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

Sallust

For harmony makes small states great, while discord undermines the mightiest empires.
SALLUST

Empire Greatness Harmony Small State
Small communities grow great through harmony, great ones fall to pieces through discord.
SALLUST

Community Discord Greatness Harmony Oneself Pieces Small
No man underestimates the wrongs he suffers; many take them more seriously than is right.
SALLUST

Himself Man Right Serious Suffering Wrong
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
One can ever assume to be what he is not, and to conceal what he is.
SALLUST

Assume Conceal Himself
Neither the army nor the treasury, but friends, are the true supports of the throne; for friends cannot be collected by force of arms, nor purchased with money; they are the offspring of kindness and sincerity.
SALLUST

Army Collection Force Kindness Kingdom Money Sincere Support Treasure True
Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master.
SALLUST

Desire Liberty Master Men
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
To like and dislike the same things that is indeed true friendship.
SALLUST

Bond Friendship True
The Romans assisted their allies and friends, and acquired friendships by giving rather than receiving kindness.
SALLUST

Assistance Friendship Kindness Receive Roman
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
It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer.
SALLUST

Better Conquer Failure Right Rule Win
All those who offer an opinion on any doubtful point should first clear their minds of every sentiment of dislike, friendship, anger or pity.
SALLUST

Angry Doubt Friendship Offering Opinion
The glory of wealth and of beauty is fleeting and frail; virtue is illustrious and everlasting.
SALLUST

Beautiful Glory Illustration Virtue Wealth
To someone seeking power, the poorest man is the most useful.
SALLUST

Deep Man Poor Power Seek
To desire the same things and to reject the same things, constitutes true friendship.
SALLUST

Desire Friendship Reject
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
No grief reaches the dead.
SALLUST

Death Grief One Liner Reach
But at power or wealth, for the sake of which wars, and all kinds of strife, arise among mankind, we do not aim; we desire only our liberty, which no honorable man relinquishes but with his life.
SALLUST

Desire Himself Kind Liberty Life Man Power War Wealth
The fame that goes with wealth and beauty is fleeting and fragile; intellectual superiority is a possession glorious and eternal.
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Beautiful Fame Forever Glory Intellectual Possession Wealth
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
Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old.
SALLUST

Growth Old Rise
In my opinion it is less shameful for a king to be overcome by force of arms than by bribery.
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Arms Bribe Force Opinion Shame
Poor Britons, there is some good in them after all – they produced an oyster.
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Goodness Pearl Production
The fame which is based on wealth or beauty is a frail and fleeting thing; but virtue shines for ages with undiminished lustre.
SALLUST

Age Fame Luster Virtual Wealth
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
Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.
SALLUST

Act Advice Beginning Mature

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

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

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