Delphic Maxims, Pearls of Wisdom from the Seven Sages

The Delphic maxims are a collection of 147 axioms inscribed at Delphi. Originally said to have been given by Greek God Apollon to his Oracle at Delphi.

Stobaeus, a scholar of the 5th century, attributes them to the Seven Sages of Greece who are usually identified ( by Plato and others) as:

Solon of Athens (c. 638 – 558 BCE) a famous legislator and reformer from Athens, framing the laws that shaped the Athenian democracy.
Chilon of Sparta (fl. 6th century BCE) a Spartan politician to whom the militarization of Spartan society was attributed.
Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – c. 546 BCE) is the first well-known philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer. His maxim, “Know thyself,” was engraved on the front facade of the Oracle of Apollo in Delphi.
Bias of Priene (fl. 6th century BCE) was a politician and legislator known for being an advocate.
Cleobulus of Lindos (fl. 6th century BCE) governed as tyrant of Lindos, in the Greek island of Rhodes.
Pittacus of Mitylene (c. 640 – 568 BCE) governed Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. He tried to reduce the power of the nobility and was able to govern with the support of the popular classes, whom he favored.
Periander of Corinth (fl. 627 BCE) was the tyrant of Corinth in the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. Corinth saw a golden age of unprecedented stability during his rule.

All of these men were 6th Century BC contemporaries and as the written papyrus states, they were summoned by the Oracles to Delphi to convene over these axioms.

While some modern scholars argue that their original authorship is uncertain and that “most likely they were popular proverbs that were later ascribed to particular sages”, there is no evidence of that. There has been nothing written to suggest that these maxims were somehow a collection of ancient proverbs and sayings passed down through some oral tradition over thousands or even hundreds of years.

We have to notice that the Greek word that translated as “Maxims” is “Παραγγέλματα”(paragelmata) which literally means “messages”. So, the Maxims are not to be taken as commandments. We have to consider them more as guidelines and advice which leads to the ideal goal of all Greek philosophy, the achievement of Eudemonia.

Despite the disagreement about the origin, everyone agrees the Delphic Maxims are real pearls of wisdom.

