Solon

About Solon

Born: 1861

Family

Barcaldinechild Arbitratorchild West Australianfather

Notable quotes

“οὕτω δημόσιον κακὸν ἔρχεται οἴκαδ᾿ ἑκάστῳ.”
— Thus do the evils of the state come home to every citizen.
“πολλάκι δ᾿ ἐξ ὀλίγης ὀδύνης μέγα γίγνεται ἄλγος.”
— Oft from small trouble groweth mighty woe.
“φύλασσε τρόπου καλοκαγαθίαν ὅρκου πιστοτέραν.”
— Preserve nobility of character, more credible than an oath.
“idem aiebat si in unum locum cuncti mala sua contulissent, futurum ut propria deportare domum quam ex communi miseriarum acervo portionem suam ferre mallent.”
— He [Solon] also used to say that if all men took their woes to a single place, they would prefer to carry home their own rather than bear their portion from the common heap of miseries.
“Ἕλλησιν [. . .] πρός τε τἆλλα μετρίως ἔχειν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός, καὶ σοφίας τινὸς ἀθαρσοῦς ὡς ἔοικε καὶ δημοτικῆς, οὐ βασιλικῆς οὐδὲ λαμπρᾶς, ὑπὸ μετριότητος ἡμῖν μέτεστιν, ἣ τύχαις ὁρῶσα παντοδαπαῖς χρώμενον ἀεὶ τὸν βίον, οὐκ ἐᾷ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀγαθοῖς μέγα φρονεῖν οὐδὲ θαυμάζειν ἀνδρὸς εὐτυχίαν μεταβολῆς χρόνον ἔχουσαν.”
— As the Deity has given us Greeks all other blessings in moderation, so our moderation gives us a kind of wisdom which is timid, in all likelihood, and fit for common people, not one which is kingly and splendid. This wisdom, such as it is, observing that human life is ever subject to all sorts of vicissitudes, forbids us to be puffed up by the good things we have, or to admire a man's felicity while there is still time for it to change.
“ἀλλ᾿ οὐδεὶς ἂν μωρὸς σιωπᾶν ἐν συμποσίῳ δύναιτο.”
— No fool can be silent at a feast.

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

About Solon

About Solon

Notable quotes

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Notable quotes