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The glory of ancestors sheds a light around posterity; it allows neither good nor bad qualities to remain in obscurity.

Sallust

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

Goodness Pearl Production
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
Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master.
SALLUST

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

Bond Desire Friendship
To like and dislike the same things that is indeed true friendship.
SALLUST

Bond Friendship True
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.
SALLUST

Act Action Consider Time Yourself
Small communities grow great through harmony, great ones fall to pieces through discord.
SALLUST

Community Discord Greatness Harmony Oneself Pieces Small
By the wicked the good conduct of others is always dreaded.
SALLUST

Dread Goodness Wicked
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
A good man prefers to suffer rather than overcome injustice with evil.
SALLUST

Evil Goodness Justice Man Preference
Small endeavours obtain strength by unity of action: the most powerful are broken down by discord.
SALLUST

Action Break Discord Small Strength Unity
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
Just to stir things up seemed a great reward in itself.
SALLUST

Greatness Reward
The firmest friendship is based on an identity of likes and dislikes.
SALLUST

Friendship Identity Nature
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
A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.
SALLUST

Defeat Goodness Justice Man
Everything rises but to fall, and increases but to decay.
SALLUST

Decay Fall Life Philosophy Rise
The Romans assisted their allies and friends, and acquired friendships by giving rather than receiving kindness.
SALLUST

Assistance Friendship Kindness Receive Roman
The very life which we enjoy is short.
SALLUST

Enjoyment Life One Liner Short
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
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
In victory even the cowardly like to boast, while in adverse times even the brave are discredited.
SALLUST

Brave Coward Credit Time Victory
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

The glory of ancestors sheds a light around posterity; it allows neither good nor bad qualities to remain in obscurity.

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The glory of ancestors sheds a light around posterity; it allows neither good nor bad qualities to remain in obscurity.

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Popular Authors

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