Minerva Quotes

• The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Religious, Jesus, Atheist

  Thomas Jefferson (1984). “Jefferson: Writings”, p.1970, Library of America

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• The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.

  Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

  Fall, Philosophical, Wings

  Philosophy of Right (1821)

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• For an actress to be a success, she must have the face of Venus, the brains of a Minerva, the grace of Terpsichore, the memory of a Macaulay, the figure of Juno, and the hide of a rhinoceros.

  Ella Wheeler Wilcox

  Funny, Success, Art

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• Minerva save us from the cloying syrup of coercive compassion!

  Camille Paglia

  Kindness, Compassion, Syrup

  Camille Paglia (2011). “Sex, Art, and American Culture: Essays”, p.84, Vintage

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• Harry witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier and could have sworn he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth 'It unscrews the other way.

  J. K. Rowling

  Past, Funny Harry Potter, Way

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• Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?" "Yes." "You called her a liar?" "Yes." "You told her He Who Must Not Be Named is back?" "Yes." "Have a biscuit, Potter.

  J. K. Rowling

  Liars, Potters, Biscuits

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• O you virtuous owle,
  The wise Minerva's only fowle.

  Philip Sidney

  Wise, Virtuous

  Sir Philip Sidney (1873). “The Complete Poems of Sir Philip Sidney ...”, p.177

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• Humor is the offspring of man; it comes forth like Minerva, fully armed from the brain.

  Roger L'Estrange

  Men, Brain, Wit

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• I liked that Larry King didn't know who Minerva was.

  Maria Shriver

  Kings, Knows, Larry

  Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

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• As Hegel put it, only when it is dark does the owl of Minerva begin its flight. Only in extinction is the collector comprehend.

  Walter Benjamin

  Dark, Owl, Doe

  Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt (1968). “Illuminations”, Schocken Books Incorporated

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• Little do the devout worshippers of the Vatican suspect, when they lift up their eyes in mute adoration upon the head of their God on Earth, the Pope, that what they admire, is after all, but the caricatured head-dress, the Amazon-like helmet of Pallas Athene, the heathen goddess Minerva! In fact, there is scarcely a rite or ceremony of the christian Church that does not descend from Occultism.

  H. P. Blavatsky

  Christian, Eye, Religion

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• He was too good to be
  Where ill men were, and was the best of all
  Amongst the rar'st of good ones- sitting sadly
  Hearing us praise our loves of Italy
  For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast
  Of him that best could speak; for feature, laming
  The shrine of Venus or straight-pight Minerva,
  Postures beyond brief nature; for condition,
  A shop of all the qualities that man
  Loves woman for; besides that hook of wiving,
  Fairness which strikes the eye-
  CYMBELINE.

  William Shakespeare

  Eye, Men, Quality

  William Shakespeare (1824). “The Dramatic Works of Shakspeare”, p.678

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• A woman may possess the wisdom and chastity of Minerva, and we give no heed to her, if she has a plain face. What folly will not a pair of bright eyes make pardonable? What dullness may not red lips are sweet accents render pleasant? And so, with their usual sense of justice, ladies argue that because a woman is handsome, therefore she is a fool. O ladies, ladies! there are some of you who are neither handsome nor wise.

  William Makepeace Thackeray

  Wise, Sweet, Eye

  William Makepeace Thackeray (2017). “Vanity Fair”, p.321, Pan Macmillan

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• Investing in women, helping women to achieve their dreams, sending young girls to college. Trying to train young girls to be leaders. Sponsoring the Minerva Awards. All of these programs didn't exist before that help women day in and day out.

  Maria Shriver

  Girl, Dream, College

  Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

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• He had to feel those lips on him again. Had. To. This wasn’t a mild expression of preference. This was an imperative. His body was insistent. To continue his existence on this earth, he now needed the following: food, water, shelter, clothing, and Minerva Highwood’s lips.

  Tessa Dare

  Expression, Water, Body

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• Understanding is always in some sense retrospective, which is what Hegel meant by remarking that the owl of Minerva flies only at night.

