"Nothing made the horse so fat as the king's eye."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"There are two sentences inscribed upon the Delphic oracle, hugely accommodated to the usages of man's life: "Know thyself," and "Nothing too much;" and upon these all other precepts depend."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"When some were saying that if Cæsar should march against the city they could not see what forces there were to resist him, Pompey replied with a smile, bidding them be in no concern, "for whenever I stamp my foot in any part of Italy there will rise up forces enough in an instant, both horse and foot.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"When Darius offered him ten thousand talents, and to divide Asia equally with him, "I would accept it," said Parmenio, "were I Alexander." "And so truly would I," said Alexander, "if I were Parmenio." But he answered Darius that the earth could not bear two suns, nor Asia two kings."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"He made one of Antipater's recommendation a judge; and perceiving afterwards that his hair and beard were coloured, he removed him, saying, "I could not think one that was faithless in his hair could be trusty in his deeds.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Be ruled by time, the wisest counsellor of all."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but he that saith it never heard the sound of trumpets.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"A soldier told Pelopidas, "We are fallen among the enemies." Said he, "How are we fallen among them more than they among us?""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Euripides was wont to say, "Silence is an answer to a wise man.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Eat not thy heart; which forbids to afflict our souls, and waste them with vexatious cares."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"One made the observation of the people of Asia that they were all slaves to one man, merely because they could not pronounce that syllable No."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The measure of a man's life is the well spending of it, and not the length."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Alexander said, "I assure you I had rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the extent of my power and dominion.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Socrates thought that if all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence every one must take an equal portion, most persons would be contented to take their own and depart."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"To one commending an orator for his skill in amplifying petty matters, Agesilaus said, "I do not think that shoemaker a good workman that makes a great shoe for a little foot.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"From Themistocles began the saying, "He is a second Hercules.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"It is indeed a desirable thing to be well descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Alcibiades had a very handsome dog, that cost him seven thousand drachmas; and he cut off his tail, "that," said he, "the Athenians may have this story to tell of me, and may concern themselves no further with me.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"There were two brothers called Both and Either; perceiving Either was a good, understanding, busy fellow, and Both a silly fellow and good for little, Philip said, "Either is both, and Both is neither.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"When he was wounded with an arrow in the ankle, and many ran to him that were wont to call him a god, he said smiling, "That is blood, as you see, and not, as Homer saith, 'such humour as distils from blessed gods.'""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in the felicity of lighting on good education."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Aristodemus, a friend of Antigonus, supposed to be a cook's son, advised him to moderate his gifts and expenses. "Thy words," said he, "Aristodemus, smell of the apron.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Knowledge of divine things for the most part, as Heraclitus says, is lost to us by incredulity."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"As geographers, Sosius, crowd into the edges of their maps parts of the world which they do not know about, adding notes in the margin to the effect that beyond this lies nothing but sandy deserts full of wild beasts, and unapproachable bogs."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Demosthenes told Phocion, "The Athenians will kill you some day when they once are in a rage." "And you," said he, "if they are once in their senses.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The most glorious exploits do not always furnish us with the clearest discoveries of virtue or vice in men."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"It is a true proverb, that if you live with a lame man you will learn to halt."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"To sing the same tune, as the saying is, is in everything cloying and offensive; but men are generally pleased with variety."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"A Roman divorced from his wife, being highly blamed by his friends, who demanded, "Was she not chaste? Was she not fair? Was she not fruitful?" holding out his shoe, asked them whether it was not new and well made. "Yet," added he, "none of you can tell where it pinches me.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"He was a man, which, as Plato saith, is a very inconstant creature."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Scilurus on his death-bed, being about to leave fourscore sons surviving, offered a bundle of darts to each of them, and bade them break them. When all refused, drawing out one by one, he easily broke them,--thus teaching them that if they held together, they would continue strong; but if they fell out and were divided, they would become weak."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"The saying of old Antigonus, who when he was to fight at Andros, and one told him, "The enemy's ships are more than ours," replied, "For how many then wilt thou reckon me?""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"To conduct great matters and never commit a fault is above the force of human nature."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"It is a difficult task, O citizens, to make speeches to the belly, which has no ears."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Pythias once, scoffing at Demosthenes, said that his arguments smelt of the lamp."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"It is a point of wisdom to be silent when occasion requires, and better than to speak, though never so well."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Themistocles said that a man's discourse was like to a rich Persian carpet, the beautiful figures and patterns of which can be shown only by spreading and extending it out; when it is contracted and folded up, they are obscured and lost."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Once when Phocion had delivered an opinion which pleased the people, . . . he turned to his friend and said, "Have I not unawares spoken some mischievous thing or other?""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"To Harmodius, descended from the ancient Harmodius, when he reviled Iphicrates [a shoemaker's son] for his mean birth, "My nobility," said he, "begins in me, but yours ends in you.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Lamachus chid a captain for a fault; and when he had said he would do so no more, "Sir," said he, "in war there is no room for a second miscarriage." Said one to Iphicrates, "What are ye afraid of?" "Of all speeches," said he, "none is so dishonourable for a general as 'I should not have thought of it.'""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Alexander wept when he heard from Anaxarchus that there was an infinite number of worlds; and his friends asking him if any accident had befallen him, he returns this answer: "Do you not think it a matter worthy of lamentation that when there is such a vast multitude of them, we have not yet conquered one?""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Cato the elder wondered how that city was preserved wherein a fish was sold for more than an ox."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

""These Macedonians," said he, "are a rude and clownish people, that call a spade a spade.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Being nimble and light-footed, his father encouraged him to run in the Olympic race. "Yes," said he, "if there were any kings there to run with me.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"He said that in his whole life he most repented of three things: one was that he had trusted a secret to a woman; another, that he went by water when he might have gone by land; the third, that he had remained one whole day without doing any business of moment."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Lysander said, "Where the lion's skin will not reach, it must be pieced with the fox's.""

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Children are to be won to follow liberal studies by exhortations and rational motives, and on no account to be forced thereto by whipping."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"According to the proverb, the best things are the most difficult."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Abstain from beans; that is, keep out of public offices, for anciently the choice of the officers of state was made by beans."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain

"Lysander said that the law spoke too softly to be heard in such a noise of war."

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed. (Little, Brown, 1905), public domain