Category: Ancient Learning > Ethical Maxims > Delphic Maxims
1 Introduction
The so-called Delphic Maxims are regarded by many contemporary Hellenic polytheists as a canonical text inspired by Apollon and inscribed in his sanctuary at Delphi. However, they are just one example (preserved by a single author, the anthologist John Stobaeus [Anthology 3.1.173]) of a very diverse genre of collections of ethical maxims, and while some representatives – like the Precepts of Apollon – are indeed explicitly ascribed to the Delphic god, the particular text known as the Delphic Maxims is not. Instead, it is a collection of the Seven Sages’ sayings compiled by a certain Sosiades. Some of these maxims were inscribed at Delphi, but it is not known how many.
2 Translation
(1) Follow the god,
(2) Obey the law,
(3) Honor the gods,
(4) Honor your parents,
(5) Yield to what is just,
(6) Know by learning,
(7) Understand by listening,
(8) Know yourself,
(9) Desire to marry,
(10) Recognize the right moment,
(11) Think mortal thoughts,
(12) Know when you are a guest,
(13) Honor Hestia (or ‘the hearth’),
(14) Rule yourself,
(15) Help your friends,
(16) Control your temper,
(17) Exercise good sense,
(18) Honor providence (or ‘forethought’),
(19) Do not make an oath,
(20) Love friendship,
(21) Hold on to education,
(22) Pursue glory,
(23) Strive for wisdom,
(24) Speak well of the noble,
(25) Do not defame anyone,
(26) Praise virtue,
(27) Do what is just,
(28) Be gracious to your friends,
(29) Ward off your enemies,
(30) Practise nobility,
(31) Shun evilness,
(32) Be impartial,
(33) Protect what is yours,
(34) Keep away from what is others’,
(35) Listen to everything,
(36) Be auspicious in speech,
(37) Be pleasant to your dear ones,
(38) Nothing too much,
(39) Save time,
(40) Look to the future,
(41) Hate violence,
(42) Honor suppliants,
(43) Fit in with everyone,
(44) Educate your sons,
(45) When you have, be generous,
(46) Fear deceit,
(47) Speak well of everyone,
(48) Be striving for wisdom (or ‘be a philosopher’),
(49) Choose what is holy,
(50) Act with knowledge,
(51) Shun murder,
(52) Pray for what is possible,
(53) Consult the wise,
(54) Examine your character,
(55) Give back when you have received,
(56) Do not look down on anyone,
(57) Act with skill,
(58) Give what you mean to,
(59) Honor generosity,
(60) Do not envy anyone,
(61) Keep up your guard,
(62) Approve of hope,
(63) Hate slander,
(64) Aquire justly,
(65) Honor good people,
(66) Know the judge,
(67) Control your marriages,
(68) Recognize Fortune,
(69) Avoid a pledge,
(70) Speak plainly,
(71) Have dealings with those like you,
(72) Control your expenses,
(73) Be happy with what you have,
(74) Have a sense of shame,
(75) Repay a favor,
(76) Pray for good fortune,
(77) Be content with Fortune,
(78) Observe and listen,
(79) Work for gain,
(80) Hate quarrel,
(81) Detest disgrace,
(82) Control your speech,
(83) Shun violence,
(84) Choose what is just,
(85) Make use of your possessions,
(86) Judge unswayed by bribes,
(87) Accuse the present,
(88) Speak with understanding,
(89) Have nothing to do with violence,
(90) Live without sorrow,
(91) Deal kindly,
(92) Reach the end without hesitation,
(93) Be courteous to everyone,
(94) Do not curse your sons,
(95) Control your wife,
(96) Treat yourself well,
(97) Be easy to speak to,
(98) Answer promptly,
(99) Labor with glory,
(100) Act without regret,
(101) Repent of your transgressions,
(102) Control your eye,
(103) Give counsel in time,
(104) Act at once,
(105) Protect friendship,
(106) Be grateful,
(107) Purse agreement,
(108) Hide what is secret,
(109) Fear what is powerful,
(110) Pursue what is useful,
(111) Await the right moment,
(112) Dissolve enmities,
(113) Accept old age,
(114) Do not boast about strength,
(115) Practice auspicious speech,
(116) Avoid enmity,
(117) Acquire wealth justly,
(118) Do not forsake good repute,
(119) Despise evilness,
(120) Take risks with caution,
(121) Do not grow weary of learning,
(122) Do not cease being frugal,
(123) Hold oracles in awe,
(124) Love those you raise,
(125) Do not fight the absent.
