Basic Information : Synopsis : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : New Words : Good Quotes : References
Basic Information:
Author:
Publius Syrus
Edition:
Google Playbook translated from the Latin by D. Lyman
Publisher:
LE Barnard&Company
ISBN:
1437166245 (ISBN13: 9781437166248)
Start
Date: April 8, 2020
Read
Date: April 17, 2020
82
pages
Genre:
Essay, Personal Growth
Language
Warning: None
Rated
Overall: 3 out of 5
Synopsis:
A
series of maxims or sayings on the conduct of a person. Born a
Syrian, he became a Roman slave. But because of the wisdom shown, he
was set free. He competed in oritory in front of the highest Romans,
including Julius Caesar.
Expectations:
- Recommendation: Saw a reference in Caitin Doughty’s book, Smoke Gets IN Your Eyes
- When: April 8, 2020
- How come do I want to read this book: Seems like these are a things which are good to remember
Thoughts:
I
will be copying about a tenth of the teaching. Some I will comment
on.
- 1. As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.
- 2. The evil you do to others you may expect in return.
- 7. To do two things at once is to do neither.
- Wonder what he would say in this era of multi-tasking.
- 10. To love one's wife with too much passion, is to be an adulterer.
- I do not understand what he means.
- 11. Hard is it to correct the habit already formed.
- 15. Even when we get what we wish, it is not ours.
- 25. A god could hardly love and be wise.
- Interesting. What a narrow god he had or imagined. But I suspect without revelation, this is how I would also feel. I should be thankful for this.
- 29. Be not blind to a friend's faults, nor hate him for them.
- Hard to do. Also would be true of political candidates.
- 35. Adversity shows whether we have friends, or only the shadows of friends.
- 37. The loss of a friend is the greatest of losses.
- 46. We all seek to know whether we shall be rich; but no one asks whether he shall be good.
- So true.
- 49. A wise man rules his passions, a fool obeys them.
- 52. A [haughty] spirit in disgrace is a show for the rabble.
- 68. What greater evil could you wish a miser, than long life.
- 71. No amount of gain satisfies Avarice.
- 73. Avarice is the source of its own sorrows.
- 83. No one but a knave or a fool thinks a good deed thrown away.
- 85. Never forget a favor received; be quick to forget a favor bestowed.
- 87. To receive a favor is to pawn your freedom.
- And yet, he seems to want to give out favors. Does this mean he wants to have others beholden to him?
- 90. Agift in season is a double favor to the needy.
- 99. Conquest over one's self, in the hour of victory, is a double triumph.
- 104. A good reputation, even in darkness, keeps on shining.
- 109. We must master our good fortune, or it will master us.
- 120. Learn to see in another's calamity the ills which you should avoid.
- 134. The wounds of conscience always leave a scar.
- 138. There is but a step between a proud man's glory and his disgrace.
- 141. Make your beloved angry, if you wish him to love you.
- I wonder what my wife would think of this?
- 146. Consult your conscience, rather than popular opinion.
- 148. You will gain your point better by moderation than anger.
- 169. Every man is a master in his own calling.
- 170. Patience is a remedy for every sorrow.
- 173. The greatest of comforts is to be free from blame.
- 174. There is no safety in regaining the favor of an enemy.
- 178. The gain acquired at the expense of reputation, should be counted a loss.
- 184. Wisdom is acquired by meditation.
- 185. While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity.
- 204. He who has prospered in life, should stay at home.
- 215. A kindness should be received in the spirit that prompted it.
- 217. In place of giving an angry man arms, we should take them away.
- 220. It is a kingly spirit that can return good deeds for reproaches.
- 223. The party to which the rabble belong is ever the worst.
- This applies to our political parties as well.
- 227. The good to which we have become accustomed, is often an evil
- 236. Even when the wound is healed, the scar remains.
- 237. Even when there is no law, there is conscience.
- 250. It is easier to add to a great reputation than to get it.
- 252. By concealing the deed, you render the accusation more serious.
- Nixon should have learned this. I certainly did as a kid.
- 265. What is left when honor is lost?
- 310. Do not take part in the council, unless you are called.
- 316. Circumstances will oft force a good man to swerve from the right
- 318. By doing nothing, men learn to do ill.
