--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modesty teaches us to speak of the…" description: "\"Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect, especially when we are not very familiar with their works. Newton, who knew them practically ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg" --- # Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect… ![“Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect, especially when we are not very familiar with their works. Newton, who knew them practically by heart, had the greatest respect for them, and considered them to be men of genius and superior intelligence who had carried their discoveries in…” quote by Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg) > “Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect, especially when we are not very familiar with their works. Newton, who knew them practically by heart, had the greatest respect for them, and considered them to be men of genius and superior intelligence who had carried their discoveries in every field much further than we today suspect, judging from what remains of their writings. More ancient writings have been lost than have been preserved, and perhaps our new discoveries are of less value than those that we have lost.” [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Newton admired ancient scholars, viewing them as geniuses whose lost works likely surpass modern discoveries. **In simple terms:** He respected ancient thinkers and lamented lost knowledge. Key Takeaway Value historical insight alongside new findings. Themes history humility knowledge legacy Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - academic research - archaeology - philosophy - science education Key Concepts ancient scholarship intellectual humility historical loss Questions to Reflect On - What can we learn from forgotten texts? - How do we balance reverence and critique? A Different Perspective Modern science may overlook ancient contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancients/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Modesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modesty/) [New discoveries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-discoveries/) [Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newton/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Superior intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superior-intelligence/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [It's your life story if you're a mathematician: every time you discover something neat, you discover that Gauss or Newton knew it in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gosper/it-s-your-life-story-if-you-re-a-mathematician-every-time-you/) Bill Gosper > [To arrive at the simplest truth, as Newton knew and practiced, requires years of contemplation. Not activity Not reasoning. Not calculating. Not busy behaviour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-spencer-brown/to-arrive-at-the-simplest-truth-as-newton-knew-and-practiced-requires/) George Spencer-Brown > [If we compare the present state of the New Testament text with that of any other ancient writing, we must... declare it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-warfield/if-we-compare-the-present-state-of-the-new-testament-text-with-that/) [B. B. Warfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-warfield/) > [But this same process of the old teaching the young can also cause errors and false conclusions to accumulate with the passage of time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-eckart/but-this-same-process-of-the-old-teaching-the-young-can-also-cause/) [Carl Eckart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-eckart/) > [You go back and look at some of the ancient writings that exist throughout the world about wars and it's the same; the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pj-harvey/you-go-back-and-look-at-some-of-the-ancient-writings-that-exist/) [PJ Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pj-harvey/) > [Although other animals cannot reason nor speak the way humans do, this does not give us the right to do with them as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-altman/although-other-animals-cannot-reason-nor-speak-the-way-humans-do-this/) Nathaniel Altman > [The case for exploiting animals for food, clothing and entertainment often relies on our superior intelligence, language and self-awareness: the rights of the superior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/the-case-for-exploiting-animals-for-food-clothing-and-entertainment/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [A good athlete can enter a state of body-awareness in which the right stroke or the right movement happens by itself, effortlessly, without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-good-athlete-can-enter-a-state-of-body-awareness-in-which-the-right/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [...no man of genuinely superior intelligence has ever been an actor. Even supposing a young man of appreciable mental powers to be lured upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/no-man-of-genuinely-superior-intelligence-has-ever-been-an-actor-even/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Henry Kissinger is possessed of a truly superior intelligence, in addition to which he has two qualities which, unfortunately, many great men lack: he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-reza-pahlavi/henry-kissinger-is-possessed-of-a-truly-superior-intelligence-in/) [Mohammed Reza Pahlavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-reza-pahlavi/) > [Superior virtue must be the fruit of superior intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-godwin/superior-virtue-must-be-the-fruit-of-superior-intelligence/) [William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-godwin/) > [Cows sometimes wear an expression resembling wonderment arrested on its way to becoming a question. In the eye of superior intelligence, on the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/cows-sometimes-wear-an-expression-resembling-wonderment-arrested-on/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There is no greater evidence of superior intelligence than to be surprised at nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/there-is-no-greater-evidence-of-superior-intelligence-than-to-be/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Learning to be flexible in values takes a very long time...Of course I felt a little uncomfortable during questioning the concept of God, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/learning-to-be-flexible-in-values-takes-a-very-long-time-of-course-i/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) ## More by Francis Atterbury > [The practice of all ages and all countries (whether Christian or heathen, polite or barbarous) hath been ... to do honour to those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/the-practice-of-all-ages-and-all-countries-whether-christian-or/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [It’s attention to detail that makes the difference between average and stunning,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/it-s-attention-to-detail-that-makes-the-difference-between-average/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [Those good men who take such pleasure in relieving the miserable for Christ's sake, would not have been less forward to minister onto Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/those-good-men-who-take-such-pleasure-in-relieving-the-miserable-for/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [It is impossible to have a lively hope in another life, and yet be deeply immersed in the enjoyments of this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/it-is-impossible-to-have-a-lively-hope-in-another-life-and-yet-be/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [The things of another world being distant, operate but faintly upon us: to remedy this inconvenience, we must frequently revolve their certainty and importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/the-things-of-another-world-being-distant-operate-but-faintly-upon-us/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [From mere success nothing can be concluded in favor of any nation upon whom it is bestowed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/from-mere-success-nothing-can-be-concluded-in-favor-of-any-nation/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [A sturdy, hardened sinner shall advance to the utmost pitch of impiety, with less reluctance than he took the first step while his conscience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/a-sturdy-hardened-sinner-shall-advance-to-the-utmost-pitch-of-impiety/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [A very prosperous people, flushed with great victories and successes, are seldom so pious, so humble, so just, or so provident as to perpetuate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/a-very-prosperous-people-flushed-with-great-victories-and-successes/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [A good character when established should not be rested in as an end, but only employed as a means of doing still further good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/a-good-character-when-established-should-not-be-rested-in-as-an-end/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [The smallest act of charity shall stand us in great stead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/the-smallest-act-of-charity-shall-stand-us-in-great-stead/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [Few consider how much we are indebted to government, because few can represent how wretched mankind would be without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/few-consider-how-much-we-are-indebted-to-government-because-few-can/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [Should we grieve over a little misplaced charity, when an all knowing, all wise Being showers down every day his benefits on the unthankful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/should-we-grieve-over-a-little-misplaced-charity-when-an-all-knowing/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [Though fanaticism drinks at many founts, its predisposing cause is mostly the subject of an invisible futurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/though-fanaticism-drinks-at-many-founts-its-predisposing-cause-is/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [He who performs his duty in a station of great power must needs incur the utter enmity of many, and the high displeasure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/he-who-performs-his-duty-in-a-station-of-great-power-must-needs-incur/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [Affliction is a school of virtue; it corrects levity, and interrupts the confidence of sinning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/affliction-is-a-school-of-virtue-it-corrects-levity-and-interrupts/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) [Explore all 31 Francis Atterbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect, especially when we are not very familiar with their works. Newton, who knew them practically by heart, had the greatest respect for them, and considered them to be men of genius and superior intelligence who had carried their discoveries in every field much further than we today suspect, judging from what remains of their writings. More ancient writings have been lost than have been preserved, and perhaps our new discoveries are of less value than those that we have lost.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Atterbury" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancients-with-respect-especially/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancient" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancients-with-respect-especially/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/francis-atterbury-20391_ancient_modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancie_1522616.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect, especially when we are not very familiar with…” — Francis Atterbury", "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": "Francis Atterbury", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Modesty teaches us to speak of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancients-with-respect-especially/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/modesty-teaches-us-to-speak-of-the-ancients-with-respect-especially/#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 } } ] } ```