Delphic Maxims, Pearls of Wisdom from the Seven Sages — Photo By Pxhere

1. Follow God	Ἕπου θεῷ
2. Obey the law	Νόμῳ πείθου
3. Honor the Gods	Θεους σέβου
4. Respect your parents	Γονεῖς αἰδοῦ
5. Be overcome by justice	Ἡττῶ ὑπό δικαίου
6. Know what you have learned	Γνῶθι μαθών
7. Perceive what you have heard	Ἀκούσας νόει
8. Be/Know yourself	Σαυτόν ἴσθι
9. Intend to get married	Γαμεῖν μέλλε
10. Know your opportunity	Καιρόν γνῶθι
11. Think as a mortal	Φρόνει θνητά
12. If you are a stranger act like one	Ξένος ὢν ἴσθι
13. Honor the hearth [or Hestia]	Ἑστίαν τίμα
14. Control yourself	Ἄρχε σεαυτοῦ
15. Help your friends	Φίλοις βοήθει
16. Control anger	Θυμοῦ κράτει
17. Exercise prudence	Φρόνησιν ἄσκει
18. Honor providence	Πρόνοιαν τίμα
19. Do not use an oath	Ὅρκῳ μή χρῶ
20. Love friendship	Φιλίαν ἀγάπα
21. Cling to discipline – education	Παιδείας ἀντέχου
22. Pursue honor – good reputation	Δόξαν δίωκε
23. Long for wisdom	Σοφίαν ζήλου
24. Praise the good	Καλόν εὖ λέγε
25. Find fault with no one	Ψέγε μηδένα
26. Praise virtue	Ἐπαίνει ἀρετήν
27. Act justly – righteously	Πρᾶττε δίκαια
28. Be kind to friends	Φίλοις εὐνόει
29. Watch out for your enemies – hateful people	Ἐχθρούς ἀμύνου
30. Exercise nobility of character	Εὐγένειαν ἄσκει
31. Keep yourself away from moral badness	Κακίας ἀπέχου
32. Be impartial	Κοινός γίνου
33. Guard what is yours	Ἴδια φύλαττε
34. Hold yourself from what belongs to others	Αλλοτρίων ἀπέχου
35. Listen to everyone	Ἄκουε πάντα
36. Be (religiously) silent	Εὔφημος ἴοθι
37. Do a favor for a friend	Φίλῳ χαρίζου
38. Nothing to excess	Μηδέν ἄγαν
39. Use time sparingly	Χρόνου φείδου
40. Foresee the future	Ὅρα τό μέλλον
41. Despise insolence	Ὕβριν μίσει
42. Have respect for suppliants	Ἱκέτας αἰδοῦ
43. Adapt yourself to all things	Πᾶσιν ἁρμόζου
44. Educate your sons	Υἱούς παίδευε
45. When you have, give freely	Ἔχων χαρίζου
46. Fear deceit	Δόλον φοβοῦ
47. Speak well of everyone	Εὐλόγει πάντας
48. Be a seeker of wisdom	Φιλόσοφος γίνου
49. Choose what is divine	Ὅσια κρῖνε
50. Act when you know	Γνούς πρᾶττε
51. Shun murder	Φόνου ἀπέχου
52. To wish with all the strength of your soul	Εὔχου δυνατά
53. Consult the wise	Σοφοῖς χρῶ
54. Test the character	Ἦθος δοκίμαζε
55. Give back what you have received	Λαβών ἀπόδος
56. View no one with jealousy or with suspicion	Ὑφορῶ μηδένα
57. Use your skill	Τέχνῃ χρῶ
58. Do what you mean to do	Ὃ μέλλεις, δός
59. Honor a benefaction	Εὐεργεσίας τίμα
60. Bear a grudge against no one	Φθόνει μηδενί
61. Be on your guard	Φυλακῇ πρόσεχε
62. Praise hope	Ἐλπίδα αἴνει
63. Hate slander	Διαβολήν μίσει
64. Gain possessions justly	Δικαίως κτῶ
65. Honor good men	Ἀγαθούς τίμα
66. Know who is judging	Κριτήν γνῶθι
67. Safeguard the marriage	Γάμους κράτει
68. Acknowledge fate	Τύχην νόμιζε
69. Avoid pledges	Ἐγγύην φεῦγε
70. Speak plainly	Ἁπλῶς διαλέγου
71. Associate with your peers	Ὁμοίοις χρῶ
72. Govern your expenses	Δαπανῶν ἄρχου
73. Be happy with what you have	Κτώμενος ἥδου
74. Rever a sense of shame	Αἰσχύνην σέβου
75. Fulfill a favor	Χάριν ἐκτέλει
76. Pray for happiness	Εὐτυχίαν εὔχου
77. Accept destiny	Τύχην στέργε
