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If through your vices you afflicted are, Lay not the blame of your distress on God; You made your rulers mighty, gave them guards, So now you groan ‘neath slavery’s heavy rod.

Solon

Men keep their agreements when it is an advantage to both parties not to break them; and I shall so frame my laws that it will be evident to the Athenians that it will be for their interest to observe them.
SOLON

Advantage Agreement Evidence Frame Interest Man Myself Observation Party
Pure chastity is beauty to our souls, grace to our bodies, and peace to our desires.
SOLON

Chastity Desire Grace Ourselves Peace Purity Soul
Reprove your friend privately, commend him publicly.
SOLON

Commend Friendship Public
The ideal state is that in which an injury done to the least of its citizens is an injury done to all.
SOLON

Citizenship Ideal Injury State
To make an empire durable, the magistrates must obey the laws and the people the magistrates.
SOLON

Empire Law Obedience People
Consider your honour, as a gentleman, of more weight than an oath.
SOLON

Gentle Man Promise Yourself
Seek to learn constantly while you live; do not wait in the faith that old age by itself will bring wisdom.
SOLON

Age Faith Learning Live Wisdom
That city in which those who are not wronged, no less than those who are wronged, exert themselves to punish the wrongdoers.
SOLON

Action Punishment Wrong
Let no man be called happy before his death. Till then, he is not happy, only lucky.
SOLON

Call Death Happiness Himself
Many evil men are rich, and good men poor, but we shall not exchange with them our excellence for riches.
SOLON

Evil Excellence exchange Man Rich
If things are going well, religion and legislation are beneficial; if not, they are of no avail.
SOLON

Benefit Legislation Religion
True blessedness consisteth in a good life and a happy death.
SOLON

Blessing Death Goodness Life True
In all things that you do, consider the end.
SOLON

End Yourself
In the ideal State laws are few and simple, because they have been derived from certainties. In the corrupt State laws are many and confused, because they have been derived from uncertainties.
SOLON

Confusion Ideal Law Simplicity State Uncertain
Say nothing but good of the dead.
SOLON

Death Goodness One Liner
For often evil men are rich, and good men poor; But we will not exchange with them Our virtue for their wealth since one abides always, While riches change their owners every day.
SOLON

exchange Man Ourselves Poor Rich Virtue

If through your vices you afflicted are, Lay not the blame of your distress on God; You made your rulers mighty, gave them guards, So now you groan ‘neath slavery’s heavy rod.

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If through your vices you afflicted are, Lay not the blame of your distress on God; You made your rulers mighty, gave them guards, So now you groan ‘neath slavery’s heavy rod.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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