Hesiod Quotes

Hesiod's collection mixes witty warnings with ancient wisdom about truth, folly and moderation.

31 quotes

1. We know how to speak many falsehoods which resemble real things, but we know, when we will, how to speak true things.

2. Love, who is most beautiful among the immortal gods, the melter of limbs, overwhelms in their hearts the intelligence and wise counsel of all gods and all men.

3. There was not after all a single kind of strife, but on earth there are two kinds: one of them a man might praise when he recognized her, but the other is blameworthy.

4. Potter bears a grudge against potter, and craftsman against craftsman, and beggar is envious of beggar, and bard of bard.

5. Fools, they do not even know how much more is the half than the whole.

6. Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.

7. He harms himself who does harm to another, and the evil plan is most harmful to the planner.

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

9. A bad neighbor is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing.

10. Do not seek evil gains; evil gains are the equivalent of disaster.

11. If you should put even a little on a little, and should do this often, soon this too would become big.

12. At the beginning of a cask and at the end take your fill; in the middle be sparing.

13. The dawn speeds a man on his journey, and speeds him too in his work.

14. Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.

15. Gossip is mischievous, light and easy to raise, but grievous to bear and hard to get rid of. No gossip ever dies away entirely, if many people voice it: it too is a kind of divinity.

16. And she conceived and bore to Zeus, who delights in the thunderbolt, two sons, Magnes and Macedon, rejoicing in horses, who dwell round about Pieria and Olympus.

17. I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful and impatient of restraint.

18. Gain not base gains; base gains are the same as losses.

19. Aegis-bearing Zeus has a design for each occasion, and mortals find this hard to comprehend.

20. The best is he who calls men to the best. And those who heed the call are also blessed. But worthless who call not, heed not, but rest.

21. If you speak evil, you will soon be worse spoken of.

22. Inhibition is no good provider for a needy man, Inhibition, which does men great harm and great good. Inhibition attaches to poverty, boldness to wealth.

23. Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.

24. Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.

25. The potter is at enmity with the potter.

26. But he who neither thinks for himself nor learns from others, is a failure as a man.

27. Justice prevails over transgression when she comes to the end of the race.

28. Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.

29. In the race for wealth, a neighbor tries to outdo his neighbor, but this strife is good for men. For the potter envies potter, and the carpenter the carpenter, and the beggar rivals the beggar, and the singer the singer.

30. The Gods rank work above virtues.

31. Bacteria: The only culture some people have.