- 335. The people are strongest, where the Laws have most power.
- There is a fine distinction here between laws having power and the people who enforce laws having power.
- 336. Victory waits upon unity of action.
- 343. Pardon the offense of others, but never your own.
- 345. Would you have a great empire ? Rule over yourself.
- 356. Audacity is every thing, when the danger is critical.
- 383. To forget the wrongs you receive, is to remedy them.
- 389. To do good you should know what good is.
- 413. The error repeated is a fault.
- 416. When vice is approved, it will soon become intolerable.
- 429. When you assail truth, you may give loose reins to your tongue.
- 431. A slanderous tongue is the sign of a bad heart.
- 438. In the art of praying, necessity is the best of teachers.
- 457. They live ill who expect to live always.
- 464. Depravity pretends to goodness, that it may be worse than before
- 467. Never find your delight in another's misfortune.
- 507. An orator's life is more convincing than his eloquence
- 511. The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.
- 519. He threatens many, who does injustice to one.
- 521. The death of a good man is a public calamity.
- 524. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
- Interesting. I always thought it was Confusius who was credited with it. But Wikipedia says Syrus did, or at least is the most likely to be credited.
- 528. Never promise more than you can perform
- I think this is good, but it seems like in some places you get more points for promising than performing. Also many politicians should keep this in mind.
- 568. The truth is lost when there is too much contention about it.
- 571. It is only the ignorant who despise education.
- 574. Not to punish offenses, is to encourage depravity.
- Something to think about. Our sentences should fit the crime-neither too light or heavy.
- 581. It is not every question that deserves an answer
- 582. He is not likely to perish in the ruins who trembles at a crack in the wall.
- 585. It is not goodness to be barely better than the worst are.
- 599. Don't consider how many you can please, but whom.
- 617. / A guilty conscience never feels secure.
- 635. There should be no disagreement between our lives and our doctrines.
- 701. A good reputation is a good man's noblest inheritance.
- 718. He who violates another's honor loses his own.
- 720. What it is right to do, should be done at the right time.
- 735. It is a great grievance when the evil which is past returns again
- 747. If you delight in the society of the vicious, you are vicious yourself.
- 760. He who guards against calamities rarely meets them.
- 761. It is no vice to keep a vice out of sight.
- 766. It is the height of eloquence to speak in the defense of the innocent.
- 769. He who praises himself will speedily find a censor.
- 783. You should tell no one what you wish no one to know.
- 784. What is it to practice benevolence ? It is to imitate the Deity.
- 785. It matters not what you are thought to be, but what you are
- 800. It is the height of folly to blame without knowledge.
- 818. When you forgive an enemy you gain many friends.
- 825. He is truly wise who gains wisdom from another's mishap
- 829. It matters not how long you live but how well.
- Well, maybe it would be nice to live beyond the present moment.
- 841. Anger stops at nothing.
- 845. The hour of triumph loves no co-partnership.
- 846. You can obey a request much better than a command
- 851. You would not sin so often if you knew some things of which you are ignorant.
- 852. The eyes and ears of the mob are often false witnesses.
- 855. There is no more sacred duty than to remember to whom you ' owe yourself.
- 861. You are eloquent enough if truth speaks through you.
- 866. Better use medicines at the outset, than at the last moment.
- 872. / Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them.
- 881. Fear always comes back to curse its authors.
- 888. To overthrow law, is to destroy our greatest protection.
- 901. The sight of a thorn is pleasant when there is a rose by its side.
- 912. It is folly for him to rule over others who cannot govern himself.
- 913. He is a fool who envies the happiness of the proud.
- 922. An ultra right is generally an ultra wrong.
- How so? I am speculating that what he means is that the more right you convince yourself to be, the less you see an error in your thinking, even if the error is small.
- 930. He knows not when to be silent, who knows not when to speak
- 940. The highest safety is to fear nought but the Almighty
- 963. • Why do we not hear the truth ? Because we don't speak it.
- 964. A lie is truth, when told for one's safety.
- I wonder about this.
- 972. No one can honorably refuse to love virtue.
- 996. A good conscience never utters mere Up-prayers.
- 997. A man of courage never endures an insult; an honorable man never offers one.
- 1010. The happy man is not he who seems thus to others, but who seems thus to himself.
