Hesiod Quotes & Sayings

Whoever, fleeing marriage and the sorrows that women cause, does not wish to wed comes to a deadly old age. — Hesiod

Badness can be got easily and in shoals; the road to her is smooth, and she lives very near us. But between us and Goodness the gods have placed the sweat of our brows; — Hesiod

No day is wholly unproductive of good. — Hesiod

And I wish that I were not any part of the fifth generation of men, but had died before it came, or been born afterward. For here now is the age of iron. — Hesiod

Neither make thy friend equal to a brother; but if thou shalt have made him so, be not the first to do him wrong. — Hesiod

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. — Hesiod

No gossip ever dies away entirely, if many people voice it: It too is a kind of divinity. — Hesiod

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. — Hesiod

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

It is not possible either to trick or escape the mind of Zeus. — Hesiod

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. — Hesiod

Often a whole community together suffers in consequence of a bad man who does wrong and contrives evil — Hesiod

For here now is the age of iron. Never by daytime will there be an end to hard work and pain, nor in the night to weariness, when the gods will send anxieties to trouble us. — Hesiod

When you deal with your brother, be pleasant, but get a witness. — Hesiod

Hunger is an altogether fit companion for the idle man. — Hesiod

Before the gates of excellence the high gods have placed sweat; long is the road thereto and rough and steep at first; but when the heights are reached, then there is ease, though grievously hard in the winning. — Hesiod

It is fine to draw on what is on hand, and painful to have need and not have anything there; I warn you to be carful in this. When the bottle has just been opened, and when it's giving out, drink deep; be sparing when it's half-full; but it's useless to spare the fag end. — Hesiod

A man who works evil against another works it really against himself, and bad advice is worst for the one who devised it — Hesiod

Whoever has trusted a woman has trusted deceivers. — Hesiod

In work there is no shame; shame is in the idleness. — Hesiod

The man who is rich in fancy thinks that his wagon is already built; poor fool, he does not know that there are a hundred timbers to a wagon. — Hesiod

Men must sweat to attain virtue. — Hesiod

The fool knows after he's suffered. — Hesiod

Do not put all your goods in hollow ships. — Hesiod

Invite your friend to a feast, but leave your enemy alone; and especially invite the one who lives near you. — Hesiod

A sparing tongue is the greatest treasure among men. — Hesiod

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. — Hesiod

Do not get a name as overly lavish or too inhospitable. — Hesiod

Work is not a shame. Laziness is a shame. — Hesiod

But they who give straight judgements to strangers and to those of the land and do not transgress what is just, for them the city flourishes and its people prosper. — Hesiod

You trust a thief when you trust a woman. — Hesiod

It is from work that men are rich in flocks and wealthy, and a working man is much dearer to the immortals — Hesiod

Far best is he who is himself all-wise, and he, too, good who listens to wise words; But whoso is not wise or lays to hear another's wisdom is a useless man. — Hesiod

So you, the kings, you too must reflect upon this punishment, because the immortals are here in the midst of manking, observing those who do not hold the gods in awe ... but grind each other down with crooked judgements — Hesiod

The man who procrastinates struggles with ruin. — Hesiod

Drink your fill when the jar is first opened, and when it is nearly done, but be sparing when it is half-empty; it's a poor savingwhen you come to the dregs. — Hesiod

The potter is at enmity with the potter. — Hesiod

For a man can win nothing better than a good wife, and nothing more painful than a bad one. — Hesiod

No whispered rumours which the many spread can wholly perish. — Hesiod

I mean you well, Perses, you great idiot, and I will tell you. Look, badness is easy to have, you can take it by handfuls without effort. The road that way is smooth and starts here beside you. But between us and virtue the immortals have put what will make us sweat. The road to virtue is long and goes steep up hill, hard climbing at first, but the last of it, when you get to the summit (if you get there) is easy going after the hard part. — Hesiod

Try to take for a mate a person of your own neighborhood. — Hesiod

Admire a small ship, but put your freight in a large one; for the larger the load, the greater will be the profit upon profit. — Hesiod

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

Do not seek evil gains; evil gains are the equivalent of disaster — Hesiod

... Perses, hear me out on justice, and take what I have to say to heart; cease thinking of violence. For the son of Kronos, Zeus, has ordained this law to men: that fishes and wild beasts and winged birds should devour one another, since there is no justice in them; but to mankind he gave justice which proves for the best. — Hesiod

