At the beginning of the cask and the end take thy fill but be saving in the middle; for at the bottom the savings comes too late.

He is senseless who would match himself against a stronger man; for he is deprived of victory and adds suffering to disgrace.

How easily some light report is set about, but how difficult to bear.

Badness you can get easily, in quantity. The road is smooth and lies close by. But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to do it, and rough at first. But when you come to the top, then it is easy, even though it is hard.

There is also an evil report; light, indeed, and easy to raise, but difficult to carry, and still more difficult to get rid of.

In the morning of like, work; in the midday, give counsel; in the evening, pray.

The man who does evil to another does evil to himself, and the evil counsel is most evil for him who counsels it.