dots-menu
×

Home  »  Dictionary of Quotations  »  Sallust

James Wood, comp. Dictionary of Quotations. 1899.

Sallust

Alieni appetens, sui profusus—Covetous of other men’s property, prodigal of his own.

Antequam incipias, consulto; et ubi consulueris, facto opus est—Before you begin, consider well; and when you have considered, act.

Audacia pro muro habetur—Daring is regarded as a wall.

Cato esse, quam videri, bonus malebat—Cato would rather be good than seem good.

Concordia res parvæ crescunt, discordia maximæ dilabuntur—With concord small things increase, with discord the greatest go to ruin.

Corporis et fortunæ bonorum, ut initium, finis est. Omnia orta occidunt, et aucta senescunt—The blessings of health and fortune, as they have a beginning, must also have an end. Everything rises but to fall, and grows but to decay.

Cujus rei libet simulator atque dissimulator—A finished pretender and dissembler.

Divitiarum et formæ gloria fluxa atque fragilis; virtus clara æternaque habetur—The glory of wealth and of beauty is fleeting and frail; virtue is illustrious and everlasting.

Every man is the architect of his own fortune.

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

Faber suæ fortunæ—The maker of his own fortune.

Fortuna meliores sequitur—Fortune befriends the better man.

He that will be angry for anything will be angry for nothing.

Idem velle et idem nolle ea demum firma amicitia est—To have the same likes and the same dislikes is the sole basis of lasting friendship.

Imperium facile iis artibus retinetur, quibus initio partum est—Power is easily retained by those arts by which it was at first acquired.

Improbis aliena virtus semper formidolosa est—To wicked men the virtue of others is always matter of dread.

Is mihi demum vivere et frui anima videtur, qui aliquo negotio intentus, præclari facinoris aut artis bonæ famam quærit—He alone appears to me to live and to enjoy life, who, being engaged in some business, seeks reputation by some illustrious action or some useful art.

Maria montesque polliceri cœpit—He began to promise seas and mountains.

Multi mortales, dediti ventri atque somno, indocti incultique vitam sicuti peregrinantes transiere; quibus profecto contra naturam corpus voluptati, anima oneri—Many men have passed through life like travellers in a strange land, without spiritual or moral culture, and given up to the lusts of appetite and indolence, whose bodies, contrary to their nature, were enslaved to indulgence, and their souls a burden.

Nihil largiundo gloriam adeptus est—He acquired glory without bribery.

Non exercitus, neque thesauri, praæsidia regni sunt, verum amici—Neither armies nor treasures are the safeguards of a state, but friends.

Omnes homines, qui de rebus dubiis consultant, ab odio, amicitia, ira, atque misericordia vacuos esse decet—All men, who consult on doubtful matters, should be void of hatred, friendship, anger, and pity.

Omnia orta occident—All things that rise also set.

Paucis carior est fides quam pecunia—To few is good faith more valuable than money.Of his own times.

Priusquam incipias consulto, et ubi consulueris mature facto opus est—Before you begin, consider; but having considered, use despatch.

Regibus boni quam mali suspectiores sunt, semperque his aliena virtus formidolosa est—Good men are more suspected by kings than bad men; and virtue in other men is to them always a source of dread.

Saltabat elegantius, quam necesse est probæ—She danced more daintily than a virtuous woman should.Of Sempronia.

Satis eloquentiæ, sapientiæ parum—Fine talk enough, but little wisdom.

Sine virtute esse amicitia nullo pacto potest—There cannot possibly be friendship without virtue.

Urbem venalem et mature perituram, si emptorem invenerit—A city for sale and ripe for ruin, once it finds a purchaser.Of Rome.