Sallustius

“ A just man, who is a stranger, is not only superior to a citizen, but is even more excellent than a relation.
As many passions of the soul, so many fierce and savage despots.
No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself.
Labour, together with continence, precedes the acquisition of every good. ”

“ Divinity sends evil to men, not as being influenced by anger, but for the sake of purification; for anger is foreign from divinity, since it arises from circumstances taking place contrary to the will: but nothing contrary to the will can happen to a god.
When you deliberate whether or not you shall injure another, you will previously suffer the evil yourself which you intended to commit: but neither must you expect any good from the evil; for the manners of everyone are correspondent to his life and actions: for every soul is a repository ”

“ Learn how to produce eternal children, not such as may supply the wants of the body in old age, but such as may nourish the soul with perpetual food.
It is impossible that the same person can be a lover of pleasure, a lover of body, a lover of riches, and a lover of divinity: for a lover of pleasure is also a lover of body; but a lover of body is entirely a lover of riches; but a lover of riches is necessarily unjust; and the unjust is necessarily profane towards divinity, and lawless with respect to men. ”

“ The unjust man suffers greater evil while his soul is tormented with a consciousness of guilt, than when his body is scourged with whips.
It is by no means safe to discourse concerning divinity with men of false opinions ”

“ Believe that you are furious and insane, in proportion as you are ignorant of yourself.
It is necessary to search for those wives and children which will remain after a liberation from the present life. ”

“ He is a wise man, and beloved by divinity, who studies how to labour for the good of his soul, as much as others labour for the sake of the body.
Yield all things to their kindred and ruling nature except liberty. ”

“ Consider both the praise and reproach of every foolish person as ridiculous, and the whole life of an ignorant man as a disgrace.
Endeavour that your familiars may reverence rather than fear you; for love attends upon reverence, but hatred upon fear. ”

“ The divinity has not a place in the earth more allied to his nature than a pure and holy soul.
↑ Because virtue is the perfection of life, and the proper perfection of any being is the felicity of that being.↑ And this is the case with intellectual goods. ”