The tyrant, who in order to hold his power, suppresses every superiority, does away with good men, forbids education and light, controls every movement of the citizens and, keeping them under a perpetual servitude, wants them to grow accustomed to baseness and cowardice, has his spies everywhere to listen to what is said in the meetings, and spreads dissension and calumny among the citizens and impoverishes them, is obliged to make war in order to keep his subjects occupied and impose on them permanent need of a chief.

The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend.

Since the things we do determine the character of life, no blessed person can become unhappy. For he will never do those things which are hateful and petty.

Since music has so much to do with the molding of character, it is necessary that we teach it to our children.

Happiness depends on ourselves.

Men are marked from the moment of birth to rule or be ruled.

Both Self-restraint and Unrestraint are a matter of extremes as compared with the character of the mass of mankind; the restrained man shows more and the unrestrained man less steadfastness than most men are capable of.