Publilius Syrus Quotes

Publilius Syrus gives plain-spoken advice on ethics and fortune.

74 quotes

As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.

#1
Inopi beneficium bis dat, qui dat celeriter.

#2
To do two things at once is to do neither.

#3
The anger of lovers renews the strength of love.

#4
The loss which is unknown is no loss at all.

#5
Honesta fama melior pecunia est.

#6
He who helps the guilty, shares the crime.

#7
Many receive advice, few profit by it.

#8
While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity.

#9
Whatever you can lose, you should reckon of no account.

#10
Honesta turpitudo est pro causa bona.

#11
What is left when honor is lost?

#12
Fortune is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity.

#13
When Fortune is on our side, popular favor bears her company.

#14
Fortuna cum blanditur, captatum venit.

#15
Fortuna uitrea est: tum cum splendet frangitur.

#16
Fortunam citius reperias quam retineas.

#17
There are some remedies worse than the disease.

#18
Amid a multitude of projects, no plan is devised.

#19
In sterculino plurimum gallus potest.

#20
In tranquillo esse quisque gubernator potest.

#21
Treat your friend as if he might become an enemy.

#22
Iudex damnatur ubi nocens absolvitur.

#23
Practice is the best of all instructors.

#24
He who is bent on doing evil can never want occasion.

#25
Never find your delight in another's misfortune.

#26
It is a bad plan that admits of no modification.

#27
The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.

#28
A rolling stone gathers no moss.

#29
Never promise more than you can perform.

#30
No one should be judge in his own case.

#31
Nothing can be done at once hastily and prudently.

#32
We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have.

#33
It is only the ignorant who despise education.

#34
Do not turn back when you are just at the goal.

#35
No man is happy who does not think himself so.

#36 Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
Every day should be passed as if it were to be our last.

#37
Money alone sets all the world in motion.

#38
It is a very hard undertaking to seek to please everybody.

#39
Invitat culpam qui peccatum praeterit

#40
It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity.

#41
No one knows what he can do till he tries.

#42
Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it.

#43
Better to be ignorant of a matter than half know it.

#44
Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them.

#45
Stultum facit fortuna, quem vult perdere.

#46
Taciturnitas stulto homini pro sapientia est.

#47
It is a consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery.

#48
Proximum ab innocentia tenet locum verecunda peccati confessio.

#49
I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.

#50
Speech is a mirror of the soul: as a man speaks, so is he.

#51
Familiarity breeds contempt.

#52 Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
Necessity knows no law except to conquer.

#53
We should provide in peace what we need in war

#54
There is no fortune so good that you can find nothing in it to complain of.
Even speed, when we are anxious, seems like delay.
The coward regards himself as cautious, the miser as thrifty.
It is his nature, not his standing, that makes the good man.
It is more tolerable to be refused than deceived.
Modesty once lost, never returns into favour.
One ungrateful person does an injury to all needy people.
He has existed only, not lived, who lacks wisdom in old age.
Any plan is bad which is incapable of modification.
The evil you do to others you may expect in return.
The power of habit is very strong.
Take care that no one hates you justly.
Poverty wants much; but avarice, everything.
He who has plenty of pepper will pepper his cabbage.
Hasty conclusions lead to speedy repentance.
When reason rules, money is a blessing.
Even to smile at the misfortunes of others is to do an injury.
That is a most wretched fortune which is without an enemy.
A fair exterior is a silent recommendation.
The eyes start love; intimacy perfects it.