Hold it the greatest wrong to prefer life to honor and for the sake of life to lose the reason for living.
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires
Quotations by:
Juvenal
Corruption comes by degrees.
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, 2.84 [tr. P. Green (1967)]
Look around the habitable world, how few
Know their own good, or knowing it, pursue.Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, no. X
(Dryden trans., 1683)
It is difficult not to write satire.
[Difficile est saturam non scribere.]
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, Satire 1, l. 30.
The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddles no more and longs eagerly for just two things — bread and circuses!
[Nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.]
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, Satire 10, l. 78-79
Alt. trans.: "The people long for only two things: bread and circuses."
No man ever became extremely wicked all at once.
[Nemo repente fuit turpissimus.]
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, Satire 2, l. 83
Alt. trans.: "No one ever became thoroughly bad all at once" or "No one's only corrupted overnight" or "No one reaches the depths of turpitude all at once."
But who will guard the guardians themselves?
[Sed uis custodiet ipsos custodes?]
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, Satire 6, l. 347 [tr. Evans (1861)]
Alt. trans:
The original context in Juvenal is that while a husband might put his wife under guard to prevent her adulteries, who will guard the guards?- "But who is to guard the guards themselves?"
- "But who watches the watchmen?"
Count it the greatest sin to prefer life to honor, and for the sake of living to lose what makes life worth living.
[Summum crede nefas animam praeferre pudori et propter vitam vivendi perdere causas.]
Juvenal (c.55-127) Roman satirist [Decimus Junius Juvinalis]
Satires, Satire 8, l. 83