The legislator should direct his attention above all to the education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the constitution. The citizen should be molded to suit the form of government under which he lives. For each government has a peculiar character which originally formed and which continues to preserve it. The character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy.

Character is made by many acts; it may be lost by a single one.

When you have thrown a stone, you cannot afterwards bring it back again, but nevertheless you are responsible for having taken up the stone and flung it, for the origin of the act was within you. Similarly the unjust and profligate might at the outset have avoided becoming so, and therefore they are so voluntarily, although when they have become unjust and profligate it is no longer open to them not to be so.

A brave man is clear in his discourse, and keeps close to truth.

That which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before it arrives at the goal.

Those who excel in virtue have the best right of all to rebel, but then they are of all men the least inclined to do so.

To the size of the state there is a limit, as there is to plants, animals and implements, for none of these retain their facility when they are too large.