--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sacred writings excepted, no Greek…" description: "\"The sacred writings excepted, no Greek has been so much read and so variously translated as Euclid.\" — Augustus De Morgan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png" --- # The sacred writings excepted, no Greek has been so much… ![“The sacred writings excepted, no Greek has been so much read and so variously translated as Euclid.” quote by Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png) > “The sacred writings excepted, no Greek has been so much read and so variously translated as Euclid.” [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Euclid’s works have been extensively read and translated, more than any other Greek mathematical text. **In simple terms:** Euclid is widely studied and translated. Key Takeaway Study foundational geometry for deeper insight. Themes education history mathematics translation legacy Mood reflective academic Type historical educational When to use this quote - classrooms - research - translation projects - historical analysis Key Concepts Greek mathematics canonical texts knowledge dissemination Questions to Reflect On - Why does Euclid remain relevant today? - How can ancient geometry inform modern problems? A Different Perspective Modern texts may dominate curricula, reducing focus on Euclid. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Euclid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euclid/) [Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematician/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Adelard of Bath (ca. 1075-1160) disguised himself as a Muslim and studied at Cordoba; he translated Euclid's Elements from the Arabic translation into Latin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-beckman/adelard-of-bath-ca-1075-1160-disguised-himself-as-a-muslim-and/) [Petr Beckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-beckman/) > [ They \[the mathematicians of the Enlightenment\] defined their terms vaguely and used their methods loosely, and the logic of their arguments was made to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-dantzig/they-the-mathematicians-of-the-enlightenment-defined-their-terms/) [Tobias Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-dantzig/) > [In geometry I find certain imperfections which I hold to be the reason why this science, apart from transition into analytics, can as yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-lobachevsky/in-geometry-i-find-certain-imperfections-which-i-hold-to-be-the/) Nikolai Lobachevsky > [ As to writing another book on geometry \[to replace Euclid\] the middle ages would have as soon thought of composing another New Testament. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/as-to-writing-another-book-on-geometry-to-replace-euclid-the-middle/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [“Sacred writings are beneficial in stimulating desire for inward realization, if one stanza at a time is slowly assimilated. Continual intellectual study results in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/sacred-writings-are-beneficial-in-stimulating-desire-for-inward/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [“She held the book in her hands, feeling a sense of awe, and lightly ran a finger over its cover as if it contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rosen/she-held-the-book-in-her-hands-feeling-a-sense-of-awe-and-lightly-ran/) [Nikki Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rosen/) > [“Satan has frightened men from reading the sacred writings, and has rendered Holy Scriptures contemptible, so as to ensure his poisonous philosophy to prevail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/satan-has-frightened-men-from-reading-the-sacred-writings-and-has/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“As for logic and internal consistency, these mundane rules do not apply to sacred writings and never have...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/as-for-logic-and-internal-consistency-these-mundane-rules-do-not/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If all the ancient sacred writings had been preserved, some would be found to be heretical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nachman-of-breslov/if-all-the-ancient-sacred-writings-had-been-preserved-some-would-be/) [Nachman of Breslov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nachman-of-breslov/) > [Read the sacred writings of all the peoples on Earth. Through all of them runs, like a red thread, the hidden Science of attaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/read-the-sacred-writings-of-all-the-peoples-on-earth-through-all-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A quiet impression could be a personal instruction from the Lord. It is personal and private. It comes from the Lord. Why is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/a-quiet-impression-could-be-a-personal-instruction-from-the-lord-it/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [Even though the discples were not aware of it, the presence was with them while they were reviewing the scriptures together on the road.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/even-though-the-discples-were-not-aware-of-it-the-presence-was-with/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Do not confuse understanding with a larger vocabulary, sacred writings are beneficial in stimulating desire for inward realization, if one stanza at a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-yukteswar-giri/do-not-confuse-understanding-with-a-larger-vocabulary-sacred-writings/) [Sri Yukteswar Giri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-yukteswar-giri/) > [“Of these three collections of the Sacred Writings, the first two, or Sutra and Vinaya, of Mahayana, as well as of Himayana, are believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/of-these-three-collections-of-the-sacred-writings-the-first-two-or/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more strongly the truths come from on high, and contained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-human-discoveries-seem-to-be-made-only-for-the-purpose-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Augustus De Morgan > [ Imagine a person with a gift of ridicule \[He might say\] First that a negative quantity has no logarithm; secondly that a negative quantity… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/imagine-a-person-with-a-gift-of-ridicule-he-might-say-first-that-a/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [Common integration is only the memory of differentiation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/common-integration-is-only-the-memory-of-differentiation/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [But the gambling reasoner is incorrigible: if he would but take to squaring the circle, what a load of misery would be saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/but-the-gambling-reasoner-is-incorrigible-if-he-would-but-take-to/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [Mathematicians care no more for logic than logicians for mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/mathematicians-care-no-more-for-logic-than-logicians-for-mathematics/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [ As to writing another book on geometry \[to replace Euclid\] the middle ages would have as soon thought of composing another New Testament. