Happy is the man whom the Muses love: sweet speech flows from his mouth.
Hesiod
Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.
Never make a companion equal to a brother.
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.
It is not possible either to trick or escape the mind of Zeus.
If you add a little to a little, and then do it again, soon that little shall be much.
Whoever, fleeing marriage and the sorrows that women cause, does not wish to wed comes to a deadly old age.
Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.
Work is no disgrace: it is idleness which is a disgrace.
It will not always be summer; build barns.
It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.
Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.
A day is sometimes our mother, sometimes our stepmother.
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.
A bad neighbor is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage.
For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and then again nothing deadlier than a bad one.
The fool knows after he's suffered.
Whoever has trusted a woman has trusted deceivers.
He fashions evil for himself who does evil to another, and an evil plan does mischief to the planner.
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.
The man who does evil to another does evil to himself, and the evil counsel is most evil for him who counsels it.
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.
When you deal with your brother, be pleasant, but get a witness.
So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech.
Toil is no source of shame; idleness is shame.
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.
How easily some light report is set about, but how difficult to bear.
Justice prevails over transgression when she comes to the end of the race.
Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and contrives presumptuous deeds.
Acquisition means life to miserable mortals.
We know how to speak many falsehoods that resemble real things, but we know, when we will, how to speak true things.
Whoever happens to give birth to mischievous children lives always with unending grief in his spirit and heart.
Mortals grow swiftly in misfortune.
If you should put even a little on a little and should do this often, soon this would become big.
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.
Do not gain basely; base gain is equal to ruin.
Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.
Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.
For both faith and want of faith have destroyed men alike.
Wealth should not be seized, but the god-given is much better.
Giving is good, but taking is bad and brings death.
Try to take for a mate a person of your own neighborhood.
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.
