Frases de Teógnis Mégara

“A saciedade gera insolência, quando a prosperidade toma por companhia
um homem malvado e que não tenha a mente sã.”

“Os deuses não concedem facilmente nem coisas excelentes
nem belas; mas há glória para a empresa difícil.”

“Coloca o povo de cabeça vazia sob os pés,
fere-o com o aguilhão pontiagudo e joga-lhe jugo pesado;
pois não encontrarás, sob os olhos do sol,
uma massa de homens tão desejosos de um senhor.”

“As trevas escondem o acontecimento futuro.”

“As riquezas, qualquer nume as pode conceder até mesmo a um malvado,
ó Quirno, mas a poucos homens cabe a virtude.”

“Difícil é reconhecer de longe
a índole de muitos, por mais que sejamos sábios:
de fato, alguns escondem sob a riqueza a sua maldade,
outros, sob a miserável pobreza, escondem a sua virtude.”

“One finds many companions for food and drink, but in a serious business a man's companions are few.”

“Ploutos, no wonder mortals worship you:
You are so tolerant of their sins!”

“The best of all things for earthly men is not to be born and not to see the beams of the bright sun; but if born, then as quickly as possible to pass the gates of Hades, and to lie deep buried.”

“Don’t wag the tail of life if it goes well,
But leave in undisturbed. If it should go
Badly, rock it until it straightens up.”

“Unless the gods deceive my mind,
That man is forging fetters for himself.”

“Wine is wont to show the mind of man.”

“Too many tongues have gates which fly apart
Too easily, and care for many things
That don’t concern them.”

“Surfeit begets insolence, when prosperity comes to a bad man.”

“Bright youth passes swiftly as a thought.”

“The deckhands are in control, and the base have the upper hand over the noble.”

“Even to a wicked man a divinity gives wealth, Cyrus, but to few men comes the gift of excellence.”

“No man takes with him to Hades all his exceeding wealth.”

“The lucky man is honored …
But earnest striving wins no praise at all.”

“We struggle onward, ignorant and blind,
For a result unknown and undesign’d;
Avoiding seeming ills, misunderstood,
Embracing evil as a seeming good.”

“Many bad men are rich, many good men are poor. But we will not exchange wealth for virtue along with them. One man has money now, another has money at another time. Money goes around, whereas virtue endures.”