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Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour.

Sallust

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
Just to stir things up seemed a great reward in itself.
SALLUST

Greatness Reward
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
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
Those most moved to tears by every word of a preacher are generally weak and a rascal when the feelings evaporate.
SALLUST

Evaporate Feeling General Move Tears Weakness Word
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
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
The poorest of men are the most useful to those seeking power.
SALLUST

Man Poor Power Seek Useful
He that will be angry for anything will be angry for nothing.
SALLUST

Angry Deep Emotion Feeling Himself
Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty.
SALLUST

Friendship Honesty Money Soldier
All men who would surpass the other animals should do their best not to pass through life silently like the beasts whom nature made prone, obedient to their bellies.
SALLUST

Animal Best Life Man Obedience Stomach Through
The Gods being good and making all things, there is no positive evil, it only comes by absence of good; just as darkness itself does not exist, but only comes about by absence of light.
SALLUST

Absence Darkness Existence God Goodness Light Positive
Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure.
SALLUST

Bad Measurement Origin
Necessity makes even the timid brave.
SALLUST

Brave Circumstance Coward Necessary
For harmony makes small states great, while discord undermines the mightiest empires.
SALLUST

Empire Greatness Harmony Small State
To like and dislike the same things that is indeed true friendship.
SALLUST

Bond Friendship True
But few prize honour more than money.
SALLUST

Honor Money Prize
To have the same desires and the same aversion is assuredly a firm bond of friendship.
SALLUST

Bond Desire Friendship
Greedy for the property of others, extravagant with his own
SALLUST

Himself Own Property
The higher your station, the less your liberty.
SALLUST

High Liberty Station Yourself
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
Small endeavours obtain strength by unity of action: the most powerful are broken down by discord.
SALLUST

Action Break Discord Small Strength Unity
The Romans assisted their allies and friends, and acquired friendships by giving rather than receiving kindness.
SALLUST

Assistance Friendship Kindness Receive Roman
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
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
Kings are more prone to mistrust the good than the bad; and they are always afraid of the virtues of others.
SALLUST

Afraid Bad Goodness Trust Virtue
It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer.
SALLUST

Better Conquer Failure Right Rule Win

Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour.

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Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour.

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