swiss Architect
Today, to walk along the pebbled pathways of a traditional Greek mountain village or the marbled streets of an ancient acropolis is to step back in time. To meander at a leisurely pace through these island chains by boat is to be captivated by the same dramatic landscapes and enchanted islets that make the myths of ancient Greece so compelling.
Laura Brooks, American Writer
“On a summer night, I have sat on the balcony drinking Ouzo, watching the ghosts of Greek Heroes sailing past, listening to the rustle of their sail cloths and the gentle lapping of their oars.”
Phil Simpkin, Writer
“My childhood in Corfu shaped my life. If I had the craft of Merlin, I would give every child the gift of my childhood.”
Gerald Durrell, Writer
“When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge…. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her, you would have never set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you.”
Constantine P. Cavafy, Poet
“The only sounds: -when ‘gan the West to burn, and a red sun upon the seas to ride, I stood upon the soil of Greece at last!”
Oscar Wilde, Writer
“The beauty in front of her interrupted her thoughts. She took a deep breath, staring at the shores of Mykonos with the scenic coves and the golden sand beaches.”
Angel Sefer, Greek Writer
“Her dress sparkled like the stars that blanketed the Mykonos night sky.“
Anthea Syrokou, Australian Author
“Gradually the magic of the island (Corfu) settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen.”
Gerald Durrell, Writer
“The place enchanted me.”
Joanna Lumley, British Actress & Model
“The Greek Isles present a collage of diverse landscapes and customs. Mykonos is fun-loving, with lively tavernas and populated beaches. Delos is stoic, protecting the ruins of its ancient sanctuaries in solemn dignity. Milos is magical, with its volcanic rock formations and stunning village vistas.”
Laura Brooks, English Writer
The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece! Where burning Sappho loved and sung, Where grew the arts of war and peace, Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung! Eternal summer gilds them yet, But all, except their sun, is set.
Lord Byron, British Poet
To witness the Mediterranean sun setting on the turquoise sea is to receive one of life’s greatest blessings
Laura Brooks, American Writer
Best Greece Quotes about Falling in Love with Greece
Greece has a little something for everyone. Those who love the rugged wilderness of the mountains and the great outdoors will fall in love with Karpenisi, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, and the North of Greece.
Meanwhile, those that enjoy quaint villages and pristine coastlines will be captivated by the Cyclades and the islands of the Saronic. Greece has many faces and it will take a lifetime to discover them all.
“The light of Greece opened my eyes, penetrated my pores, expanded my whole being”
Henry Miller, Writer
“In every island of the Aegean Sea are found abundant traces of a vast prehistoric empire.”
James Theodore Bent, English Explorer
“Of all the peoples, the Greeks have dreamt the dream of life best”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German Writer
“Greece is a good place for rebirths”
Judith Martin, American Journalist
“Greece is the most magical place on earth”
Kylie Bax, New Zealand Model
“It is a shame to be called ‘educated’ those who do not study the ancient Greek Writers”
François Rabelais, French Renaissance Writer
Santorini is calling and I must go
Anon
Off the Santorini cliff on a dark, starless night, I tossed a message in a bottle and love found me washed up on the black lava sand of the Aegean shore. As with my previous loves, volcanic in nature. Almost destructive before it started.
Melody Lee, Writer
According to some theories, the legendary Atlantis said to have sunk beneath the sea in a great cataclysm, is in actuality the Greek island of Santorini.
Laura Brooks, Author of Disney Beauty and the Beast
How much blue you spend so we cannot see you!
Odysseus Elytis, Greek Poet
More Gorgeous Greece Quotes
“Greece: The feeling of being lost in time and geography with months and years hazily sparkling ahead in a prospect of inconjecturable magic”
Patrick Leigh Fermor, English Writer
“Greece is the home of the Gods. They may have died but their presence still makes itself felt.”
Henry Miller, American Writer
“Greece is a good place to look at the moon isn’t it?”
Kari Hesthamar, Norweigen Author
“If I was born in Ancient Greece, I’d worship Zeus and Aphrodite”
Richard Dawkins, English Ethologist
“Greece gave democracy to the rest of the world”
Alexis Tsipras, Greek Politician
“The problem with Greece is that she’s just too beautiful”
Anon
“There are men whose manners have the same essential splendor as the simple and awful sculpture on the friezes of the Parthenon, and the remains of the earliest Greek art.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Writer
“I like reading, free diving, and hiking. But my favorite thing to do is travel anywhere in Greece. I love everything about that place.”
