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Often the wicked prosper, while the righteous starve; yet I would never exchange my state for theirs, my virtue for their gold. For mine endures, while riches change their owner every day.

Solon

Rich people without wisdom and learning are but sheep with golden fleeces.
SOLON

Gold People Rich Sheep Wisdom
In giving advice seek to help, not to please, your friend.
SOLON

Advice Friendship Please Seek
No more good must be attempted than the nation can bear.
SOLON

Attempt Goodness Nation Patriot Tolerance Try
Poets tell many lies.
SOLON

Lying One Liner Poet
Men keep their agreements when it is an advantage to both parties not to break them; and I shall so frame my laws that it will be evident to the Athenians that it will be for their interest to observe them.
SOLON

Advantage Agreement Evidence Frame Interest Man Myself Observation Party
Chide a friend in private and praise him in public.
SOLON

Appreciation Friendship Himself Praise Public
Men keep agreements when it is to the advantage of neither to break them.
SOLON

Advantage Agreement Break
Say nothing but good of the dead.
SOLON

Death Goodness One Liner
He who has learned how to obey will know how to command.
SOLON

Command Learning Obedience
Pure chastity is beauty to our souls, grace to our bodies, and peace to our desires.
SOLON

Chastity Desire Grace Ourselves Peace Purity Soul
In all things that you do, consider the end.
SOLON

End Yourself
Reprove your friend privately, commend him publicly.
SOLON

Commend Friendship Public
Watch well each separate citizen, Lest having in his heart of hearts A secret spear, one still may come Saluting you with cheerful face, And utter with a double tongue The feigned good wishes of his wary mind.
SOLON

Citizenship Heart Mindset Oneself Secret Separate
Each day grow older, and learn something new.
SOLON

Day Growth Learning Old
I grow old learning something new every day.
SOLON

Day Growth Old
Seek to learn constantly while you live; do not wait in the faith that old age by itself will bring wisdom.
SOLON

Age Faith Learning Live Wisdom
Put more trust in nobility of character than in an oath.
SOLON

Character Noble Promise Trust
Justice, even if slow, is sure.
SOLON

Justice One Liner Slow
Laws are like spider’s webs: If some poor weak creature comes up against them, it is caught; but a big one can break through and get away.
SOLON

Catch Law Oneself Poor Spider Trap Weakness
True blessedness consisteth in a good life and a happy death.
SOLON

Blessing Death Goodness Life True
As I grow older, I constantly learn more.
SOLON

Growth Learning Myself Old
Let no man be called happy before his death. Till then, he is not happy, only lucky.
SOLON

Call Death Happiness Himself
Many evil men are rich, and good men poor, but we shall not exchange with them our excellence for riches.
SOLON

Evil Excellence exchange Man Rich
Laws are like spiders webs which, if anything small falls into them they ensnare it, but large things break through and escape.
SOLON

Break Escape Law Small Spider
To make an empire durable, the magistrates must obey the laws and the people the magistrates.
SOLON

Empire Law Obedience People
Call no man happy until he is dead.
SOLON

Call Death Happiness
We can have justice whenever those who have not been injured by injustice are as outraged by it as those who have been.
SOLON

Angry Injury Justice

Often the wicked prosper, while the righteous starve; yet I would never exchange my state for theirs, my virtue for their gold. For mine endures, while riches change their owner every day.

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Often the wicked prosper, while the righteous starve; yet I would never exchange my state for theirs, my virtue for their gold. For mine endures, while riches change their owner every day.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Solon Quotes