- 1012. Error and repentance are the attendants on hasty decisions.
- 1027. He who subdues his temper vanquishes his greatest enemy.
- 1046. You should not lead one life in private and another in public.
- 1058. When we speak evil of others, we generally condemn ourselves.
- 1060. Confession of our faults is the next thing to innocence.
- 1069. It is often better to overlook an injury, than avenge it.
- 1070.I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.
- 1073. Speech is a mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he.
- 1082. It is a less evil to be unable to live than not to know how to live.
Evaluation:
This
is akin to Twitter of morality in the pre-Christian era. These
sayings are the common snippets of how to live a life by an eloquent
former slave of the Roman era. It is a nice read, a bit archaic for
our times, but still meaningful. Of course, if you listen to just
about any religious teachings today on a consistent basis, you will
recognize much of the teachings.
But
then again, as I am going through some of the highlights of his
maxims, I am thinking we as a nation with our political situations,
we could learn from him
Never
heard of his maxims? How about:
A rolling stone gathers no moss?
Notes from my book group:
Many
of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
- Why the title of The Moral Sayings of Pubilius Syrus, a Roman Slave?
- Do these maxims work better than something like Proverbs in the Bible?
- Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying? Predictable?
- Every writing has a world view. Were you able to identify Pubilius Syrus’ world view? What was it? How did it affect his teachings?
- In what context was religion talked about in this book?
- Why do you think the author wrote this book?
- What would you ask the author if you had a chance?
- What “takeaways” did you have from this book?
- What central ideas does the author present?
- Are they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, medical, or scientific
- What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas?
- Is the evidence convincing...definitive or...speculative?
- Does the author depend on personal opinion, observation, and assessment?
- What implications for you, our nation or the world do these ideas have?
- Are these idea’s controversial?
- To whom and why?
- How did this book affect your view of the world?
- Of how God is viewed?
- What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
- Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
- What was memorable?
New Words:
- Taciturnity: A taciturn person might be snobby, naturally quiet, or just shy. Having its origin in the Latin tacitus, "silent," taciturn came to be used in mid-18th-century English in the sense "habitually silent." Taciturnity is often considered a negative trait, as it suggests someone uncommunicative and too quiet.
Good Quotes:
- First Line: As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.
- Last Line: Man’s life is short; and therefore an honorable death is his immortality.
- 1. As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.
- 2. The evil you do to others you may expect in return.
- 37. The loss of a friend is the greatest of losses.
- 46. We all seek to know whether we shall be rich ; but no one asks whether he shall be good.
- 104. A good reputation, even in darkness, keeps on shining.
- 146. Consult your conscience, rather than popular opinion.
- 173. The greatest of comforts is to be free from blame.
- 178. The gain acquired at the expense of reputation, should be counted a loss.
- 217. In place of giving an angry man arms, we should take them away.
- 237. Even when there is no law, there is conscience.
- 250. It is easier to add to a great reputation than to get it.
- 265. What is left when honor is lost?
- 335. The people are strongest, where the Laws have most power.
- 336. Victory waits upon unity of action.
- 389. To do good you should know what good is.
- 416. When vice is approved, it will soon become intolerable.
- 429. When you assail truth, you may give loose reins to your tongue.
- 507. An orator's life is more convincing than his eloquence
- 528. Never promise more than you can perform
- 585. It is not goodness to be barely better than the worst are.
- 635. There should be no disagreement between our lives and our doctrines
- 689. A merciful man in power is a public blessing.
- 691. Freedom alone is the source of noble action.
- 699. When you have good materials, employ good workmen.
- 769. He who praises himself will speedily find a censor.
- 784. What is it to practice benevolence ? It is to imitate the Deity.
- 785. It matters not what you are thought to be, but what you are
- 855. There is no more sacred duty than to remember to whom you ' owe yourself.
- 861. You are eloquent enough if truth speaks through you.
- 963. • Why do we not hear the truth ? Because we don't speak it.
- 1058. When we speak evil of others, we generally condemn ourselves
References:
-
- Also Archieve.org
- Wikipedia-Author
- Amazon-Book
- Amazon-Author
- GoodReads-Book
- GoodReads-Author
- Nate Liason’s review
- Practilaized review
