Make reason your guide.
Νοῦν ἡγεμόνα ποιοῦ.
DL 1.60
Solon
@solon · 8 excerpts
Wealth I desire to have; but wrongfully to get it, I do not wish.
Justice, even if slow, is sure.
Χρήματα δʼ ἱμείρω μὲν ἔχειν, ἀδίκως δὲ πεπᾶσθαι
οὐκ ἐθέλω· πάντως ὕστερον ἦλθε δίκη.
Plutarch, Life of Solon 2.3
Seal speech with silence, silence with opportunity.
Σφραγίζεσθαι τὸν μὲν λόγον σιγῇ, τὴν δὲ σιγὴν καιρῷ.
DL 1.58
Speech is the image of deed.
Τὸν μὲν λόγον εἴδωλον εἶναι τῶν ἔργων
DL 1.58
I grow old ever learning many things.
Γηράσκω δʼ αἰεὶ πολλὰ διδασκόμενος
Plutarch, Life of Solon 31
Nothing in excess.
Μηδὲν ἄγαν.
DL 1.63
He compared laws to spiders’ webs, which stand firm when any light and yielding object falls upon them, while a larger thing breaks through them and makes off.
Τοὺς δὲ νόμους τοῖς ἀραχνίοις ὁμοίους· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα, ἐὰν μὲν ἐμπέσῃ τι κοῦφον καὶ ἀσθενές, στέγειν· ἐὰν δὲ μεῖζον, διακόψαν οἴχεσθαι.
DL 1.58
But refrain from calling him fortunate before he dies; call him lucky.
Πρὶν δʼ ἂν τελευτήσῃ, ἐπισχεῖν, μηδὲ καλέειν κω ὄλβιον ἀλλʼ εὐτυχέα.
Herodotus, Histories 1.32.7