Delphic Maxims/Rules 4ALL!: Commandments of the 7

[Emperor AAdmin]

These are the rules (especially in yellow) for anyone here in Illyria Forums to follow!

01. Follow God (Επου θεω)
02. Obey the law (Νομω πειθου)
03. Worship the Gods (Be religious) (Θεους σεβου)
04. Respect your parents (Γονεις αιδου)
05. Be overcome by justice (justice=guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness:)(Ηττω υπο δικαιου)
06. Know what you have learned (Fully understand what you have learned without jumping to conclusions!)(Γνωθι μαθων)
07. Perceive what you have heard (Fully understand what you have heard without jumping to conclusions!)(Ακουσας νοει)
08. Be Yourself (Be unique and not a follower/sheep!) (Σαυτον ισθι)
09. Intend to get married (Γαμειν μελλε)
10. Know your opportunity (act upon an opportunity when it presents itself!)(Καιρον γνωθι)
11. Think as a mortal (Be humble/down to earth!)(Φρονει θνητα)
12. If you are a stranger act like one (Realize your limitations!)(Ξepsilon;νος ων ισθι)
13. Honor the hearth ('home') [or Hestia] (Honor your/others home!)(Εστιαν τιμα)
14. Control yourself (Impose limitations upon yourself and avoid extremes!) (Αρχε σεαυτου)
15. Help your friends (Φιλοις βοηθει)
16. Control anger (Remain calm and collected and therefore reasonable!)(Θυμου κρατει)
17. Exercise prudence (prudence= exercising sound judgment in practical affairs) (Φρονησιν ασκει)
18. Honor providence (providence =prudent management of resources)(Προνοιαν τιμα)
19. Do not use an oath (Be unique and not a subject/follower)(Ορκω μη χρω)
20. Love friendship (Φιλιαν αγαπα)
21. Cling to discipline (Παιδειας αντεχου)
22. Pursue honor (honor=honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions)(Δοξαν διωκε)
23. Long for wisdom

