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Reader | Delphic Maxims, Book 1

Delphic Maxims

Delphic tradition

Book 1 | Primary edition: Muses' Whisper rendering

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Text

Position

Line 1 of 147

Waypoints

Line RefMuses' Whisper rendering | English
Ἕπου θεῷ

Primary

Follow God

Νόμῳ πείθου

Primary

Submit to the law

Θεοὺς σέβου

Primary

Revere the gods

Γονεῖς αἰδοῦ

Primary

Honor your parents

Ἡττῶ ὑπὸ δικαίου

Primary

Yield to what is just

Γνῶθι μαθών

Primary

Learn what you have learned

Ἀκούσας νόει

Primary

Understand what you hear

Σαυτὸν ἴσθι

Primary

Know thyself

Γαμεῖν μέλλε

Primary

Look to marriage in season

Καιρὸν γνῶθι

Primary

Know the right moment

Φρόνει θνητά

Primary

Mind mortal things

Ξένος ὢν ἴσθι

Primary

As a guest, remember you are a guest

Ἑστίαν τίμα

Primary

Honor the hearth

Ἄρχε σεαυτοῦ

Primary

Rule yourself

Φίλοις βοήθει

Primary

Come to the aid of friends

Θυμοῦ κράτει

Primary

Master your temper

Φρόνησιν ἄσκει

Primary

Practice prudence

Πρόνοιαν τίμα

Primary

Honor foresight

Ὅρκῳ μὴ χρῶ

Primary

Do not traffic in oaths

Φιλίαν ἀγάπα

Primary

Cherish friendship

Παιδείας ἀντέχου

Primary

Hold fast to discipline

Δόξαν δίωκε

Primary

Pursue good repute

Σοφίαν ζήλου

Primary

Be zealous for wisdom

Καλὸν εὖ λέγε

Primary

Speak well of the noble

Ψέγε μηδένα

Primary

Blame no one

Ἐπαίνει ἀρετήν

Primary

Praise virtue

Πρᾶττε δίκαια

Primary

Do what is just

Φίλοις εὐνόει

Primary

Wish your friends well

Ἐχθροὺς ἀμύνου

Primary

Defend yourself against enemies

Εὐγένειαν ἄσκει

Primary

Practice nobility

Κακίας ἀπέχου

Primary

Keep clear of vice

Κοινὸς γίνου

Primary

Be public-spirited

Ἴδια φύλαττε

Primary

Guard what is your own

Ἀλλοτρίων ἀπέχου

Primary

Keep off what is another's

Ἄκουε πάντα

Primary

Hear everything

Εὔφημος ἴσθι

Primary

Speak words of good omen

Φίλῳ χαρίζου

Primary

Show grace to a friend

Μηδὲν ἄγαν

Primary

Nothing in excess

Χρόνου φείδου

Primary

Be sparing of time

Ὅρα τὸ μέλλον

Primary

Look ahead

Ὕβριν μίσει

Primary

Hate insolence

Ἱκέτας αἰδοῦ

Primary

Respect suppliants

Πᾶσιν ἁρμόζου

Primary

Fit yourself to all

Υἱοὺς παίδευε

Primary

Train your sons

Ἔχων χαρίζου

Primary

Give when you have the means

Δόλον φοβοῦ

Primary

Fear deceit

Εὐλόγει πάντας

Primary

Speak blessings over all

Φιλόσοφος γίνου

Primary

Become a lover of wisdom

Ὅσια κρῖνε

Primary

Judge what is holy

Γνοὺς πρᾶττε

Primary

Act with understanding

Φόνου ἀπέχου

Primary

Abstain from bloodshed

Εὔχου δυνατά

Primary

Pray for what can be

Σοφοῖς χρῶ

Primary

Keep company with the wise

Ἦθος δοκίμαζε

Primary

Test a person's character

Λαβὼν ἀπόδος

Primary

Return what you receive

Ὑφορῶ μηδένα

Primary

Suspect no one lightly

Τέχνῃ χρῶ

Primary

Use your craft

Ὃ μέλλεις, δός

