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Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.

Sallust

No mortal man has ever served at the same time his passions and his best interests.
SALLUST

Best Interest Man Mortal Passion Serve Time
The Romans assisted their allies and friends, and acquired friendships by giving rather than receiving kindness.
SALLUST

Assistance Friendship Kindness Receive Roman
All who consult on doubtful matters, should be void of hatred, friendship, anger, and pity.
SALLUST

Angry Doubt Friendship Hate Pity
Just to stir things up seemed a great reward in itself.
SALLUST

Greatness Reward
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
The glory of riches and of beauty is frail and transitory; virtue remains bright and eternal.
SALLUST

Beautiful Bright Forever Fragile Glory Rich
The poorest of men are the most useful to those seeking power.
SALLUST

Man Poor Power Seek Useful
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
Of the cosmic Gods some make the world be, others animate it, others harmonize it, consisting as it does of different elements; the fourth class keep it when harmonized.
SALLUST

Animate Consist Cosmos God Harmony
Small communities grow great through harmony, great ones fall to pieces through discord.
SALLUST

Community Discord Greatness Harmony Oneself Pieces Small
Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.
SALLUST

Act Advice Beginning Mature
Poor Britons, there is some good in them after all – they produced an oyster.
SALLUST

Goodness Pearl Production
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
By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed.
SALLUST

Destroy Greatness Small State Thrive
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

Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.

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Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.

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