[/u](Hunger for it) (wisdom=knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action;)(Σοφιαν ζηλου)
24. Praise the good[/u] (good=morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious: a good man. )(Καλον ευ λεγε)
25. Find fault with no one[/u] (Do not downgrade/look down upon anyone!) (Ψεγε μηδενα)
26. Praise virtue (virtue=moral excellence; goodness; righteousness. ) (Επαινει αρετην)
27. Practice what is just (just=guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness:)(Πραττε δικαια)
28. Be kind to friends (Θιλοις ευνοει)
29. Watch out for your enemies (Εχθρους αμυνου)
30. Exercise nobility of character [/i] (nobility=nobleness of mind, character, or spirit; exalted moral excellence)(character=the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing)
(Ευγενειαν ασκει)
31. Shun evil (shun=to keep away from a place, person, object, etc.) (Κακιας απεχου)
32. Be impartial (impartial=not partial or biased; fair; just: an impartial judge. )(Κοινος γινου)
33. Guard what is yours (Guard=Protect)(Ιδια φυλαττε)
34. Shun what belongs to others (shun=to keep away from a place, person, object, etc.)(Αλλοτριων απεχου)
35. Listen to everyone (Be open-minded!) (Ακουε παντα)
36. Be (religiously) silent (Keep religion to yourself)(Ευφημος ιοθι)
37. Do a favor for a friend (Φιλω χαριζου)
38. Nothing to excess [/u][/color](Μηδεν αγαν)
39. Use time sparingly (sparingly=economically/usefully)(Χρονου φειδου)
40. Foresee the future (Think carefully before you act!) (Forsee=to know in advance) (Ορα το μελλον)
41. Despise insolence (despise=hate) (insolence=contemptuously rude or impertinent behavior or speech. ) (Υβριν μισει)
42. Have respect for suppliants (=humble petitioners or ones with requests)(Ικετας αιδου)
43. Be accommodating in everything (accommodating =easy to deal with; eager to help or please)(Παςιν αρμοζου)
44. Educate your sons (Υιους παιδευε)
45. Give what you have (don't over extent yourself / be realistic / be giving)(Εχων χαριζου)
46. Fear deceit (deceit=the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating: )(Δολον φοβου)
47. Speak well of everyone (Do not speak bad about anyone!)(Ευλογει παντας)
48. Be a seeker of wisdom (seeker=one who seeks/looks)(wisdom=the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action;)[/u](Φιλοσοφος γινου)
49. Choose what is divine ('Be your own judge and not a follower'!)(Οσια κρινε)
50. Act when you know (When you are sure and know the facts!)(Γνους πραττε)
51. Shun murder (shun=to keep away from a place, person, object, etc.)(Φονου απεχου)
52. Pray for things possible (be realistic)(Ευχου δυνατα)
53. Consult the wise (Do not jump to conclusions under emotions / remain calm and collected)(Σοφοις χρω)
54. Test the character (test yourself to discover your true essence)(Ηθος δοκιμαζε)
55. Give back what you have received (Λαβων αποδος)
56. Down-look no one (Do not belittle anyone) (Υφορω μηδενα)
57. Use your skill (be productive in whatever you are good at)(Τεχνη χρω)
58. Do what you mean to do (Make sure that your mind and body are in harmony) (Ο μελλεις, δος)
59. Honor a benefaction (benefaction =act of a benefactor/Giver)(Ευεργεςιας τιμα)
60. Be jealous of no one (Φθονει μηδενι)
61. Be on your guard (Be Alert/Aware with Self Control)[/u](Φυλακη προσεχε)
62. Praise hope (Praise=the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; laudation. )(Ελπιδα αινει)
63. Despise a slanderer (despise=hate)(slenderer=Usually one who talks behind someones back) (slender=a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report about someone) (Διαβολην μισει)
64. Gain possessions justly (acquire/get things fairly)
(Δικαιως κτω)
65. Honor good men (Αγαθους τιμα)
66. Know the judge (Follow the rules and understand penalties!))
(Κριτην γνωθι)
67. Master wedding-feasts (Attend them, make them and assist with them)(Γαμους κρατει)
68. Recognize fortune (Recognize it and act when it is presented) (Τυχην νομιζε)
69. Flee a pledge (be unique and not a follower/sheep)(Εγγυην φευγε)
70. Speak plainly (speak simple and to the point) (Αμλως διαλεγου)
71. Associate with your peers (befriend the ones like you)(Ομοιοις χρω)
72. Govern your expenses (spend what you can afford!)(Δαπανων αρχου)