(126) Honor your elder,
(127) Teach the young,
(128) Do not trust your wealth,
(129) Respect yourself,
(130) Do not begin violence,
(131) Honor your ancestors,
(132) Die for your home,
(133) Do not despair of life,
(134) Do not mock the dead,
(135) Do not be troubled with the unlucky,
(136) Court favor without harm,
(137) Do not be distressed over everything,
(138) Have children with the wellborn,
(139) Do not make a promise to anyone,
(140) Do not wrong the dead,
(141) (Be content) to do well as a mortal,
(142) Do not trust your Fortune;
(143) As a child, be well-behaved,
(144) As a youth, be in control of yourself,
(145) In middle age, be just,
(146) As an elder, be reasonable,
(147) When you are dying, do not lament!
3 Greek text
Σωσιάδου τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφῶν ὑποθῆκαι.
(1) Ἕπου θεῷ,
(2) Νόμῳ πείθου,
(3) Θεοὺς σέβου,
(4) Γονεῖς αἰδοῦ,
(5) Ἡττῶ ὑπὸ δικαίου,
(6) Γνῶθι μαθών,
(7) Ἀκούσας νόει,
(8) Σαυτὸν ἴσθι,
(9) Γαμεῖν μέλλε,
(10) Καιρὸν γνῶθι,
(11) Φρόνει θνητά,
(12) Ξένος ὢν ἴσθι,
(13) Ἑστίαν τίμα,
(14) Ἄρχε σεαυτοῦ,
(15) Φίλοις βοήθει,
(16) Θυμοῦ κράτει,
(17) Φρόνησιν ἄσκει,
(18) Πρόνοιαν τίμα,
(19) Ὅρκῳ μὴ χρῶ,
(20) Φιλίαν ἀγάπα,
(21) Παιδείας ἀντέχου,
(22) Δόξαν δίωκε,
(23) Σοφίαν ζήλου,
(24) Καλὸν εὖ λέγε,
(25) Ψέγε μηδένα,
(26) Ἐπαίνει ἀρετήν,
(27) Πρᾶττε δίκαια,
(28) Φίλοις εὐνόει,
(29) Ἐχθροὺς ἀμύνου,
(30) Εὐγένειαν ἄσκει,
(31) Κακίας ἀπέχου,
(32) Κοινὸς γίνου,
(33) Ἴδια φύλαττε,
(34) Ἀλλοτρίων ἀπέχου,
(35) Ἄκουε πάντα,
(36) Εὔφημος ἴσθι,
(37) Φίλῳ χαρίζου,
(38) Μηδὲν ἄγαν,
(39) Χρόνου φείδου,
(40) Ὅρα τὸ μέλλον,
(41) Ὕβριν μίσει,
(42) Ἱκέτας αἰδοῦ,
(43) Πᾶσιν ἁρμόζου,
(44) Υἱοὺς παίδευε,
(45) Ἔχων χαρίζου,
(46) Δόλον φοβοῦ,
(47) Εὐλόγει πάντας,
(48) Φιλόσοφος γίνου,
(49) Ὅσια κρῖνε,
(50) Γνοὺς πρᾶττε,
(51) Φόνου ἀπέχου,
(52) Εὔχου δυνατά,
(53) Σοφοῖς χρῶ,
(54) Ἦθος δοκίμαζε,
(55) Λαβὼν ἀπόδος,
(56) Ὑφορῶ μηδένα,
(57) Τέχνῃ χρῶ,
(58) Ὃ μέλλεις, δός,
(59) Εὐεργεσίας τίμα,
(60) Φθόνει μηδενί,
(61) Φυλακῇ πρόσεχε,
(62) Ἐλπίδα αἴνει,
