A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

This saying circulates widely in modern English as a “Greek proverb,” typically invoked in discussions of civic virtue, stewardship, and long-term public policy (education, infrastructure, environment). Despite the attribution, it is not securely traceable to a specific ancient Greek author or classical text; it appears to function as a traditional-style maxim whose “proverb” label lends it antiquity and authority. In contemporary usage it often serves as a rhetorical contrast to short-termism: the image of elders planting trees emphasizes deliberate investment in benefits that will accrue to later generations rather than to the planter.

The proverb defines “greatness” not as wealth, conquest, or immediate comfort, but as intergenerational generosity. The image of old men planting trees emphasizes deliberate, patient labor undertaken with full knowledge that the reward—shade—will belong to others. It praises foresight, restraint, and public-spiritedness: choosing projects whose payoff lies beyond one’s lifespan. Implicitly, it criticizes short-term thinking and extractive leadership, suggesting that a community’s moral maturity can be measured by how willingly it sacrifices present advantage for future flourishing. The tree also symbolizes durable institutions—laws, schools, infrastructure, cultural traditions—whose value increases over time and depends on caretakers who accept delayed or indirect returns.

1) “A society grows great when people plant trees whose shade they will never sit in.”
2) “Society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.”
3) “A civilization flourishes when men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.”