Heraclitus Fire Quotations

Deliberate violence is more to be quenched than a fire

We have to be faster in calming down a resentment than putting out a fire, because the consequences of the first are infinitely more dangerous than the results of the last; fire ends burning down some houses at the most, while the resentment can cause cruel wars, with the ruin and total destruction of nations...

Presumption must be quenched even more than a fire.

The Cosmos was not made by gods but always was and is eternal fire.

The world, an entity out of everything, was created by none of the gods or men, but was, is and will be eternally living fire, regularly becoming ignited and reg- ularly becoming extinguished....

This universe, which is the same for all, has not been made by any god or man, but it always has been, is, and will be an ever-living fire, kindling itself by regular measures and going out by regular measures.

The phases of fire are craving and satiety.

We circle in the night and we are devoured by fire.

There is exchange of all things for fire and of fire for all things, as there is of wares for gold and of gold for wares.

There is a stability in the Universe because of the orderly and balanced process of change, the same measure coming out as going in, as if reality were a huge fire that inhaled and exhaled equal amounts.

It ever was, and is, and shall be, ever-living fire, in measures being kindled and in measures going out.