73. Be happy with what you have (True lasting happiness only comes from within so be happy with what you have and who you are)(Κτωμενος ηδου)
74. Revere a sense of shame (Cultivate a sense of shame for self-control and in order to maintain being humble)(revere=to regard with respect tinged with awe; venerate) (Αισχυνην σεβου)
75. Fulfill a favor (Return a favor) (Χαριν εκτελει)
76. Pray for happiness (Cherish happiness) (Ευτυχιαν ευχου)
77. Be fond of fortune (cherish good luck) (Τυχην στεργε)
78. Observe what you have heard (analyze it and do not jump to conclusions) (Ακουων ορα)
79. Work for what you can own (be just and not a thief) (Εργαζου κτητα)
80. Despise strife (strife = vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism) (Εριν μισει)
81. Detest disgrace (detest = hate)(disgrace = the loss of respect, honor, or esteem; ignominy; shame:)(Ονειδς εχθαιρε)
82. Restrain the tongue (Control what you say) (Γλωτταν ισχε)
83. Keep yourself from insolence (insolence=contemptuously rude or impertinent behavior or speech)[/u](Υβριν αμυνου)
84. Make just judgments (just=guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: )(judgment=the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, esp. in matters affecting action; good sense; discretion: a man of sound judgment. )(Κρινε δικαια)
85. Use what you have (Be realistic) (Χρω χρημασιν)
86. Judge incorruptibly (incorruptible= that cannot be perverted or bribed: incorruptible by money.(solid/unchangeable))(Αδωροδοκητος δικαζε)
87. Accuse one who is present (don't slander behind someones back/be upfront) (Αιτιω παροντα)
88. Tell when you know (don't lie and talk when you are sure) (Λεγε ειδως)
89. Do not depend on strength (use intelligence)(Βιας μη εχου)
90. Live without sorrow (own all of your actions without regrets for they were done already)(Αλυπως βιου)
91. Live together meekly (be modest and down to earth) (Ομιλει πραως)
92. Finish the race without shrinking back (after a finished task remain active) (Περας επιτελει μη αποδειλιων))
93. Deal kindly with everyone (be polite/civilized)(Φιλοφρονει πασιν)
94. Do not curse your sons (Be polite/civilized in front of kids so they will grow up to be the same)(Υιοις μη καταρω)
95. Rule your wife (assume a pleasant but firm strong/soldier-like personality as well as wise/parent-like alpha male personality that 'comforts' with confidence and wisdom, wisdom that comes with age and experience)(Philosophers in antiquity usually suggested for a man to be in late thirties and a woman to be 18-19 age-wise)(Γυναικος αρχε)
96. Benefit yourself (Seek what will help you)(Σεαυτον ευ ποιει)
97. Be courteous (courteous=having or showing good manners; polite)(Ευπροσηγορος γινου)
98. Give a timely response (respect other peoples time) (Αποκρινου εν καιρω)
99. Struggle with glory (do not seek fame/attention but be modest)(Πονει μετ ευκλειας)
100. Act without repenting (own your actions without regrets/"be a man"))(Πραττε αμετανοητως)
101. Repent of sins (Improve upon your mistakes) (sin=any act regarded as such a transgression, esp. a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle / any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense: It's a sin to waste time. )(repent=to feel sorry / to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent. )()(Αμαρτανων μετανοει)
102. Control the eye (do not covet/want what is not yours : control yourself)(Οφθαλμοθ κρατει)
103. Give a timely counsel (respect other peoples time) (counsel=advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another. )(Βουλευου χρονω)
104. Act quickly (since each opportunity is unique and temporary in nature) (Πραττε συντομως)
105. Guard friendship (guard=protect)(Φιλιαν φυλαττε)
106. Be grateful (grateful=warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: I am grateful to you for your help.)(Ευγνωμων γινου)
107. Pursue harmony (Look for balance)(Ομονοιαν διωκε)
108. Keep deeply the top secret (Αρρητον κρυπτε)
109. Fear ruling (fear being judged by others) (Το κρατουν φοβου)
110. Pursue what is profitable (benefit yourself) (Το συμφερον θηρω)
111. Accept due measure (accept what must happen)(Καιρον προσδεχου)