(63) Διαβολὴν μίσει,
(64) Δικαίως κτῶ,
(65) Ἀγαθοὺς τίμα,
(66) Κριτὴν γνῶθι,
(67) Γάμους κράτει,
(68) Τύχην νόμιζε,
(69) Ἐγγύην φεῦγε,
(70) Ἁπλῶς διαλέγου,
(71) Ὁμοίοις χρῶ,
(72) Δαπανῶν ἄρχου,
(73) Κτώμενος ἥδου,
(74) Αἰσχύνην σέβου,
(75) Χάριν ἐκτέλει,
(76) Εὐτυχίαν εὔχου,
(77) Τύχην στέργε,
(78) Ἀκούων ὅρα,
(79) Ἐργάζου κτητά,
(80) Ἔριν μίσει,
(81) Ὄνειδος ἔχθαιρε,
(82) Γλῶτταν ἴσχε,
(83) Ὕβριν ἀμύνου,
(84) Κρῖνε δίκαια,
(85) Χρῶ χρήμασιν,
(86) Ἀδωροδόκητος δίκαζε,
(87) Αἰτιῶ παρόντα,
(88) Λέγε εἰδώς,
(89) Βίας μὴ ἔχου,
(90) Ἀλύπως βίου,
(91) Ὁμίλει πρᾴως,
(92) Πέρας ἐπιτέλει μὴ ἀποδειλιῶν,
(93) Φιλοφρόνει πᾶσιν,
(94) Υἱοῖς μὴ καταρῶ,
(95) Γυναικὸς ἄρχε,
(96) Σεαυτὸν εὖ ποίει,
(97) Εὐπροσήγορος γίνου,
(98) Ἀποκρίνου ἐν καιρῷ,
(99) Πόνει μετ‘ εὐκλείας,
(100) Πρᾶττε ἀμετανοήτως,
(101) Ἁμαρτάνων μετανόει,
(102) Ὀφθαλμοῦ κράτει,
(103) Βουλεύου χρόνῳ,
(104) Πρᾶττε συντόμως,
(105) Φιλίαν φύλαττε,
(106) Εὐγνώμων γίνου,
(107) Ὁμόνοιαν δίωκε,
(108) Ἄῤῥητον κρύπτε,
(109) Τὸ κρατοῦν φοβοῦ,
(110) Τὸ συμφέρον θηρῶ,
(111) Καιρὸν προσδέχου,
(112) Ἔχθρας διάλυε,
(113) Γῆρας προσδέχου,
(114) Ἐπὶ ῥώμῃ μὴ καυχῶ,
(115) Εὐφημίαν ἄσκει,
(116) Ἀπέχθειαν φεῦγε,
(117) Πλούτει δικαίως,
(118) Δόξαν μὴ λεῖπε,
(119) Κακίαν μίσει,
(120) Κινδύνευε φρονίμως,
(121) Μανθάνων μὴ κάμνε,
(122) Φειδόμενος μὴ λεῖπε,
(123) Χρησμοὺς θαύμαζε,
(124) Οὓς τρέφεις, ἀγάπα,
(125) Ἀπόντι μὴ μάχου.
(126) Πρεσβύτερον αἰδοῦ,
(127) Νεώτερον δίδασκε,
(128) Πλούτῳ ἀπίστει,
(129) Σεαυτὸν αἰδοῦ,
(130) Μὴ ἄρχε ὑβρίζειν,
(131) Προγόνους στεφάνου,
(132) Θνῆσκε ὑπὲρ πατρίδος,
(133) Τῷ βίῳ μὴ ἄχθου,
(134) Ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ γέλα,
(135) Ἀτυχοῦντι συνάχθου,
(136) Χαρίζου ἀβλαβῶς,
(137) Μὴ ἐπὶ παντὶ λυποῦ,
(138) Ἐξ εὐγενῶν γέννα,
(139) Ἐπαγγέλλου μηδενί,
(140) Φθιμένους μὴ ἀδίκει,
(141) Εὖ πάσχε ὡς θνητός,
(142) Τύχῃ μὴ πίστευε;
(143) Παῖς ὢν κόσμιος ἴσθι,
(144) Ἡβῶν ἐγκρατής,
(145) Μέσος δίκαιος,
(146) Πρεσβύτης εὔλογος,
(147) Τελευτῶν ἄλυπος!
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