70 Publilius Syrus Quotes (On Morality, Money, Adversity)

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.

Top 10 Quotes – Morality – Wisdom – Money – Friendship – Takeaways – Visual – Further Readings

publilius syrus quotes wisdom
Here are 70 amazing quotes by Publilius Syrus.

You’ll learn about:

Self-discipline
The value of forgiveness
The importance of integrity
And more!

But who was Publilius Syrus (85–43 BC)?

A Latin writer and philosopher
He was brought as a slave to Roman Italy
He was known for his insightful sayings (moral maxims)

He may also have influenced other writers such as Seneca, Montaigne, and other stoic authors who focused on:

Ethics
Virtue
And practical life lessons

In sum, I guarantee you’ll love these quotes from Publilius.

And you’ll be able to apply them in your own life fast.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Publilius Syrus Quotes

Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself. Publilius Syrus

Who has the greatest possessions? He who wants least. Publilius Syrus

You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force. Publilius Syrus

How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself. Publilius Syrus

An angry man is, again, angry with himself when he returns to reason. Publilius Syrus

Bear without murmuring what cannot be changed. Publilius Syrus

Audacity augments courage; hesitation, fear. Publilius Syrus

A wise man rules his passions, a fool obeys them. Publilius Syrus

The fear of death is more to be feared, than death itself. Publilius Syrus

A wise man will be master of his mind, a fool will be its slave. Publilius Syrus

Publilius Syrus Quotes On Morality

Speech is the mirror of the soul. Publilius Syrus

Human reason grows rich by self-conquest. Publilius Syrus

Forgive other people for many things, but do not forgive yourself anything. Publilius Syrus

It is never too late to take the road to rectitude. Publilius Syrus

Consult your conscience; rather than popular opinion. Publilius Syrus

A guilty conscience never feels secure. Publilius Syrus

Take care that no one hates you justly. Publilius Syrus

By doing nothing men learn to do ill. Publilius Syrus

You should not lead one life in private and another in public. Publilius Syrus

A noble spirit finds a cure for injustice in forgetting it. Publilius Syrus

He who conquers his passions is a man of more nerve than he who subdues the enemy. Publilius Syrus

The poor lack much, the greedy everything. Publilius Syrus

We should keep our word even to the undeserving. Publilius Syrus

He who violates another’s honor loses his own. Publilius Syrus

What is left when honor is lost? Publilius Syrus

Related

Publilius Syrus Quotes On Wisdom

Be the first to laugh at your own blunder, and no one will laugh at you. Publilius Syrus

Always study to secure your permanent peace. Publilius Syrus

Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings. Publilius Syrus

Every day should be passed as if it were to be our last. Publilius Syrus

Conversation is the image of the mind. As the man is, so is his talk. Publilius Syrus

I have often regretted my speech, but never my silence. Publilius Syrus

No man is happy unless he believes he is. Publilius Syrus

Wit itself is folly in a sage. Publilius Syrus

When angry, a man has deserted his body. Publilius Syrus

You are eloquent enough if truth speaks through you. Publilius Syrus

Practice is the best of all instructors. Publilius Syrus

Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage. Publilius Syrus

He who lives in solitude may make his own laws. Publilius Syrus

It is a bad plan that admits of no modification. Publilius Syrus

From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own. Publilius Syrus

Any land is your country where you can live happy. Publilius Syrus

Publilius Syrus Quotes On Money

When reason rules, money is a blessing. Publilius Syrus

Prosperity is ever providing itself with anxieties. Publilius Syrus

The poor man is ruined as soon as he begins to ape the rich. Publilius Syrus

A great property is a great bondage for the owner. Publilius Syrus Syrus

Be your money’s master, not its slave. Publilius Syrus

Money alone sets all the world in motion. Publilius Syrus

It is a fraud to borrow what we are unable to pay. Publilius Syrus

Many receive advice, only the wise profit by it. Publilius Syrus

Debt is the slavery of the free. Publilius Syrus

Publilius Syrus Quotes On Friendship

A friendship that can end never really began. Publilius Syrus

Where there is unity there is always victory. Publilius Syrus

We are interested in others, when they are interested in us. Publilius Syrus

We make the nearest approaches to the gods in our good deeds. Publilius Syrus

Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them. Publilius Syrus

The person who receives the most favors is the one who knows how to return them. Publilius Syrus

The remedy for wrongs is to forget them. Publilius Syrus

You can obey a request much better than a command. Publilius Syrus

If you gain new friends, don’t forget the old ones. Publilius Syrus

Admonish your friends privately, but praise them openly. Publilius Syrus

To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others. Publilius Syrus

Trust, like the soul, never returns once it is gone. Publilius Syrus

Publilius Syrus Quotes On Adversity

The sweetest pleasure arises from difficulties overcome. Publilius Syrus

Conquest over one’s self; in the hour of victory, is a double triumph. Publilius Syrus

Glory is apt to follow when industry has prepared the road. Publilius Syrus

If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest. Publilius Syrus

Patience is a remedy for every sorrow. Publilius Syrus

No one knows what he can do till he tries. Publilius Syrus

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. Publilius Syrus

Patience and fortitude create their own happiness. Publilius Syrus

Key Takeaways

Be disciplined. Publilius Syrus believed in having self-control. No self-control, no freedom, no power. “Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself”
Forgive. Publilius Syrus said that to be happy, we should be able to forgive others. And most importantly, ourselves. “How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.”
Be patient. Publilius Syrus was not a stoic in the purest sense. But some of his ideas reflected that philosophy. Acceptance. Humility. Strength. “Bear without murmuring what cannot be changed.”
Be kind. Publilius Syrus believed in morality and kindness. So do the right thing, be generous, and show compassion for others. “You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force”
Be true. Morality was vital for Publilius Syrus. Keeping your word, being faithful, saying the truth, etc. “You should not lead one life in private and another in public”