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

That man is best who sees the truth himself. Good too is he who listens to wise counsel. But who is neither wise himself nor willing to ponder wisdom is not worth a straw. — Hesiod

Money is life to us wretched mortals. — Hesiod

The fool learns by suffering. — Hesiod

The Gods rank work above virtues. — Hesiod

Whoever happens to give birth to mischievous children lives always with unending grief in his spirit and heart. — Hesiod

It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy. — Hesiod

From their eyelids as they glanced dripped love. — Hesiod

Keep adding little by little and it will become a big heap. — Hesiod

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

He fashions evil for himself who does evil to another, and an evil plan does mischief to the planner. — Hesiod

Man's chiefest treasure is a sparing tongue. — Hesiod

Potter is piqued with potter, joiner with joiner, beggar begrudges beggar, and singer singer. — Hesiod

He for himself weaves woe who weaves for others woe, and evil counsel on the counselor recoils. — Hesiod

Aerial spirits, by great Jove design'd To be on earth the guardians of mankind: Invisible to mortal eyes they go, And mark our actions, good or bad, below: The immortal spies with watchful care preside, And thrice ten thousand round their charges glide: They can reward with glory or with gold, A power they by Divine permission hold. — Hesiod

The fool knows after he has suffered. — Hesiod

False shame accompanies a man that is poor, shame that either harms a man greatly or profits him; shame is with poverty, but confidence with wealth. — Hesiod

They are fools who do not know how much the half exceeds the whole. — Hesiod

Toil is no source of shame; idleness is shame. — Hesiod

So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech. — Hesiod

If anything, which ought not to happen, happens in your neighborhood, neighbors come as they are to help; relatives dress first. — Hesiod

Let it please thee to keep in order a moderate-sized farm, that so thy garners may be full of fruits in their season. — Hesiod

We know how to speak many falsehoods that resemble real things, but we know, when we will, how to speak true things. — Hesiod

Happy is the man whom the Muses love: sweet speech flows from his mouth. — Hesiod

This man, I say, is most perfect who shall have understood everything for himself, after having devised what may be best afterward and unto the end. — Hesiod

Bring a wife home to your house when you are of the right age, not far short of 30 years, nor much above; this is the right time for marriage. — Hesiod

For now indeed is the race of iron; and men never cease from labour and sorrow by day and from perishing by night. — Hesiod

He's only harming himself who's bent upon harming another — Hesiod

Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man. — Hesiod

It is best to work, at whatever you have a talent for doing, without turning your greedy thought toward what some other man possesses, but take care of your own livelihood, as I advise you. — Hesiod

Never wade through the pretty ripples
of perpetually flowing
rivers, until you have looked at their lovely waters,
and prayed to them,
and washed your hands in the pale enchanting water. — Hesiod

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

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

If you add a little to a little and do this often, soon the little will become great. — Hesiod

The best man of all is he who knows everything himself. Good also the man who accepts another's sound advice; but the man who neither knows himself nor takes to hear what another says, he is no good at all. — Hesiod

Invite the man that loves thee to a feast, but let alone thine enemy. — Hesiod

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

Gain not base gains; base gains are the same as losses. — Hesiod

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

It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the unrighteous man is to have the greater right. — Hesiod

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

Potter is potter's enemy, and craftsman is craftsman's rival; tramp is jealous of tramp, and singer of singer. — Hesiod

Love, the fairest among the undying gods, who loosens the limbs of all gods and men,
conquers resolve and prudent counsel within the breast. — Hesiod

Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and contrives presumptuous deeds. — Hesiod

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

And Zeus will destroy this race of mortal men too, when they, at their birth, have grey hair on their temples. — Hesiod

Bacteria: The only culture some people have. — Hesiod

Do not let any sweet-talking woman beguile your good sense with the fascination of her shape. It's your barn she's after. — Hesiod

Evil can be got very easily and exists in quantity: the road to her is very smooth, and she lives near by. But between us and virtue the gods have placed the sweat of our brows; the road to her is long and steep, and it is rough at first; but when a man has reached the top, then she is easy to attain, although before she was hard. — Hesiod

The half is greater than the whole. — Hesiod

The gods being always close to men perceive those who afflict others with unjust devices and do not fear the wrath of heaven. — Hesiod

Actions from youth, advice from the middle-aged, prayers from the aged. — Hesiod

Love those who love you, help those you help you, and give to those who give to you. — Hesiod

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

A day is sometimes our mother, sometimes our stepmother. — Hesiod