Lycurgus

"A people united in purpose cannot be divided by circumstance."

"Comfort is the enemy of greatness, and complacency the father of ruin."

"The measure of a man is not what he takes, but what he gives."

"A child raised in hardship becomes a man fit for hardship."

"The laws must be like mountains—immovable and eternal."

"To flee from danger is to invite it to pursue you further."

"Freedom without duty is license, and license is the path to slavery."

"The soldier who has not suffered cannot lead those who have."

"Truth does not fear examination, only lies do."

"A society is as strong as its weakest citizen."

"The price of peace is eternal vigilance and constant preparation."

"Ambition without virtue is a river that drowns the ambitious."

"The greatest conquest is the conquest of oneself."

"A man of few words is a man of great deeds."

"The law speaks to the mind, but example speaks to the heart."

"In the crucible of hardship, the true character of a people is revealed."

"A nation that forgets its traditions is a ship without a rudder."

"The cost of maintaining order is less than the cost of restoring it after chaos."

"A citizen who takes more than he gives is a thief from the commonwealth."

"To rule well is to make oneself unnecessary."

"The wise man legislates for the future, not for the present."

"Strength of character is worth more than strength of arm."

"A people without heroes have no destiny."

"The greatest gift a father can give his son is the example of his virtue."

"Custom is the most powerful law, for it requires no enforcement."

"A nation divided against itself will fall, not to external foes, but to itself."

"The pursuit of wealth without purpose is the pursuit of emptiness."

"A man's word is his bond, and his bond is his identity."

"The test of a law is not whether it is popular, but whether it is just."

"An unjust war is a war that no victor can win."