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Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits.

Sallust

Everything destroyed is either resolved into the elements from which it came, or else vanishes into not-being. If things are resolved into the elements from which they came, then there will be others: else how did they come into being at all?
SALLUST

Destroy Element Existence
As the blessings of health and fortune have a beginning, so they must also find an end. Everything rises but to fall, and increases but to decay.
SALLUST

Beginning Blessing Decay Fortune Health
When the prizes fall to the lot of the wicked, you will not find many who are virtuous for virtue’s sake.
SALLUST

Fall Finding Prize Virtue Yourself
The fame that goes with wealth and beauty is fleeting and fragile; intellectual superiority is a possession glorious and eternal.
SALLUST

Beautiful Fame Forever Glory Intellectual Possession Wealth
A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.
SALLUST

Defeat Goodness Justice Man
Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits.
SALLUST

Advice Ancestor Help Light Powerful
The renown which riches or beauty confer is fleeting and frail mental excellence is a splendid and lasting possession.
SALLUST

Beautiful Excellence Mental Possession Rich
Small communities grow great through harmony, great ones fall to pieces through discord.
SALLUST

Community Discord Greatness Harmony Oneself Pieces Small
The glory of ancestors sheds a light around posterity; it allows neither good nor bad qualities to remain in obscurity.
SALLUST

Ancestor Bad Glory Goodness Light Obscurity Quality
To hope for safety in flight, when you have turned away from the enemy the arms by which the body is defended, is indeed madness. In battle those who are most afraid are always in most danger; but courage is equivalent to rampart.
SALLUST

Afraid Body Courage Defeat Enemy Equivalent Hope Madness Safety
Since we have received everything from the Gods, and it is right to pay the giver some tithe of his gifts, we pay such a tithe of possessions in votive offering, of bodies in gifts of (hair and) adornment, and of life in sacrifices.
SALLUST

Body Gift God Pay Possession Received Sacrifice
It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer.
SALLUST

Better Conquer Failure Right Rule Win
But assuredly Fortune rules in all things; she raised to eminence or buries in oblivion everything from caprice rather than from well-regulated principle.
SALLUST

Assurance Bury Fate Fortune Principle Raise Rule
Get good counsel before you begin; and when you have decided, act promptly.
SALLUST

Act Counsel Decision Goodness Prompt
Small endeavours obtain strength by unity of action: the most powerful are broken down by discord.
SALLUST

Action Break Discord Small Strength Unity
Prosperity tries the souls even of the wise.
SALLUST

Prosperity Soul Try Wisdom

Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits.

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Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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