112. Do away with enmities (do away=eliminate)(enmities=a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism. )(Εχθρας διαλυε)
113. Accept old age (be realistic) (Γηρας προσδεχου)
114. Do not boast in might (do not abuse power if you have it) (Επι ρωμη μη καυχω)
115. Exercise (religious) silence (keep your religion to yourself)(Ευφημιαν ασκει)
116. Flee enmity (walk away from negativity) (flee-run away from)(enmity = a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.) (Απεχθειαν φευγε)
117. Acquire wealth justly (Do not steal or cheat) (Πλουτει δικιως)
118. Do not abandon honor (abandon=to leave fully)(honor=honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor. )(Δοξαν μη λειπε)
119. Despise evil (despise=hate)(evil=morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds; an evil life. / harmful; injurious: evil laws. ) (Κακιαν μισει)
120. Venture into danger prudently (approach danger wisely) (prudent=wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober. )(Κινδυνευε φρονιμως)
121. Do not tire of learning (never assume you know too much)(Μανθανων μη καμνε)
122. Do not stop to be thrifty (always be active)(thrifty=thriving, prosperous, or successful. )(Φειδομενος μη λειπε)
123. Admire oracles (respect religion)(Χρησμους θαυμαζε)
124. Love whom you rear (love your child and leave a better world for them then the one you found)(Ους τρεφεις αγαπα)
125. Do not oppose someone absent (be upfront and not sneaky to go behind someones back)(Αποντι μη μαχου)
126. Respect the elder (respect older people and their experience since they have many years in front of you)(Πρεσβυτερον αιδου)
127. Teach a youngster (Teach younger ones about life to make their journey easier)(Νεωτερον διδασκε)
128. Do not trust wealth (Do not announce if you are rich!)(Money has no loyalty for anyone!)(Πλουτω απιστει)
129. Respect yourself (By treating others as you would want them to treat you)(Σεαυτον αιδου)
130. Do not begin to be insolent (insolent=boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting)(Μη αρχε υβριζειν)
131. Crown your ancestors (Respect your ancestors and their memory)(Προγονους στεφανου)
132. Die for your country (Be a patriot, unconditional love for ones country, and defend your country) (Θνησκε υπερ πατριδος)
133. Do not be discontented by life (Do not be unhappy by a gift called life but treasure it instead) (Τω βιω μη αχθου)
134. Do not make fun of the dead (Respect the memory of people who are not among the living)(Επι νεκρω μη γελα)
135. Share the load of the unfortunate (Help the ones who are less fortunate then you if you can)(Ατυχουντι συναχθου)
136. Gratify without harming (Satisfy yourself without hurting others)(Χαριζου αβλαβως)
137. Grieve for no one (Honor memories without regretting past actions) (Grieve=to feel grief or great sorrow)(Μη επι παντι λυπου)
138. Beget from noble routes (Create justly and fairly) (Beget=to procreate or generate)(Εξ ευγενων γεννα)
139. Make promises to no one (don't test fortune with your arrogance and therefore be humble and realistic)(Επαγγελου μηδενι)
140. Do not wrong the dead (do not insult the memory of the ones who are not among the living any more)(Φθιμενους μη αδικει)
141. Be well off as a mortal (well off=having sufficient money for comfortable living; well-to-do. / in a satisfactory, favorable, or good position or condition: If you have your health, you are well-off. )()(Ευ πασχε ως θνητος)
142. Do not trust fortune (Fortune, like nature itself, changes and therefore can not be fully trusted) (Τυχη μη πιστευε)
143. As a child be well-behaved (behaving well is what kids need most to grow up into effective adults)(Παις ων κοσμιος ισθι)
144. as a youth - self-disciplined (self discipline is what youth need most to grow up into effective adults)(ηβων εγκρατης)
145. as of middle-age - just (being just well is what middle age people must be to have effective society)(μεσος δικαιος)
146. as an old man - sensible (sensible=having, using, or showing good sense or sound judgment)(being sensible as an old man is a must to serve as an inspiration for the younger generations and their guide)(πρεσβυτης ευλογος)
147. on reaching the end - without sorrow (when on death bed face death and afterlife without regrets)(τελευτων αλυπος)

