For of those [cities] that were great in earlier times, most of them have now become small, while those which were great in my time were small formerly.

These 'messengers' will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night.

Far better it is to have a stout heart always and suffer one's share of evils, than to be ever fearing what may happen.

The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless.

The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence.

It is the greatest and the tallest of trees that the gods bring low with bolts and thunder. For the gods love to thwart whatever is greater than the rest. They do not suffer pride in anyone but themselves.

Soft men tend to be born from soft countries.