“Hope is the only thing common to all, even to those who have nothing.”
— Thales of MiletusCommonly cited anthology saying attributed to Thales; approximate English rendering, source not confirmed
Commentary
This saying, which appears in later collections of sayings attributed to Thales, presents hope as the one possession shared by all human beings, including the poor. The thought is conventional in Greek moral writing and resonates with the proverbial wisdom of the archaic and classical periods. A. A. Long notes that the sages' sayings were often compiled for their moral force, so that their attribution to a specific figure is uncertain. G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven, and M. Schofield observe that the saying is not attested in the early sources for Thales and should be treated as a later attribution. Charles Kahn suggests that the sentiment reflects the broader social concerns of Greek city life. Jonathan Barnes cautions that such sayings were often redistributed among the Seven Sages. The saying should be labelled as a traditional attribution rather than a verified utterance, and the English is an approximation of the Greek.
Commentary
This saying, which appears in later collections of sayings attributed to Thales, presents hope as the one possession shared by all human beings, including the poor. The thought is conventional in Greek moral writing and resonates with the proverbial wisdom of the archaic and classical periods. A. A. Long notes that the sages' sayings were often compiled for their moral force, so that their attribution to a specific figure is uncertain. G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven, and M. Schofield observe that the saying is not attested in the early sources for Thales and should be treated as a later attribution. Charles Kahn suggests that the sentiment reflects the broader social concerns of Greek city life. Jonathan Barnes cautions that such sayings were often redistributed among the Seven Sages. The saying should be labelled as a traditional attribution rather than a verified utterance, and the English is an approximation of the Greek.