[/blockquote]

source:
The Commandments of the Seven
(the copy of Sosiades preserved by Stobaeus).

[Emperor AAdmin]

The Delphic Maxims are inscribed at Delphi and are said to have been delivered by Apollo Himself. The Maxims are suggestions for pious living, not quite commandments, really strong recommendations. According to legend, they were written down by The Seven Sages who are usually identified as: Solon of Athens, Chilon of Sparta, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priene, Cleobulus of Lindos, Pittacus of Mitylene and Periander of Corinth.

www.witchipedia.com/delphic-maxims

[Emperor AAdmin]

Seven Sages of Greece


The Seven Sages, depicted in the Nuremberg Chronicle

The Seven Sages (of Greece) or Seven Wise Men (Greek: οἱ ἑπτὰ σοφοί, hoi hepta sophoi; c. 620 BCE–550 BCE) was the title given by ancient Greek tradition to seven early 6th century BCE philosophers, statesmen and law-givers who were renowned in the following centuries for their wisdom.

The Seven Sages

Traditionally, each of the seven sages represents an aspect of worldly wisdom which is summarized in an aphorism. Although the sages included in the list has sometimes varied, the most usual ones included are the following ones:

* Cleobulus of Lindos: he would say that "Moderation is the best thing." He governed as tyranos of Lindos, in the Greek island of Rhodes, circa 600 BC. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleobulus

* Solon of Athens: he said that "Keep everything with moderation." Solon (640-559 BC) was a famous legislator and social reformer from Athens, enforcing the laws that shaped the athenian democracy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solon

* Chilon of Sparta: authored the aphorism "You should never desire the impossible." Chilon was a spartan politician from the 6th century BC, to whom the militarization of the spartan society is attributed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilon_of_Sparta

* Bias of Priene: "Most men are bad." Bias was a politician who became a famous legislator from the 6th century BC. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias_of_Priene

* Thales of Miletus: Thales is the first known philosopher and mathematician. He famously said "Know thyself," a sentence so famous it was engraved on the front façade of the Oracle of Apollo in Delphos. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thales

* Pittacus of Mytilene (c. 650 BC), governed Mytilene (Lesbos) along with Myrsilus. He tried to reduce the power of nobility and was able to govern Mytilene with the support of popular classes, to whom he favoured. He famously said "You should know which opportunities to choose." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittacus_of_Mytilene

* Periander of Corinth: he was the tyranos of Corinth circa 7th and 6th centuries BC. Under his rule, Corinth knew a golden age of unprecedented prosperity and stability. He was known for "Be farsighted with everything." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periander

Sources and legends

The oldest[1] explicit mention on record of a standard list of seven sages is in Plato's Protagoras, where Socrates says:

“ ...There are some, both at present and of old, who recognized that Spartanizing is much more a love of wisdom than a love of physical exercise, knowing that the ability to utter such [brief and terse] remarks belongs to a perfectly educated man. Among these were Thales of Miletus, and Pittacus of Mytilene, and Bias of Priene, and our own Solon, and Cleobulus of Lindus, and Myson of Chen, and the seventh of them was said to be Chilon of Sparta. They all emulated and admired and were students of Spartan education, and one could tell their wisdom was of this sort by the brief but memorable remarks they each uttered when they met and jointly dedicated the first fruits of their wisdom to Apollo in his shrine at Delphi, writing what is on every man's lips: Know thyself, and Nothing too much. Why do I say this? Because this was the manner of philosophy among the ancients, a kind of laconic brevity.[2] ”

The passage in which the above occurs is "elaborately ironical"; so it is unclear which of its aspects may be taken seriously,[3] although Diogenes Laertius later confirms that there were indeed seven such individuals who were held in high esteem for their wisdom well before Plato's time. According to Diogenes, citing Demetrius Phalereus, it was during the archonship of Damasias (582/1 BCE) that the seven had first become known as "the wise men", Thales being the first so acknowledged.[4]

Diogenes points out, however, that there was among his sources great disagreement over which figures should be counted among the seven.[5] Perhaps the two most common substitutions were to exchange Periander or Anacharsis for Myson. On Diogenes' first list of seven, which he introduces with the words "These men are acknowledged wise," Periander appears instead of Myson[6]; the same substitution appears in The Masque of the Seven Sages by Ausonius.[7] Both Ephorus[5] and Plutarch (in his Banquet of the Seven Sages) substituted Anacharsis for Myson. Diogenes Laertius further states that Dicaearchus gave ten possible names,[5] Hippobotus suggested twelve names,[8] and Hermippus enumerated seventeen possible sages from which different people made different selections of seven.[8] Leslie Kurke contends that "Aesop was a popular contender for inclusion in the group"; an epigram of the 6th century CE poet Agathias (Palatine Anthology 16.332) refers to a statue of the Seven Sages, with Aesop standing before them.[9]