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/as-to-writing-another-book-on-geometry-to-replace-euclid-the-middle/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [“The genius of Laplace was a perfect sledge hammer in bursting purely mathematical obstacles; but, like that useful instrument, it gave neither finish nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/the-genius-of-laplace-was-a-perfect-sledge-hammer-in-bursting-purely/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [I did not hear what you said, but I absolutely disagree with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/i-did-not-hear-what-you-said-but-i-absolutely-disagree-with-you/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [During the last two centuries and a half, physical knowledge has been gradually made to rest upon a basis which it had not before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/during-the-last-two-centuries-and-a-half-physical-knowledge-has-been/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [I am perfectly convinced that I have both seen, and heard in a manner which should make unbelief impossible, things called spiritual which cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/i-am-perfectly-convinced-that-i-have-both-seen-and-heard-in-a-manner/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [The imaginary expression √(-a) and the negative expression -b, have this resemblance, that either of them occurring as the solution of a problem indicates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/the-imaginary-expression-a-and-the-negative-expression-b-have-this/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [All existing things upon this earth, which have knowledge of their own existence, possess, some in one degree and some in another, the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/all-existing-things-upon-this-earth-which-have-knowledge-of-their-own/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [I was x years old in the year x2.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/i-was-x-years-old-in-the-year-x2/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [It is easier to square the circle than to get round a mathematician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/it-is-easier-to-square-the-circle-than-to-get-round-a-mathematician/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [My opinion of mankind is founded upon the mournful fact that, so far as I can see, they find within themselves the means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/my-opinion-of-mankind-is-founded-upon-the-mournful-fact-that-so-far/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [Wrong hypotheses, rightly worked from, have produced more useful results than unguided observations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/wrong-hypotheses-rightly-worked-from-have-produced-more-useful/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) [Explore all 33 Augustus De Morgan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) ## More Euclid quotes > [“When one day Lagrange took out of his pocket a paper which he read at the Académe, and which contained a demonstration of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-biot/when-one-day-lagrange-took-out-of-his-pocket-a-paper-which-he-read-at/) Jean-Baptiste Biot > [Regular geometry, the geometry of Euclid, is concerned with shapes which are smooth, except perhaps for corners and lines, special lines which are singularities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benoit-mandelbrot/regular-geometry-the-geometry-of-euclid-is-concerned-with-shapes/) [Benoit Mandelbrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benoit-mandelbrot/) > [“Please give it up. Fear it no less than the sensual passion, because it, too, may take up all your time and deprive you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farkas-bolyai/please-give-it-up-fear-it-no-less-than-the-sensual-passion-because-it/) [Farkas Bolyai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farkas-bolyai/) > [The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed in measuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-science-of-the-church-is-neglected-for-the-study-of-geometry-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [I have given up newspapers in exchange for Tacitus and Thucydides, for Newton and Euclid; and I find myself much the happier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-have-given-up-newspapers-in-exchange-for-tacitus-and-thucydides-for/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare. Let all who prate of Beauty hold their peace, And lay them prone upon the earth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/euclid-alone-has-looked-on-beauty-bare-let-all-who-prate-of-beauty/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [ \[T\]he 47th proposition in Euclid might now be voted down with as much ease as any proposition in politics; and therefore if Lord Hawkesbury… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-smith/t-he-47th-proposition-in-euclid-might-now-be-voted-down-with-as-much/) [Sydney Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-smith/) > [“ Euclid 's Elements has been for nearly twenty-two centuries the encouragement and guide of that scientific thought which is one thing with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/euclid-s-elements-has-been-for-nearly-twenty-two-centuries-the/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [I would say, if you like, that the party is like an out-moded mathematics...that is to say, the mathematics of Euclid. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/i-would-say-if-you-like-that-the-party-is-like-an-out-moded/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [The early study of Euclid made me a hater of geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joseph-sylvester/the-early-study-of-euclid-made-me-a-hater-of-geometry/) [James Joseph Sylvester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joseph-sylvester/) > [ As to writing another book on geometry \[to replace Euclid\] the middle ages would have as soon thought of composing another New Testament. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/as-to-writing-another-book-on-geometry-to-replace-euclid-the-middle/) [Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/) > [Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare. Let all who prate of Beauty hold their peace, And lay them prone upon the earth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/euclid-alone-has-looked-on-beauty-bare-let-all-who-prate-of-beauty-2/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [It is shocking that young people should be addling their brains over mere logical subtleties in Euclid's Elements, trying to understand the proof of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-heaviside/it-is-shocking-that-young-people-should-be-addling-their-brains-over/) [Oliver Heaviside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-heaviside/) > [“... I left Caen, where I was living, to go on a geological excursion under the auspices of the School of Mines. The incidents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/i-left-caen-where-i-was-living-to-go-on-a-geological-excursion-under/) [Henri Poincaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [The new painters do not propose, any more than did their predecessors, to be geometers. But it may be said that geometry is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-apollinaire/the-new-painters-do-not-propose-any-more-than-did-their-predecessors/) [Guillaume Apollinaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-apollinaire/) [Browse all 65 Euclid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euclid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The sacred writings excepted, no Greek has been so much read and so variously translated as Euclid.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Augustus De Morgan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-has-been-so-much-read-and-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Euclid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-has-been-so-much-read-and-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/augustus-de-morgan-18916_euclid_the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-ha_752501.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The sacred writings excepted, no Greek has been so much read and so variously translated as Euclid.” — Augustus De Morgan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Augustus De Morgan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-de-morgan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The sacred writings excepted, no Greek...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-has-been-so-much-read-and-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-de-morgan/the-sacred-writings-excepted-no-greek-has-been-so-much-read-and-so/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```