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No man underestimates the wrongs he suffers; many take them more seriously than is right.

Sallust

Before you act consider; when you have considered, tis fully time to act.
SALLUST

Act Action Consider Time Yourself
For harmony makes small states great, while discord undermines the mightiest empires.
SALLUST

Empire Greatness Harmony Small State
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
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
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
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
The man who is roused neither by glory nor by danger it is in vain to exhort; terror closes the ears of the mind.
SALLUST

Dangerous Glory Man Mindset Terror
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
Get good counsel before you begin; and when you have decided, act promptly.
SALLUST

Act Counsel Decision Goodness Prompt
All who consult on doubtful matters, should be void of hatred, friendship, anger, and pity.
SALLUST

Angry Doubt Friendship Hate Pity
Everything rises but to fall, and increases but to decay.
SALLUST

Decay Fall Life Philosophy Rise
It is always easy to begin a war, but very difficult to stop one.
SALLUST

Beginning Difficult Easy Oneself Stop
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
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
One can ever assume to be what he is not, and to conceal what he is.
SALLUST

Assume Conceal Himself
The soul is the captain and ruler of the life of morals.
SALLUST

Captain Life Moral Rule Soul
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
Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.
SALLUST

Act Advice Beginning Mature
All persons who are enthusiastic that they should transcend the other animals ought to strive with the utmost effort not to pass through a life of silence, like cattle, which nature has fashioned to be prone and obedient to their stomachs.
SALLUST

Animal Effort Nature Obedience Person Stomach Transcend
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
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
In my opinion it is less shameful for a king to be overcome by force of arms than by bribery.
SALLUST

Arms Bribe Force Opinion Shame
Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty.
SALLUST

Friendship Honesty Money Soldier
By the wicked the good conduct of others is always dreaded.
SALLUST

Dread Goodness Wicked
The glory of wealth and of beauty is fleeting and frail; virtue is illustrious and everlasting.
SALLUST

Beautiful Glory Illustration Virtue Wealth
To desire the same things and to reject the same things, constitutes true friendship.
SALLUST

Desire Friendship Reject
It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer.
SALLUST

Better Conquer Failure Right Rule Win

No man underestimates the wrongs he suffers; many take them more seriously than is right.

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No man underestimates the wrongs he suffers; many take them more seriously than is right.

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