Max Irons, English Actor
“If you deconstruct Greece, you will, in the end, see an olive tree, a grapevine, and a boat remain. That is, with as much, you reconstruct her.”
Odysseas Elytis, Greek Poet
“Santorini’s boutique hotels and fine dining make it one of the classier Greek islands, but this is balanced by the down-to-earth hospitality and tradition for which Greece is renowned.”
Mike Gerrard, English Travel Writer
Quotes About Athens, Greece
With its sunbleached ruins and ancient neighborhoods that date back thousands of years, the Greek capital of Athens is a great starting point for an adventure through Greece.
Each Athenian neighbourhood is like a little town in itself and each one has its own distinct personality. Colourful Psiri is best known for its eclectic nightlife, food markets, and the wonderful bakeries of Iroon Square.
Meanwhile, punky Exarchia is synonymous with political, thought-provoking street art, rock bars, and quirky stores selling everything from vinyl records and books to incense.
Visiting Athens for a day or two is your opportunity to learn about one of the greatest civilisations in history.
Be sure to stop by the Parthenon, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Agora, Mount Lycabettus, and Hadrian´s Library. These are some of the best quotes about Athens Greece.
“Maid of Athens, ere we part. Give, oh give me back my heart!”
Lord Byron, English Poet
“Athens – The eye of Greece, the mother of arts and eloquence”
John Milton, English Poet
“Let there be light! Said Liberty, And like sunrise from the sea, Athens arose!”
Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet
“I want to see the Parthenon by moonlight.”
Daphne Du Maurier, English Author
“We approached Athens from the north in early twilight, climbing a hill. When we reached its peak, we were dazzled to look down and see the Acropolis struck by one beam of the setting sun, as if posing for a picture.”
Donald Hall, American Poet
I like living in a smaller place, but I like being in big cities, too, like Athens
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Greek-Nigerian Basketball Player
“An Aristotle was but the rubbish of an Adam, and Athens but the rudiments of Paradise”
Robert South, English Churchman and Poet
“A great city, whose image dwells in the memory of man, is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; Faith hovers over the towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the pre-eminent quality of the antique world, Art.”
Benjamin Disraeli, Former Prime Minister of England
The world over, the very name of our country is immediately associated with the Parthenon.
Melina Mercouri, Greek Actress
How great are the dangers I face to win a good name in Athens
Alexander the Great
One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena’s temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.
Rick Riordan, American Author
They must really like olives! Now, if she’d invented pizza-that I could understand.
If Athens shall appear great to you, consider then that her glories were purchased by valiant men, and by men who learned their duty.
Pericles, Greek Politician
“Athens built the Acropolis. Corinth was a commercial city, interested in purely materialistic things. Today we admire Athens, visit it, preserve the old temples, yet we hardly ever set foot in Corinth.”
Harold Urey, American Chemist
“At Athens, wise men propose, and fools dispose.”
Alcuin, English Scholar
“Earth proudly wears the Parthenon as the best gem upon her“
Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Essayist
“I want Rome and the Coliseum, the Acropolis, Athens; I want beauty, and the flame of life”
Eleanora Duse, Italian Actress
“My sisters and I were fortunate to travel through Asia and Europe at very young ages. We confronted extraordinary beauty in Athens and unspeakable poverty in India.”
Mary Chapin Carpenter, American Singer-Songwriter
Ancient of days! august Athena! where, Where are thy men of might? thy grand in soul? Gone–glimmering through the dream of things that were; First in the race that led to glory’s goal, They won, and pass’d away–Is this the whole?
Lord Byron, British Poet
“Every time I go to Athens, it’s not just a trip down memory lane; there’s some surprise. I always meet somebody new, or some crazy party happens, or there’s some amazing event.”
Kate Pierson, American Singer
“We have the ability to be the Athens of modern times as opposed to the militaristic Spata. I remind you that the Athenians wrote poetry. The Spartans did not.”
Rita Mae Brown, American Writer
Such is beauty ever – neither here nor there, now nor then – neither in Rome nor in Athens, but wherever there is a soul to admire
Henry David Thoreau, American Essayist
“Athens – a city which is very great and very famous for its wisdom and power. Are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?”