  Terry Eagleton

  Night, Understanding, Owl

  Terry Eagleton (2008). “Literary Theory: An Introduction”, p.190, U of Minnesota Press

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• We are used to discounting the river-gods and dryads of the Greeks as poetical fancies, and even the chief figures in the classical Pantheon-Venus, Minerva, Mars, and the rest-as allegories. But, forgetting that they once carried as much sanctity as our saints and divinities, we refrain from applying the same reasoning to our own objects of worship.

  Julian Huxley

  God, Religious, Rivers

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• Minerva save us from the cloying syrup of coercive compassion! What feminism does not need, it seems to me, is an endless recycling of Doris Day Fifties clichés about noble womanhood.

  Camille Paglia

  Compassion, Feminism, Doe

  Camille Paglia (2011). “Sex, Art, and American Culture: Essays”, p.84, Vintage

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• I should fear the infinite power and inflexible justice of the almighty mortal hardly as yet apotheosized, so wholly masculine, with no sister Juno, no Apollo, no Venus, nor Minerva, to intercede for me, thumoi phileousa te, kedomene te.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Sister, God, Women

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• If one doubts whether Grecian valor and patriotism are not a fiction of the poets, he may go to Athens and see still upon the walls of the temple of Minerva the circular marks made by the shields taken from the enemy in the Persian war, which were suspended there. We have not far to seek for living and unquestionable evidence. The very dust takes shape and confirms some story which we had read.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Wall, War, Taken

  Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.178, Xist Publishing

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• In the fabulous ages of ancient times the appellations of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were given to the planets as being the names of their principal heroes and divinities. In the present more philosophical era, it would hardly be allowable to have recourse to the same method, and call on Juno, Pallas, Apollo, or Minerva for a name to out new heavenly body. . . . I cannot but wish to take this opportunity of expressing my sense of gratitude, by giving the name Georgium Sidus, to a star [Uranus], by which (with to respect to us) first began to shine under His auspicious reign.

  William Herschel

  Gratitude, Stars, Hero

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• So,” sneered Fudge, recovering himself, “you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores, and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?” “Merlin’s beard, no,” said Dumbledore, smiling. “Not unless you are foolish enough to force me to.” “He will not be single-handed!” said Professor McGonagall loudly, plunging her hand inside her robes. “Oh yes he will, Minerva!” said Dumbledore sharply. “Hogwarts needs you!

  J. K. Rowling

  Hands, Needs, Fudge

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• O you, who in some pretty boat, Eager to listen, have been following Behind my ship, that singing sails along Turn back to look again upon your own shores; Tempt not the deep, lest unawares, In losing me, you yourselves might be lost. The sea I sail has never yet been passed; Minerva breathes, and pilots me Apollo, And Muses nine point out to me the Bears. You other few who have neck uplifted Betimes to the bread of angels upon Which one lives and does not grow sated, Well may you launch your vessel Upon the deep sea.

  Dante Alighieri

  Angel, Sea, Singing

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• I always say that love is like the meat in a pie,” Freddy put in. “The crust is what people see—the practical things that hold a couple together. But love is the important part—without it you’ve got a meatless pie, and what’s the point of that?” “Why, Freddy,” Minerva said, “that was almost profound.

  Sabrina Jeffries

  Couple, Love Is, Pie

  Sabrina Jeffries (2011). “How to Woo a Reluctant Lady”, p.147, Simon and Schuster

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• I love you, Minerva. I love that you believe in me no matter what. I love how you take whatever you see and distill it into your books. I love your clever mind and your generous heart and every inch of your beautiful body. I love you even when you give me heart failure, by risking your life before my very eyes." He smiled tenderly. "I only hope in time I can prove worthy of your love.

  Sabrina Jeffries

  Beautiful, Clever, Believe

  Sabrina Jeffries (2011). “How to Woo a Reluctant Lady”, p.333, Simon and Schuster

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