Primary

What you mean to give, give

Εὐεργεσίας τίμα

Primary

Honor benefaction

Φθόνει μηδενί

Primary

Envy no one

Φυλακῇ πρόσεχε

Primary

Attend to caution

Ἐλπίδα αἴνει

Primary

Praise hope

Διαβολὴν μίσει

Primary

Hate slander

Δικαίως κτῶ

Primary

Acquire justly

Ἀγαθοὺς τίμα

Primary

Honor the good

Κριτὴν γνῶθι

Primary

Know the judge

Γάμους κράτει

Primary

Master marriage

Τύχην νόμιζε

Primary

Acknowledge fortune

Ἐγγύην φεῦγε

Primary

Shun surety

Ἁπλῶς διαλέγου

Primary

Speak plainly

Ὁμοίοις χρῶ

Primary

Keep to your own kind

Δαπανῶν ἄρχου

Primary

Rule your spending

Κτώμενος ἥδου

Primary

Take joy in what you gain

Αἰσχύνην σέβου

Primary

Revere shame

Χάριν ἐκτέλει

Primary

Repay a kindness

Εὐτυχίαν εὔχου

Primary

Pray for good fortune

Τύχην στέργε

Primary

Be content with your lot

Ἀκούων ὅρα

Primary

Listen and observe

Ἐργάζου κτητά

Primary

Work for what you would possess

Ἔριν μίσει

Primary

Hate strife

Ὄνειδος ἔχθαιρε

Primary

Detest reproach

Γλῶτταν ἴσχε

Primary

Hold your tongue

Ὕβριν ἀμύνου

Primary

Beat back insolence

Κρῖνε δίκαια

Primary

Judge justly

Χρῶ χρήμασιν

Primary

Use money well

Ἀδωροδόκητος δίκαζε

Primary

Judge without taking gifts

Αἰτιῶ παρόντα

Primary

Blame the man before you

Λέγε εἰδώς

Primary

Speak from knowledge

Βίας μὴ ἔχου

Primary

Do not resort to force

Ἀλύπως βίου

Primary

Live without bitterness

Ὁμίλει πρᾴως

Primary

Deal gently with others

Πέρας ἐπιτέλει μὴ ἀποδειλιῶν

Primary

Bring your work to its end without shrinking

Φιλοφρόνει πᾶσιν

Primary

Be kindly toward all

Υἱοῖς μὴ καταρῶ

Primary

Do not curse your sons

Γυναικὸς ἄρχε

Primary

Govern your wife

Σεαυτὸν εὖ ποίει

Primary

Do yourself good

Εὐπροσήγορος γίνου

Primary

Be approachable

Ἀποκρίνου ἐν καιρῷ

Primary

Answer at the right time

Πόνει μετ’ εὐκλείας

Primary

Labor with honor

Πρᾶττε ἀμετανοήτως

Primary

Do nothing you must regret

Ἁμαρτάνων μετανόει

Primary

When you err, repent

Ὀφθαλμοῦ κράτει

Primary

Master your eyes

Βουλεύου χρόνῳ

Primary

Take counsel with time

Πρᾶττε συντόμως

Primary

Act without delay

Φιλίαν φύλαττε

Primary

Guard friendship

Εὐγνώμων γίνου

Primary

Be fair in judgment

Ὁμόνοιαν δίωκε

Primary

Seek concord

Ἄρρητον κρύπτε

Primary

Conceal what must not be spoken

Τὸ κρατοῦν φοβοῦ

Primary

Fear the ruling power

Τὸ συμφέρον θηρῶ

Primary

Hunt what is useful

Καιρὸν προσδέχου

Primary

Wait for the right occasion

Ἔχθρας διάλυε

Primary

Dissolve enmities

Γῆρας προσδέχου

Primary

Receive old age

Ἐπὶ ῥώμῃ μὴ καυχῶ

Primary

Do not boast in strength

Εὐφημίαν ἄσκει

Primary

Practice fair speech

Ἀπέχθειαν φεῦγε

Primary

Flee hatred

Πλούτει δικαίως

Primary

Grow rich justly

Δόξαν μὴ λεῖπε

Primary

Do not abandon honor

Κακίαν μίσει

Primary

Hate wickedness

Κινδύνευε φρονίμως

Primary

Do not weary of learning

Μανθάνων μὴ κάμνε

