In front of excellence, the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it.
This man, I say, is most perfect who shall have understood everything for himself, after having devised what may be best afterward and unto the end.
Let the price fixed with a friend be sufficient, and even dealing with a brother call in witnesses, but laughingly.
Diligence increaseth the fruit of toil. A dilatory man wrestles with losses.
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.
For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and then again nothing deadlier than a bad one.
How easily some light report is set about, but how difficult to bear.
Mortals grow swiftly in misfortune.
There is also an evil report; light, indeed, and easy to raise, but difficult to carry, and still more difficult to get rid of.
No day is wholly unproductive of good.
Invite the man that loves thee to a feast, but let alone thine enemy.
Invite your friend to a feast, but leave your enemy alone; and especially invite the one who lives near you.
Often a whole community together suffers in consequence of a bad man who does wrong and contrives evil.
He is happy whom the Muses love. For though a man has sorrow and grief in his soul, yet when the servant of the Muses sings, at once he forgets his dark thoughts and remembers not his troubles. Such is the holy gift of the Muses to men.
It is from work that men are rich in flocks and wealthy, and a working man is much dearer to the immortals.
And I wish that I were not any part of the fifth generation of men, but had died before it came, or been born afterward. For here now is the age of iron.
Badness can be got easily and in shoals; the road to her is smooth, and she lives very near us. But between us and Goodness the gods have placed the sweat of our brows;.
Better marry a maiden, so you can teach her good manners, and in particular marry one who lives close by you. Look her well over first. Don’t marry what will make your neighbors laugh at you, for while there’s nothing better a man can win him than a good wife, there’s nothing more dismal than a bad one.
Plan harm for another and harm yourself most, The evil we hatch always comes home to roost.
One who delays his work is always wrestling with ruin.
Never procrastinate. Never say you’ll do it tomorrow or the next day. Slow workers never fill their barns. Neither do procrastinators. Diligence does the job.