black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Kings are more prone to mistrust the good than the bad; and they are always afraid of the virtues of others.

Sallust

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

Bond Desire Friendship
They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it.
SALLUST

Jealous Method Myself Win
One can ever assume to be what he is not, and to conceal what he is.
SALLUST

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

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

Battle Brave Coward Defense Risk Run
Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty.
SALLUST

Friendship Honesty Money Soldier
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
Greedy for the property of others, extravagant with his own
SALLUST

Himself Own Property
In victory even the cowardly like to boast, while in adverse times even the brave are discredited.
SALLUST

Brave Coward Credit Time Victory
The glory of wealth and of beauty is fleeting and frail; virtue is illustrious and everlasting.
SALLUST

Beautiful Glory Illustration Virtue Wealth
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
Just to stir things up seemed a great reward in itself.
SALLUST

Greatness Reward
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
Fortune rules in all things, and advances and depresses things more out of her own will than right and justice.
SALLUST

Depression Fortune Justice Rule Willing
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
Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour.
SALLUST

Beginning Care Execution Zeal
Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old.
SALLUST

Growth Old Rise
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
In my own case, who have spent my whole life in the practice of virtue, right conduct from habitual has become natural.
SALLUST

Character Life Natural Practice Right Virtue
A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.
SALLUST

Defeat Goodness Justice Man
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
To like and dislike the same things that is indeed true friendship.
SALLUST

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

Better Conquer Failure Right Rule Win
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
Fame is the shadow of passion standing in the light.
SALLUST

Fame Light Passion Shadow Stand

Kings are more prone to mistrust the good than the bad; and they are always afraid of the virtues of others.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Kings are more prone to mistrust the good than the bad; and they are always afraid of the virtues of others.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Sallust Quotes