Primary

Take risks with judgment

Φειδόμενος μὴ λεῖπε

Primary

Do not fail through thrift

Χρησμοὺς θαύμαζε

Primary

Stand in wonder before oracles

Οὓς τρέφεις, ἀγάπα

Primary

Love those you nourish

Ἀπόντι μὴ μάχου

Primary

Do not quarrel with the absent

Πρεσβύτερον αἰδοῦ

Primary

Honor your elders

Νεώτερον δίδασκε

Primary

Teach the younger

Πλούτῳ ἀπίστει

Primary

Put no trust in wealth

Σεαυτὸν αἰδοῦ

Primary

Respect yourself

Μὴ ἄρχε ὑβρίζειν

Primary

Do not begin with an insult

Προγόνους στεφάνου

Primary

Crown your ancestors

Θνῆσκε ὑπὲρ πατρίδος

Primary

Die for your country

Τῷ βίῳ μὴ ἄχθου

Primary

Do not chafe at life

Ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ γέλα

Primary

Do not laugh over the dead

Ἀτυχοῦντι συνάχθου

Primary

Grieve with the unfortunate

Χαρίζου ἀβλαβῶς

Primary

Show favor without harm

Μὴ ἐπὶ παντὶ λυποῦ

Primary

Do not be pained by every little thing

Ἐξ εὐγενῶν γέννα

Primary

Beget children from good stock

Ἐπαγγέλλου μηδενί

Primary

Promise nothing

Φθιμένους μὴ ἀδίκει

Primary

Do not wrong the dead

Εὖ πάσχε ὡς θνητός

Primary

Bear prosperity as a mortal

Τύχῃ μὴ πίστευε

Primary

Do not trust fortune

Παῖς ὢν κόσμιος ἴσθι

Primary

As a child, be orderly

Ἡβῶν ἐγκρατής

Primary

In youth, be self-controlled

Μέσος δίκαιος

Primary

In middle age, be just

Πρεσβύτης εὔλογος

Primary

In old age, be of sound counsel

Τελευτῶν ἄλυπος

Primary

At the end, be without sorrow

Text notes and edition context

Work

Delphic Maxims

The Delphic maxims are concise ethical counsels ideal for short pulls, daily admonition, and reflective self-address.

Maxims / aphorisms | Original language: Ancient Greek

Archaic and later Greek wisdom tradition associated with Delphi

You are reading Book 1.

Primary Edition

Muses' Whisper rendering

English | Prose

Modern concise English renderings from a public-domain Greek witness

These renderings were prepared in-house for Muses' Whisper directly from the Greek Sosiades/Stobaeus witness, keeping the sayings brief and idiomatic without leaning on the provisional Oikonomides phrasings.

This edition now carries the full 147 maxims for ritual, oracle, and reflection flows, while retaining the terse Delphic register of the Greek source.

Source family: English ritual and oracle classics

Wikisource / Internet Archive / curated Delphic witness renderings | Public-domain source texts and short public-domain glosses

Compact hymn, maxim, and oracle material prepared for first-pass ritual, reflection, and oracle use.

Pinned source commit: archive.org:

Source path: fragmentaphilo01mull_djvu.txt :: English rendered for Muses' Whisper from the Greek Sosiades witness

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Primary source: English ritual and oracle classics | Wikisource / Internet Archive / curated Delphic witness renderings.