78. Observe what you have heard	Ἀκούων ὅρα
79. Work for what you can own	Ἐργάζου κτητά
80. Despise strife	Ἔριν μίσει
81. Detest disgrace	Ὄνειδος ἔχθαιρε
82. Restrain the tongue	Γλῶτταν ἴσχε
83. Keep yourself from insolence	Ὕβριν ἀμύνου
84. Make just judgments	Κρῖνε δίκαια
85. Use what you have	Χρῶ χρήμασιν
86. Judge incorruptibly	Ἀδωροδόκητος δίκαζε
87. Accuse one who is present	Αἰτιῶ παρόντα
88. Tell when you know	Λέγε εἰδώς
89. Do not depend on strength	Βίας μή ἔχου
90. Live without sorrow	Ἀλύπως βίου
91. Live together meekly	Ὁμίλει πρᾴως
92. Don’t hesitate to finish fully what you have started	Πέρας ἐπιτέλει μή ἀποδειλιῶν
93. Deal kindly with everyone	Φιλοφρόνει πᾶσιν
94. Do not curse your sons	Υἱοῖς μή καταρῶ
95. Lead your wife – Show her the way	Γυναικός ἄρχε
96. Benefit yourself	Σεαυτόν εὖ ποίει
97. Be courteous and approachable	Εὐπροσήγορος γίνου
98. Give a timely response	Ἀποκρίνου ἐν καιρῷ
99. Struggle with good repute	Πόνει μετ’ εὐκλείας
100. Act without repenting, with confidence	Πρᾶττε ἀμετανοήτως
101. Repent of sins	Ἁμαρτάνων μετανόει
102. Control the eye	Ὀφθαλμοῦ κράτει
103. Give a timely counsel	Βουλεύου χρόνῳ
104. Act quickly	Πρᾶττε συντόμως
105. Guard friendship	Φιλίαν φύλαττε
106. Be grateful	Εὐγνώμων γίνου
107. Pursue harmony	Ὁμόνοιαν δίωκε
108. Don’t disclose secrets.	Ἄρρητον κρύπτε
109. Fear ruling	Τό κρατοῦν φοβοῦ
110. Pursue what is profitable	Τό συμφέρον θηρῶ
111. Accept due measure	Καιρόν προσδέχου
112. Do away with enmities	Ἔχθρας διάλυε
113. Accept old age	Γῆρας προσδέχου
114. Do not boast in might	Ἐπί ῥώμῃ μή καυχῶ
115. Practice auspicious speech	Εὐφημίαν ἄσκει
116. Flee enmity	Ἀπέχθειαν φεῦγε
117. Acquire wealth justly	Πλούτει δικαίως
118. Do not abandon good reputation	Δόξαν μή λεῖπε
119. Despise evil	Κακίαν μίσει
120. Venture into danger prudently	Κινδύνευε φρονίμως
121. Do not tire of learning	Μανθάνων μή κάμνε
122. Do not stop to be thrifty	Φειδόμενος μή λεῖπε
123. Admire oracles	Χρησμούς θαύμαζε
124. Love whom you rear	Οὓς τρέφεις, ἀγάπα
125. Do not oppose someone absent	Ἀπόντι μή μάχου
126. Respect the elder	Πρεσβύτερον αἰδοῦ
127. Teach a youngster	Νεώτερον δίδασκε
128. Do not trust wealth	Πλούτῳ ἀπίστει
129. Respect yourself	Σεαυτόν αἰδοῦ
130. Do not begin to be insolent	Μή ἄρχε ὑβρίζειν
131. Honor your ancestors	Προγόνους στεφάνου
132. Die for your country	Θνῆσκε ὑπέρ πατρίδος
133. Do not be discontented by life	Τῷ βίῳ μή ἄχθου
134. Do not make fun of the dead	Ἐπί νεκρῷ μή γέλα
135. Share the load of the unfortunate	Ἀτυχοῦντι συνάχθου
136. Gratify without harming	Χαρίζου ἀβλαβῶς
137. Don’t worry about everything	Μή ἐπί παντί λυποῦ
138. Beget from noble routes	Ἐξ εὐγενῶν γέννα
139. Make promises to no one	Ἐπαγγέλλου μηδενί
140. Do not wrong the dead	Φθιμένους μή ἀδίκει
141. Be well off as a mortal	Εὖ πάσχε ὡς θνητός
142. Do not trust fortune	Τύχῃ μή πίστευε
143. As a child be well-behaved	Παῖς ὢν κόσμιος ἴσθι
144. As a youth – self-disciplined	Ἡβῶν ἐγκρατής
145. As of middle-age – just	Μέσος δίκαιος
146. As an old man – sensible	Πρεσβύτης εὔλογος
147. On reaching the end – without sorrow	Τελευτῶν ἄλυπος