Plautus Quotes

Never speak ill of an absent friend.

Let deeds correspond with words. [Lat., Dictis facta suppetant.]

A mouse never entrusts his life to only one hole.

The prudent man really frames his own fortunes for himself.

How often we see the greatest genius buried in obscurity!

It is a tiresome way of speaking, when you should despatch the business, to beat about the bush.

I count him lost, who is lost to shame. [Lat., Nam ego illum periisse duco, cui quidem periit pudor.]

Riches, rightly used, breed delight.

For I know that many good things have happened to many, when least expected; and that many hopes have been disappointed.

Things unhoped for happen oftener than things we desire.

Disgrace is immortal, and living even when one thinks it dead.

Woman is certainly the daughter of Delay personified!

You little know what a ticklish thing it is to go to law. [Lat., Nescis tu quam meticulosa res sit ire ad judicem.]

It is sheer folly to take unwilling hounds to the chase.

I esteem death a trifle, if not caused by guilt.

Man proposes, God disposes.

Even the whole of life is not sufficient for thorough learning.

It is difficult to fly without wings.

It is easy to rule over the good.

All good men and women should be on their guard to avoid guilt, and even the suspicion of it.

If you strike the goads with your fists, your hands suffer most.

I suspect that hunger was my mother.

Courage in danger is half the battle. [Lat., Bonus animus in mala re, dimidium est mali.]

It does not matter a feather whether a man be supported by patron or client, if he himself wants courage. [Lat., Animus tamen omnia vincit. Ille etiam vires corpus habere facit.]

If you spend a thing you can not have it. [Lat., Non tibi illud apparere si sumas potest.]

Modesty becomes a young man. [Lat., Adolescentem verecundum esse decet.]

We should try to succeed by merit, not by favor. He who does well will always have patrons enough. [Lat., Virtute ambire oportet, non favitoribus. Sat habet favitorum semper, qui recte facit.]

What is thine is mine, and all mine is thine. [Lat., Quod tuum'st meum'st; omne meum est autem tuum.]

I have lost my oil and my labor. (Labored in vain.) [Lat., Oleum et operam perdidi.]

Feast to-day makes fast to-morrow. Lat.

The sea is certainly common to all.

It well becomes a young man to be modest.

Slander-mongers and those who listen to slander, if I had my way, would all be strung up, the talkers by the tongue, the listeners by the ears.

Enemies carry a report in form different from the original.

I trust no rich man who is officiously kind to a poor man.

Courage is to take hard knocks like a man when occasion calls.

Courage is its own reward.

Where there are sheep, the wolves are never very far away.

If anything is spoken in jest, it is not fair to turn it to earnest.

It is much easier to begin than to end.

If you are wise, be wise; keep what goods the gods provide you.

I am myself my own commander. [Lat., Egomet sum mihi imperator.]

It is not fair to treat as serious that which is only said in joke.

Feast today makes fast tomorrow

Whatever disgrace we may have deserved, it is almost always in our power to re-establish our character.

Things which you do not hope happen more frequently than things which you do hope.

In grasping at uncertainties we lost that which is certain.

Wisdom is not attained by years, but by ability

Food of Acheron. (Grave.) [Lat., Pabulum Acheruntis.]

Because those, who twit others with their faults, should look at home.