Cato the Elder

"A soldier's life is a sacred trust"

"The study of history is the beginning of political wisdom"

"Idleness breeds vice"

"The true feast of life is to live frugally"

"Education forms common people; genius forms great men"

"Speak little, listen much, and observe everything"

"Rome was not built in a day"

"The die is cast"

"There is no failure except in no longer trying"

"A man's word is his bond"

"The greatest pleasure is obtained when the desire is longest resisted"

"Knowledge of oneself is the beginning of wisdom"

"Laws are silent in times of war"

"The safety of the people shall be the highest law"

"Virtue is the only true honor"

"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer a thousand men in battle"

"The smallest seeds often produce the largest trees"

"Beware of those who seek power, not for the good of the state, but for themselves"

"Art imitates nature"

"The measure of a man is what he does with power"

"Nothing is permanent but change itself"

"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now"

"In every adversity lies the seed of opportunity"

"A peaceful life is a long life"

"The tongue is the rudder that steers the ship of state"

"Wealth without wisdom is a curse"

"The pursuit of knowledge is the noblest of all pursuits"

"A good friend is worth more than gold"

"The strength of a nation lies in the character of its people"

"To serve the state is the highest calling"