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Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law.

Solon

The ideal state is that in which an injury done to the least of its citizens is an injury done to all.
SOLON

Citizenship Ideal Injury State
No man is happy; he is at best fortunate.
SOLON

Best Fortunate Happiness Himself Man
Men keep agreements when it is to the advantage of neither to break them.
SOLON

Advantage Agreement Break
Speech is the mirror of action.
SOLON

Action Mirror One Liner Talk
Angels are winged with God’s power.
SOLON

Angel God Power Wings
Justice, even if slow, is sure.
SOLON

Justice One Liner Slow
A half truth is the worst of all lies, because it can be defended in partiality.
SOLON

Defend Lying Partial Truth Worst
Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law.
SOLON

Government Law Obedience People Society
Chide a friend in private and praise him in public.
SOLON

Appreciation Friendship Himself Praise Public
In giving advice seek to help, not to please, your friend.
SOLON

Advice Friendship Please Seek
For often evil men are rich, and good men poor; But we will not exchange with them Our virtue for their wealth since one abides always, While riches change their owners every day.
SOLON

exchange Man Ourselves Poor Rich Virtue
Learn to obey before you command.
SOLON

Command Learning Obedience Yourself
Honors achieved far exceed those that are created.
SOLON

Achievement Creation Excess
Say nothing but good of the dead.
SOLON

Death Goodness One Liner
Rich people without wisdom and learning are but sheep with golden fleeces.
SOLON

Gold People Rich Sheep Wisdom
In all things let reason be your guide.
SOLON

Guide One Liner Reason Yourself
He that will sell his fame will also sell the public interest.
SOLON

Frame Interest Public Sale
Pure chastity is beauty to our souls, grace to our bodies, and peace to our desires.
SOLON

Chastity Desire Grace Ourselves Peace Purity Soul
That city in which those who are not wronged, no less than those who are wronged, exert themselves to punish the wrongdoers.
SOLON

Action Punishment Wrong
Wealth I desire to have; but wrongfully to get it, I do not wish.
SOLON

Desire Myself Wealth Wrong
He who has learned how to obey will know how to command.
SOLON

Command Learning Obedience
To make an empire durable, the magistrates must obey the laws and the people the magistrates.
SOLON

Empire Law Obedience People
Men keep their engagements when it is an advantage to both parties not to break them.
SOLON

Engagement Man Myself Party Relationship
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
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
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

Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law.

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Society is well governed when its people obey the magistrates, and the magistrates obey the law.

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