Badness you can get easily, in quantity; the road is smooth, and it lies close by, But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it.
— Hesiod
But they who give straight judgements to strangers and to those of the land and do not transgress what is just, for them the city flourishes and its people prosper.
Giving is good, but taking is bad and brings death.
Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.
Happy is the man whom the Muses love: sweet speech flows from his mouth.
He fashions evil for himself who does evil to another, and an evil plan does mischief to the planner.
Never make a companion equal to a brother.
Mortals grow swiftly in misfortune.
It is not possible either to trick or escape the mind of Zeus.
For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and then again nothing deadlier than a bad one.
At the beginning of the cask and the end take thy fill but be saving in the middle; for at the bottom the savings comes too late.
Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.
The fool knows after he's suffered.
The best is he who calls men to the best. And those who heed the call are also blessed. But worthless who call not, heed not, but rest.
If you should put even a little on a little and should do this often, soon this would become big.
For both faith and want of faith have destroyed men alike.
Toil is no source of shame; idleness is shame.
Admire a small ship, but put your freight in a large one; for the larger the load, the greater will be the profit upon profit.
He is senseless who would match himself against a stronger man; for he is deprived of victory and adds suffering to disgrace.
Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.
False shame accompanies a man that is poor, shame that either harms a man greatly or profits him; shame is with poverty, but confidence with wealth.
Whoever, fleeing marriage and the sorrows that women cause, does not wish to wed comes to a deadly old age.
Justice prevails over transgression when she comes to the end of the race.
Whoever has trusted a woman has trusted deceivers.
Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.
We know how to speak many falsehoods that resemble real things, but we know, when we will, how to speak true things.
Try to take for a mate a person of your own neighborhood.
Acquisition means life to miserable mortals.
It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.
If you add a little to a little, and then do it again, soon that little shall be much.
Do not gain basely; base gain is equal to ruin.
So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech.
Wealth should not be seized, but the god-given is much better.
Bring a wife home to your house when you are of the right age, not far short of 30 years, nor much above; this is the right time for marriage.
How easily some light report is set about, but how difficult to bear.
A bad neighbor is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage.
Whoever happens to give birth to mischievous children lives always with unending grief in his spirit and heart.
It will not always be summer; build barns.
A day is sometimes our mother, sometimes our stepmother.
Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and contrives presumptuous deeds.
When you deal with your brother, be pleasant, but get a witness.
Work is no disgrace: it is idleness which is a disgrace.
Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.
The man who does evil to another does evil to himself, and the evil counsel is most evil for him who counsels it.