Plato, Greek Philosopher
“I would like to be a Philosopher in Ancient Athens and a Poet in Ancient China”
Shan Sa, French Author
Many of our ideas of democracy, so much of our literature and philosophy and science can be traced back to roots right here in Athens.
Barrack Obama, Former US President
Fair Greece! Sad relic of departed worth! Immortal, though no more! Though fallen, great!
Lord Byron, British Poet
Athens is an amazing city for creativity. I bought a house there. A little, tiny place
Cindy Wilson, American Musician
“The male orientation of classical Athens was inseparable from its genius. Athens became great not despite but because of its misogyny.”
Camille Paglia, American Social Critic
More Quotes about Athens, Greece
“And thence from Athens turn away our eyes to seek new friends and stranger companies.”
William Shakespeare, British Playwright
“I am afraid that like Timon of Athens, I just cannot let go of friendships”
Spike Milligan, Irish Actor
“It’s already a secret place wherever you go, even if it’s somewhere huge like Athens or Corinth.”
Joanna Lumley, British Actress and TV Presenter
“My worst holiday was in Athens when I was a young drama student at Rada in 1965. I ran out of money. I had my things stolen and I wasn’t able to speak a word of the language.”
Stephanie Beacham, British Actress
“So far has Athens left the rest of mankind behind in thought and expression that her pupils have become the teachers of the world, and she has made the name of Hellas distinctive no longer of race but of intellect, and the title of Hellene a badge of education rather than of common descent.”
Isocrates, Greek Philosopher
The language of the gods is the Greek language.
Cicero, Roman Statesman
“In Elizabethan England or classical Athens… theater was at the center of, not culture, but society and politics and religion and civic engagement. Those things have a different audience.”
Diane Paulus, American Theatre Director
“Mykonos made you long for the restful, happy day to day reality of life on the Greek island, and it was the brief visits that tortured the soul. Paris was a romantic respite from life, Mykonos was life itself, and living.”
Bobby Underwood, American Writer
“This was Mykonos, a seaside sanctuary so timeless that I half expected to glimpse Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings walking along the dock as we disembarked from the ferry.”
Bobby Underwood, American Writer
Quotes About Greek Culture
If you can say anything about the Greeks, it’s that they are a nation of proud people with a strong cultural heritage. The Greeks are world-renowned for their warmth and hospitality, along with their laid-back approach to life.
Weekends and evenings in Greece are spent sitting al fresco outside the local tavernas surrounded by good friends with a glass of ouzo in hand. Life here is about simple things and really living in the moment. The quotes about Greece below really embody that aspect of local life.
“I want to have an ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ experience where I drop off the face of the planet and move to Greece.”
Jennifer Hyman, Businesswoman
“I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else.”
Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer
Without Greek studies there is no education.
Leo Tolstoy, Russian Writer
“We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts have their root in Greece.”
Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet
“Experts in ancient Greek culture say that people back then didn’t see their thoughts as belonging to them. When ancient Greeks had a thought, it occurred to them as a god or goddess giving an order. Apollo was telling them to be brave. Athena was telling them to fall in love. Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy, but now they call this free will. At least the ancient Greeks were being honest.”
Chuck Palahniuk, American Novelist
“Alcohol makes other people less tedious, and food less bland, and can help provide what the Greeks called entheos, or the slight buzz of inspiration when reading or writing.”
Christopher Hitchens, Writer
“In many ways, we are all sons and daughters of ancient Greece.”
Nia Vardalos, Actress
“How can any educated person stay away from the Greeks? I have always been far more interested in them than in science.”
Albert Einstein, Physicist
“If you go back to the Greeks and Romans – they talk about all three – wine, food, and art – as a way of enhancing life.”
Robert Mondavi, American Vineyard Operator
“The people of Crete, unfortunately, make more history than they can consume locally. “
Hector Hugh Munro, Writer
“The Greeks had invented democracy, built the Acropolis, and called it a day. “
American Comedian and Author
“I’m obsessed with Greek mythology. My favorite goddess is Artemis. She’s strong and reminds me of Katniss, the heroine of ‘The Hunger Games.’”
