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Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.

Sallust

Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible.
SALLUST

Hard Work Modesty Possible Talk Yourself
But the case has proved that to be true which Appius says in his songs, that each man is the maker of his own fate.
SALLUST

Creator Fate Man Song True
By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed.
SALLUST

Destroy Greatness Small State Thrive
In battle it is the cowards who run the most risk; bravery is a rampart of defense.
SALLUST

Battle Brave Coward Defense Risk Run
It is always easy to begin a war, but very difficult to stop one.
SALLUST

Beginning Difficult Easy Oneself Stop
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
Prosperity tries the souls even of the wise.
SALLUST

Prosperity Soul Try Wisdom
Each man the architect of his own fate.
SALLUST

Architect Fate Himself Man
To desire the same things and to reject the same things, constitutes true friendship.
SALLUST

Desire Friendship Reject
It is always easy enough to take up arms, but very difficult to lay them down; the commencement and the termination of war are not necessarily in the same hands; even a coward may begin, but the end comes only when the victors are willing.
SALLUST

Coward Difficult Easy Enough Hands Necessary War Willing
Just to stir things up seemed a great reward in itself.
SALLUST

Greatness Reward
Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master.
SALLUST

Desire Liberty Master Men
The very life which we enjoy is short.
SALLUST

Enjoyment Life One Liner Short
Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour.
SALLUST

Beginning Care Execution Zeal
Sovereignty is easily preserved by the very arts by which it was originally created. When, however, energy has given place to indifference, and temperance and justice to passion and arrogance, then as the morals change so changes fortune.
SALLUST

Arrogance Art Change Creation Easy Fortune Justice Original Place Preserve
For harmony makes small states great, while discord undermines the mightiest empires.
SALLUST

Empire Greatness Harmony Small State
It is a law of human nature that in victory even the coward may boast of his prowess, while defeat injures the reputation even of the brave.
SALLUST

Brave Defeat Himself Human Law Nature Reputation Victory
Most honorable are services rendered to the State; even if they do not go beyond words, they are not to be despised.
SALLUST

Beyond Despise Honor Service State Word
Not by vows nor by womanish prayers is the help of the gods obtained; success comes through vigilance, energy, wise counsel.
SALLUST

Counsel Energy God Help Prayer Promise Success Vow Wisdom
Everything rises but to fall, and increases but to decay.
SALLUST

Decay Fall Life Philosophy Rise
For men who had easily endured hardship, danger and difficult uncertainty, leisure and riches, though in some ways desirable, proved burdensome and a source of grief.
SALLUST

Dangerous Desire Easy Endurance Men Source Way
In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live and enjoy his being who is engaged in some laudable pursuit, and acquires a name by some illustrious action, or useful art.
SALLUST

Action Enjoyment Illustration Live Myself Name Opinion Pursuit True
Small endeavours obtain strength by unity of action: the most powerful are broken down by discord.
SALLUST

Action Break Discord Small Strength Unity
The glory of riches and of beauty is frail and transitory; virtue remains bright and eternal.
SALLUST

Beautiful Bright Forever Fragile Glory Rich
It is sweet to surve one country by deeds, and it is not absurd to surve her by words.
SALLUST

Country Herself Madness Sweet Word
Of the bodies in the cosmos, some imitate mind and move in orbits; some imitate soul and move in a straight line, fire and air upward, earth and water downward.
SALLUST

Body Cosmos Down Imitation Move On Soul Water
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

Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.

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Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.

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