“Not even the gods fight against necessity.”

Quoted by Plato in the dialogue Protagoras, 345d http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0177%3Atext%3DProt.%3Asection%3D345d (Simonides Fr. 37.1.27 ff.).
Variant translations:
The gods do not fight against necessity.
Not even the gods war against necessity.
I praise and love all men who do no sin willingly; but with necessity even the gods do not contend.

Original

"Anankei d' oude theoi makhontai."

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Simonides of Ceos 6
Ancient Greek musician and poet -556–-468 BC

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