A small state increases by concord; the greatest falls gradually to ruin by dissension. Sallust More Quotes by Sallust More Quotes From Sallust To someone seeking power, the poorest man is the most useful. Sallust poorestseekingmen Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits. Sallust meritpowerfullight Small endeavours obtain strength by unity of action: the most powerful are broken down by discord. Sallust unitypowerfulbroken To desire the same things and to reject the same things, constitutes true friendship. Sallust true-frienddesirefriendship One may call the world a myth , in which bodies and things are visible, but souls and minds hidden. Besides, to wish to teach the whole truth about the Gods to all produces contempt in the foolish, because they cannot understand, and lack of zeal in the good, whereas to conceal the truth by myths prevents the contempt of the foolish, and compels the good to practice philosophy. Sallust soulpracticephilosophy Not by vows nor by womanish prayers is the help of the Sallust prayerwisesuccess Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty. Sallust honestysoldierkings The soul sins therefore because, while aiming at good, it makes mistakes about the good, because it is not primary essence. And we see many things done by the Gods to prevent it from making mistakes and to heal it when it has made them. Arts and sciences, curses and prayers, sacrifices and initiations, laws and constitutions, judgments and punishments, all came into existence for the sake of preventing souls from sinning; and when they are gone forth from the body, Gods and spirits of purification cleanse them of their sins. Sallust prayermistakeart Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old. Sallust growsrose Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure. Sallust precedentgovernment 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 prideanimalmen To have the same desires and the same aversion is assuredly a firm bond of friendship. Sallust aversiondesirefriendship The very life which we enjoy is short. Sallust enjoylife Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude. Sallust wellsactionadvice 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 victorylawbravery Get good counsel before you begin; and when you have decided, act promptly. Sallust decided By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed. Sallust unionsunitystates The Romans assisted their allies and friends, and acquired friendships by giving rather than receiving kindness. Sallust allieskindnessgiving Now the myths represent the Gods themselves and the goodness of the Gods subject always to the distinction of the speakable and the unspeakable, the revealed and the unrevealed, that which is clear and that which is hidden: since, just as the Gods have made the goods of sense common to all, but those of intellect only to the wise, so the myths state the existence of Gods to all, but who and what they are only to those who can understand. Sallust goodnesswisecommon The essences of the Gods never came into existence (for that which always is never comes into existence; and that exists for ever which possesses primary force and by nature suffers nothing): neither do they consist of bodies; for even in bodies the powers are incorporeal. Neither are they contained by space; for that is a property of bodies. Neither are they separate from the first cause nor from one another, just as thoughts are not separate from mind nor acts of knowledge from the soul. Sallust spaceessencesoul