Later tradition ascribed to each sage a pithy saying of his own, but ancient as well as modern scholars have doubted the legitimacy of such ascriptions.[10] A compilation of 147 maxims, inscribed at Delphi, was preserved by the fifth century CE scholar Stobaeus as "Sayings of the Seven Sages,"[11] but "the actual authorship of the...maxims set up on the Delphian temple may be left uncertain. Most likely they were popular proverbs, which tended later to be attributed to particular sages."[12]

In addition to being credited for pithy sayings, the wise men were also apparently famed for practical inventions; in Plato's Republic (600a), it is said that it "befits a wise man" to have "many inventions and useful devices in the crafts or sciences" attributed to him, citing Thales and Anacharsis the Scythian as examples.

According to a number of moralistic stories, there was a golden tripod (or, in some versions of the story, a bowl or cup) which was to be given to the wisest. Allegedly, it passed in turn from one of the seven sages to another, beginning with Thales, until one of them (either Thales or Solon, depending on the story) finally dedicated it to Apollo who was held to be wisest of all.[13]

According to Diogenes, Dicaearchus claimed that the Seven "were neither wise men nor philosophers, but merely shrewd men, who had studied legislation."[14] And according to at least one modern scholar, the claim is correct: "With the exception of Thales, no one whose life is contained in [Diogenes'] Book I [i.e. none of the above] has any claim to be styled a philosopher."[15]

References

1. ^ A. Griffiths, "Seven Sages", in Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd ed.).
2. ^ Protagoras 342e-343b, trans. R.E. Allen.
3. ^ p. 156, James Adam, Platonis Protagoras, Cambridge University Press, 1893; p. 83, C.C.W. Taylor, Plato: Protagoras, Oxford University Press, 2002. The words "elaborately ironical" are Adam's.
4. ^ Kirk, Raven, & Schofield, The Presocratic Philosophers (Cambridge, 1983, 2nd edition), p. 76, citing Diogenes Laertius, i. 22.
5. ^ a b c Diogenes Laertius, i. 41
6. ^ Diogenes Laertius, i. 13
7. ^ Ausonius, The Masque of the Seven Sages
8. ^ a b Diogenes Laertius, i. 42
9. ^ Leslie Kurke, Aesopic Conversations: Popular Tradition, Cultural Dialogue, and the Invention of Greek Prose, Princeton University Press, 2010, pp. 131-2, 135.
10. ^ H. Parke and D. Wormell, The Delphic Oracle, (Basil Blackwell, 1956), vol. 1, pp. 387-389.
11. ^ Kurke, p. 109.
12. ^ Parke & Wormell, p. 389.
13. ^ Diogenes Laertius i. 27ff.; R. Martin, "Seven Sages", Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy (ed. D. Zeyl, 1997), p. 487; Parke & Wormell, pp. 387-388
14. ^ Diogenes Laertius, i. 40.
15. ^ p. 42 note a, R. Hicks, Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers, vol. 1, Harvard University Press, 1925.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sages_of_Greece

[Emperor AAdmin]

From now on this will be the guiding light for the behavior of anyone visiting these forums and if with time they are unable to adjust and become truly civilized then they will not persist here. In such case they can go back to whatever Balkanoid darkness they came from. It will be a permanent announcement and any replies that deviate or discourage these rules will obviously be deleted within this thread!

for other rules
illyria.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=forumrules

[Emperor AAdmin]

Also for anyone unaware there is a special section for new topics/new replies for all forums (link in the upper left corner that says new topics)

new topics
illyria.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=newestthreads

[Emperor AAdmin]

I will give people some time to become verbally civilized as guided by these commandments.

For those who remain wild!

In rare cases later when some of you remain acting wild and uncivilized (such as insulting others of the different opinion). In such case, after a while, each time someone behaves wild (such as insults or downgrades someones opinion) I will post the picture (look bellow) in one of the replies. That will be a reminder to become verbally civilized (and above the picture specific commandment(s) which are being violated).