Isabelle Fuhrman, American Actress
“There are two kinds of people: Greeks, and everybody else who wish they were Greek”
Gus Portokalis, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
“Give me a word, any word, and I’ll show you that the root of that word is Greek”
Gus Portokalis, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
“The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence.”
John F. Kennedy, American President
“I hope nothing, I fear nothing. I am free”
Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer
I came to the Greeks early, and I found answers in them. Greece’s great men let all their acts turn on the immortality of the soul. We don’t really act as if we believed in the soul’s immortality and that’s why we are where we are today.
Edith Hamilton, American Author
The mountains look on Marathon, And Marathon looks on the sea; And musing there an hour alone I dreamed that Greece might still be free
Lord Byron, British Poet
Greece appears to be the fountain of knowledge; Rome of elegance.
Samuel Johnson, English Writer
“We are usually told that democracy originated in ancient Athens—like science, or philosophy, it was a Greek invention. It’s never entirely clear what this is supposed to mean. Are we supposed to believe that before the Athenians, it never really occurred to anyone, anywhere, to gather all the members of their community in order to make joint decisions in a way that gave everyone equal say?”
David Graeber, American Anthropologist
“Damned Greek, you found everything; philosophy, geometry, physics, astronomy… you left nothing for us.“
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, German Playwright
Quotes About Greek Food
Indulging in the local delicacies is a highlight of spending time in Greece. The national cuisine can be characterised by sumptuous marinated meat dishes that are slow-cooked to perfection, delightful flaky pastries, indulgent street food, and beautiful salads prepared with fresh local produce.
Food is likely to be as much of a highlight of your trip as lounging on gorgeous island beaches and checking out Greece’s UNESCO sites. For the best food experiences in Greece, ask locals for their recommendations on where they like to eat.
That way, you can discover hidden gems away from the tourist hordes, and uncover the very best places to have souvlaki in Athens, fine dining in Santorini, etc. Some of the best quotes about Greece and its food are detailed below.
“Part of why I love Greek food so much is that it is simple, but it’s unpretentious. It’s authentic.”
Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark
“I open it, feel the rush of steam leaving the bag and smell the unmistakable aroma of Corfu….Loukoumades. Drizzled with honey and dusted with a flourish of cinnamon. Sugared perfection in the form of golf-ball-sized fried dough.”
Jenny Gardiner, Writer
“Let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food.”
Hippocrates, Greek Physician
“My favourite power food is Greek yoghurt and honey”
Misty May-Treanor, American Volleyball Player
“My mom always cooked Greek food. Greek food itself to cooking healthy”
Cat Cora, Greek-American Chef
“I grew up with a Greek family. When other kids were eating fried okra, we were eating steamed artichokes.”
Cat Cora, Greek-American Chef
“The anchovy which is found in the sea at Athens, men despise on account of its abundance and say that it is a poor man’s fish; but in other cities, they prize it above everything, even where it is far inferior to the Attic anchovy.”
Chrysippus, Greek Philosopher
Inspiring Quotes from Greek Philosophers
The wise reflections of ancient Greek Philosophers are synonymous with the mention of Ancient Greece. It’s hard to think about Athens without imagining the likes of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle sipping wine and engaging in intellectual conversations with their peers beneath the shadow of the Acropolis.
Greece quotes in this section are not restricted to quotes about Greece. Instead, they are thought-provoking quotes from Greek Philosophers that we can use to enrich our lives.
Quotes from Greek Philosophers
“According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves”
Plato
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be content with what he would like to have.”
Socrates
“There was never a genius without a tincture of madness”
Aristotle
“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.”
Socrates
“To find yourself, think for yourself”
Socrates
Of all things which wisdom provides to make life entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship
Epicurus
“Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion“
Democritus
“There is nothing permanent except change”
Heraclitus
“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.“
Epicurus, Ancient Greek Philosopher
It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters
Epictetus
“Wisdom begins in wonder”
Socrates
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”
Aristotle
“Knowledge creates happiness”
Plato
The beginning is the most important part of the work
Plato
Final thoughts on these Greece quotes
Have any more quotes about Greece that you’d like to share? Alternatively, feel free to reach out to me if you need any advice for planning a trip to Greece.
I have spent the last four years living in Athens and this site is filled with comprehensive guides to help you plan your trip. You may also enjoy reading these facts about Greece, or these quotes about Santorini.
Safe travels. Geia sou!
