Sallust Quotes

Harmony makes small things grow; lack of it makes great things decay.

Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master.

To someone seeking power, the poorest man is the most useful.

Each man the architect of his own fate.

It is the nature of ambition to make men liars and cheats, to hide the truth in their breasts, and show, like jugglers, another thing in their mouths, to cut all friendships and enmities to the measure of their own interest, and to make a good countenance without the help of good will.

Advise well before you begin, and when you have maturely considered, then act with promptitude.

A good man prefers to suffer rather than overcome injustice with evil.

It is always easy to begin a war, but very difficult to stop one.

Necessity makes even the timid brave.

Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible

Everything rises but to fall, and increases but to decay.

Deliberate before you begin; but, having carefully done so, execute with vigour.

Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.

Enough words, little wisdom. [Lat., Satis eloquentiae sapientiae parum.]

Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old.

Prosperity tries the souls even of the wise.

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.

Small communities grow great through harmony, great ones fall to pieces through discord.

For men who had easily endured hardship, danger and difficult uncertainty, leisure and riches, though in some ways desirable, proved burdensome and a source of grief.

Fame is the shadow of passion standing in the light

One can ever assume to be what he is not, and to conceal what he is.

Every bad precedent originated as a justifiable measure.

It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer.

Ambition drove many men to become false; to have one thought locked in the breast, another ready on the tongue.

No mortal man has ever served at the same time his passions and his best interests.